Month: February 2017

Broadjam Artist: Douglas Branson aka dB+1
Song: Radical

Reviewer: Fire in the Sky

Positive Comments: I get a really gloomy Stone Roses feel from the beginning of this track. I like the feeling/tone of this track. I could really see going somewhere with this track.

Constructive Comments: While this track could have really taken some great turns, it kinda just sat there. The lyrics left quite a bit to be desired. This track really had the potential to reel me in! I’d go back, and rewrite the lyrics and really tell a sad story.

Broadjam Artist: Charlie Shock
Song: ATTENTION DEFICIT

Reviewer: Fire in the Sky

Positive Comments: The recording is really good. Instrumentation is spot on. I absolutely love the tone on the guitars. They fit perfect with this track.

Constructive Comments: The inflection on part of the vocals seems a little overdone. Not such a bad thing. I’d really have to listen to more songs to really get an idea about the vocals. Overall, this track is well put together.

Broadjam Artist: Lisa Vivienne
Song: Tree of Life

Reviewer: El Colorado

Positive Comments: The melody line of this song is lovely. Add to that the female vocalist really nails the feel of the song. Sweet but reverent. Quality of the instruments is very high. Could imagine this song being sung in church with a choir and strong accompaniment behind it. The piano part at points in this song is haunting.

Constructive Comments: The song relies very heavily on the main melody. From my standpoint due to this the listener gets lost early on. There are a lot of lyrics and unless you’re reading along (which I wasn’t) the feel of the message gets lost. There needs to be a strong bridge or some change like that to break things up and make the melody and the lyrics really stand out. And unless that is done the song is really much too long. I believe the message of the song is King of Light. This can be conveyed with a lot less words.

Broadjam Artist: Scott David Cameron
Song: Down in Flames

Reviewer: Top Dead Center

Positive Comments: I like the complexity of the separate parts and the lyrics. Great guitar solo.

Constructive Comments: Kinda lost me in the beginning of the break down.

Broadjam Artist: Shiver
Song: Through the Night

Reviewer: Top Dead Center

Positive Comments: I like the melody and the SAGAesque keyboard.

Constructive Comments: I think this is a great track. Can’t really see where much help is needed.

Broadjam Artist: Peter Toussaint
Song: Moonlight

Reviewer: El Colorado

Positive Comments: Intro is nice really draws the listener into the tune. Really liked the way the lead guitar plays off of the rhythm guitar – they compliment each other very nicely. At the beginning of this song that really works very well. The rhythm of the song works very well in the beginning.

Constructive Comments: Have to say over all this song is too long to fit the idea. Song really comes across as a good idea but needs to be developed a lot more. After about a minute and a half it starts to lose the listener. Bass has been recorded too loud and is causing distortion which gets in the way. The change at 2:50 sounds like a completely new song and doesn’t really work. The synth used in the intro really complements but used at the end it really doesn’t work for me.

Broadjam Artist: Jeff Maguire
Song: Onion Head

Reviewer: El Colorado

Positive Comments: Quality of the instruments is generally good. Recording is generally pretty decent. Guitar work shows a lot of experience and the effects were used strongly. The backup bass and drums are tight just need to give them more involvement – more to do.

Constructive Comments: I found the song to be not very interesting. The main idea changes very little over the 3 plus minutes the song plays which makes the song become too long. From my standpoint you lose the listener after the first minute. Personally to make this song more interesting I would go into a 12 bar blues style of change and have the lead follow that. The song becomes more conventional and at the same time more interesting.

Broadjam Artist: Tom Reardon
Song: Changed My Life

Reviewer: El Colorado

Positive Comments: Vocals start quickly gets the listener involved right away. Vocal quality and harmonies are excellent. Good instrumentation. Everything fits together well. Guitar riff compliments the song very well. Good positive upbeat tune. Very sweet main vocal – really suits the song well. Song has a feel good quality to it makes me want to listen again and again. Really like this tune the more I listen to it – it really grows on,you.

Constructive Comments: Song may be a bit long for a hit song but resolves very well with the fade out. Lyrics are somewhat complicated. Tough to pick out the hook easily. Bass could be much more prominent in the song – would compliment the overall feel.

Broadjam Artist: Top Dead Center
Song: Born Again

Reviewer: Gladstone Avenue

Positive Comments: The band seems as though they have performed together for a while…being on beat which–for this song–is not an easy feat. Lead singer has the voice for this kind of music. Solid bass and percussion work. The work has a LOT of energy!

Constructive Comments: Only thing I can say is that perhaps the solo guitar work near the middle could be mixed in a bit louder…and the work runs a bit long for me, but in concert….that works big time.

Broadjam Artist: Gary Mazzola
Song: I’ll have to wait

Reviewer: Gladstone Avenue

Positive Comments: The lyrics work nicely and that actually carries the song. A decent hook to the song with some pretty decent guitar work in the bridge.

Constructive Comments: I feel the drummer is lagging behind the beat or perhaps the band is not quite in synch with the drummer. I think this would be a much stronger presentation to have all of the instruments and singers in synch…much stronger. Not trying to picky…it is something I have difficulty with in my own work and it annoys me when I can’t get it all on beat! : )