Month: July 2017

Broadjam Artist: Bob Bentley
Song: Love Is In The Things I Do

Reviewer: David James

Positive Comments: Wow, I like the rich sound that envelopes the listener right away. It’s like a warm blanket. A really strong vocal..no pitch issues here and delivered with passion. I like the emotional ambience of the lyrics. The song has a strong melody and it is very engaging.

Constructive Comments: The production is retro in terms of production and I would bear that in mind when pitching at industry listings. I can envisage the song having a place in film/TV but only for the appropriate opportunity. Good luck!

Broadjam Artist: Uncle Spider & The Electric Dirt Clods
Song: What Can I Say / Pop Standards

Reviewer: David James

Positive Comments: This is a very catchy song. The singer delivers the song brilliantly with a strong vocal. Nice instrumental arrangement and production. Very nicely mixed and mastered..the sound quality is excellent. Overall a lovely rock/pop crossover with a solid chord structure and melody.

Constructive Comments: I think the main issue here is the lyrics, particularly the way the lyrics are structured.In my opinion there are too many rhymes in quick succession which constrain the song. Mixing the rhymes between the the different sections and adding a few throw away non-rhymes would bring the whole work together. Overall I do like the song though. Good luck!

Broadjam Artist: Jeff Ashbaker
Song: There’s a Light on the Horizon:Shine on Me

Reviewer: Mitch Siegal

Positive Comments: Beautiful lyrics and terrific harmonies. Neil young feel to it and the vocal really sells it.

Constructive Comments: Only one thing I might have liked to hear is a soulful harp in the hook to lift the lead gtr.

Broadjam Artist: Chet Nichols
Song: Lonely Woman (from the “Live” CD, “Black & White”)

Reviewer: Mitch Siegal

Positive Comments: For live performance, this is well done. Great lyrics, excellent instrumentation. Enjoyed it!

Constructive Comments: None really, You can’t improve perfection.

Broadjam Artist: Margie & Art Corey, S. & A. Corey
Song: Radio Road 2017 Revisited

Reviewer: Jeff Ashbaker

Positive Comments: Great Bluegrass mix love the blend of the banjo and mandolin, just a real nice ride. Great Job!

Constructive Comments: Nothing to add-well done

Broadjam Artist: Jeff Ashbaker
Song: Where The Fish All GO To Hide

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: Here’s a happy-go-lucky, good feeling song to play on the way to your next “go fishing” day off. Promotes good feeling and smiles with references to every kind of weather. Really fun and easy-going melody, really suits the lyric and mood of the song. Nice hook, love the way it goes us with peace/piece and the play on words. Favorite rhyme: weather/feather. You’ve got a great voice and a terrific style. Great job!

Constructive Comments: Add a little fiddle for some fun. Sounds like a good fishing song…but the fish line comes in and it’s like…where did that come from? There’s nothing else about fishing. Just thought that was a little off the wall.

Broadjam Artist: The Dots
Song: The Truth

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: Creative approach to a break-up song. It’s very real, authentic and brutally honest. There are a lot of guys out there like this guy, so I think that a lot of girls (and maybe guys) can really relate to this song. The vocal is crystal clear every word understandable. Instrumentation/production is pretty basic, but works for the song, at least for a demo, if not more. Favorite lyric: Have to heal after loving you, heart spinning wheel. Good word picture. Any relationship that is so hurtful has got to go. Well done.

Constructive Comments: I can’t figure out the last verse…like the girl is having second thoughts (can’t let go of you). You think that it’s all over and then it’s not? Maybe an overuse of the word shock. Also a word like Overthrew…needs a direct object. Just seems like a problem with the lyric. Overthrew what?I like it though! Nicely done!

Broadjam Artist: Keith Taylor
Song: More Than Friends

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: What a sweet love song! I really liked it! The song tells a story of a relationship that grows from friendship to lovers, told in a totally understandable, winsome way. Song structure is pretty much perfect with a nice bridge to tie everything together towards the end. Favorite lyric: Forever every night. Nice! Great chorus! I think that this song has commercial potential, but setting that aside, it’s just a really good love song and I totally wish you every success with it. Thank you for a recording/vocal performance that ensures that every word is understandable in your song. So many are hard to figure out. Not your composition!

Constructive Comments: The performance and production are good for demo purposes. I would recommend (for commercial purposes) shortening the song. One way you could do this is by making the outro shorter. Anything over 4 minutes can be too much for a country or pop song. Not to say your song NEEDS cutting, but it would probably make it more commercially viable. Consider adding in a female vocal, making it a duet…that might really make it soar.

Broadjam Artist: George Molden
Song: Now I can Live

Reviewer: Dave Haddad (CenterPeace)

Positive Comments: Hugs sounds. Sound track or theme music. I see pictures and drama with this track. Good use of sounds to paint a picture, the scene is set, a dark place with mystery and suspense. I like the A Section a lot, good potential for placement. Good ideas, very musical and well crafted.

Constructive Comments: So loud it’s kind of distorting… I had to turn it down from where I was listening to other bj music. Yes I can hear distortion over the sum, maybe too much limiting or compression-make up gain in mastering. The change at 1:12 to the piano (B Section) was a little loose, a large step. I – A – B – A… adding a bridge would do a lot for this song.

Broadjam Artist: Mark R. Harris
Song: Now I Do

Reviewer: Dave Haddad (CenterPeace)

Positive Comments: Outta the box funk! Soul, Chaka, Diana. Sweet!! Fresh vocal, very clean and delightful (not over ‘cooked’). Cool break bringing it to the 2nd verse. The sound of the vocal here is amazing! The delay is perfect!!! I can hear a whisper, what a great moment you captured! Nice interaction with the flugelhorn. I love all the vocal improves throughout… for me the singer

Constructive Comments: Cool break bringing it to the 2nd verse but the stops I felt were slightly awkward… I would think Sade simplicity. You’re just hitting whole notes on the one, I know it’s simple but maybe just a bass fill/run with the drums into the groove would have helped. The solo section at 2:20 brought me down… I think it was the flugelhorn sound, it was too chill and too much reverb, it needed to cut more and make more of a statement otherwise the song dies after such a strong vocal. Flugelhorn got super loud at 2:40 just before the bridge… I think a clever stop for an ending would have been more memorable then the breakdown style you did (Like 3:00 to 3:03 might be a good ending… leave it there, it’s the hook).