Month: October 2016

Broadjam Artist: Thomas E. McCue
Song: C’mon Grandpa

Reviewer: william r floyd

Positive Comments: clever lyrics, good premise good visuals

Constructive Comments: I dont really care for the arrangement its also real real long and the tune just gets monotonous. story needs to be told in under 4 min. the arrangement is not worthy of the lyrics. Sorry,I mean no disrespect but other than the cleverness of the lyrics,I didn’t care for this one, but who the heck am I 🙂

Broadjam Artist: Earl.C.Webb
Song: MADELEINE

Reviewer: Keith Taylor

Positive Comments: This song has potential. Great hook.

Constructive Comments: I think the lyrics in the verses could be tweaked a bit to really put this one very the top. Example the first verse you rhyme “glass” with “self”. That last line might work better with something like “with someone from my past”. Second verse it is “sure” and “more”. This is close but not close enough in my mind.

Broadjam Artist: FRED GROSS
Song: Now and Then

Reviewer: Keith Taylor

Positive Comments: Really nice work on this one.

Constructive Comments: I really wish there were lyrics for this song because it is really good.

Broadjam Artist: Jeff Ashbaker
Song: Before You Swallow

Reviewer: Keith Taylor

Positive Comments: Really great song. I love the groove.

Constructive Comments: Doesn’t need anything! Sounds great!!

Broadjam Artist: Kate Carpenter
Song: Great Commission Instrumental

Reviewer: Monday Funeral

Positive Comments: This is obviously written with very specific purposes in mind. Within the first four seconds of the song, I was seeing Cowboys appear in the distance running full speed towards me. I have to think you’ve landed some work with this piece, as you offers a lot. I love the shift at the 2 minute mark, and when you let t guitar really play. The vocals at the end are fantastic. Totally works, and it’s true to the song. You’re obviously a seasoned veteran, keep it up.

Constructive Comments: I was a little surprised the piece stayed on the tonic the whole time. There is the modulation, but even so it sits on one. With how great the sampled drums are, as well as the overall grove and feel, it would be awesome to hear this thing at least go to four and five a couple times. It’s hard for me to constructively review this, as I understand you’re creating something that can be broken up for commercial use. I do think expanding the shape of the song with some dynamic builds, moving into some different tonalities, and some more vocals might not be the worst thing. There’s just so much there with what you’ve done with the groove and feel and arrangement. I would love to hear some slide on an acoustic guitar as well. Keep it up!

Broadjam Artist: Josh Walker
Song: Get What You Can

Reviewer: Monday Funeral

Positive Comments: This is a refreshing piece for me. It’s beautifully simplistic, I love the instrumentation. Great sounding drums, the acoustic Guitar and organ. I like the opening of the song, I like how no one is over playing and you’re not trying to too much into the piece. I find it to be a very calming, pulsing piece that could serve a lot of purposes. I would love to sing on a piece like this!

Constructive Comments: I have two main thoughts. The first, I noticed the song never goes to the fifth. The heart of the song is based on one and four, and then you go to the six and seventh To transition. It would be nice, maybe at least once or at the end, to go to the fifth, as I think it would be rewarding for the listener and give them a better sense of a complete journey through the song. Secondly, I think it would be nice to introduce a simple harmony on top of the main organ line in the middle of the song. This might add another texture and shade that I think would make the piece feel a little bit less monotonous. Overall, keep up the great work.

Broadjam Artist: Cool Pool Man
Song: Kickstart Your Life

Reviewer: Monday Funeral

Positive Comments: In the middle of the song, with the vocal breakdown of the refrain, that is a real highlight. I’m guessing this came early in the writing of the song. To me, everything should work around the feel and style of this breakdown. Meaning, to me the refrain is the heart of the song. I think the piano works exceptionally well, and I like the opening of the piece. It is a complex song you have hear, tonal shift from refrain to verse, but it totally works. Keep up the good work and always be true to the heart of the song.

Constructive Comments: The rhyming scheme of the lyrics detracts from the sophistication of the song. Perhaps break the scheme with every other ending word, so that it is not overly predictable. The distorted, heavily compressed solo guitar, to me dates the song a little bit more than necessary. I’m imagining just a nice clean fender sound, or something on a big full-bodied Les Paul, with more of a clean, straight sound. In many ways, I hear acoustic guitar playing along, giving the song more of an Americana feel then a 1980s or 90s rock ballad. To that point, I would be very interested to hear an acoustic version of the song. I think it would lend itself well to that.

Broadjam Artist: He-Nis-Ra
Song: Plummet

Reviewer: Jeff Roberts

Positive Comments: Super tasty intro with a very clear nod to Eric Johnson’s guitar work. And there are some “quiet heavy” low low power chords with bass that sound like King’s X. The vocals are very “Nickelback” whether you consider that good or bad is a taste decision. Nice drop to pause and mix space after the verse. I can’t hear the lyrics clearly enough to commment but the phrasing and melody are very well crafted. This is of a quality that you’d expect airplay, albums, and a tour following.

Constructive Comments: I’ve said this in other reviews of your stuff, but I don’t like the chest beating angry white boy vocals, but that’s a style issue, not a quality issue.

Broadjam Artist: Earl.C.Webb
Song: Mona Lisa

Reviewer: Josh Walker

Positive Comments: It’s a nice cover of Nat King Cole, and the artist has a smooth voice similar to his.

Constructive Comments: As a cover, it sounds pretty good. I didn’t really know how to score this since it’s usually for original compositions or arrangements, and this is just pretty much a straight-up cover with no real updated sound.

Broadjam Artist: Tristyn Leach
Song: Burn For You

Reviewer: Keith Taylor

Positive Comments: There is a lot of emotions in this song.

Constructive Comments: This song could use a little fine tuning. The wowee guitar part didn’t really work for me.