Month: April 2020

Broadjam Artist: Antho
Song: Firefly

Reviewer: Bob Birthisel

Positive Comments: Very modern-sounding song with some unexpected lyrics. Well-recorded and great to listen to. The instruments were balanced and matched the vocal presence. You’re not hammered over the head with a hook, but it’s there.

Constructive Comments: Personal taste, you lost me around 2:05 for 30 seconds or so, but the rest of the song was so good I kept listening. For me, that bridge just didn’t work.

Broadjam Artist: Greg Lambert
Song: El Gato (Instrumental)

Reviewer: Bob Birthisel

Positive Comments: Very effective Southern rock groove. I could easily see this as a scene backdrop for a TV show. And I appreciate it being clean with some dynamic changes as well. The drum tones are very good and I enjoyed the varying guitar sounds. Very nice.

Constructive Comments: This may just be an instrumental version but I’d love to hear vocals over this.

Broadjam Artist: Craig Bishop
Song: Heaven

Reviewer: John Walradt

Positive Comments: This has the Marty Balin appeal. The melody is original and easy to follow…very good, not knock-out great. But that’s not bad…you can’t argue if people like it and I’m not by any means the last word. I’d try it out as a single. I like how it builds up like a power ballad. That works really well! Arrangements, studio work, all one heck of a lot better than I’m capable of (I write them, I don’t perform them), and well placed electric guitar and strings.

Constructive Comments: Lyrically, it takes a common theme but doesn’t present it in a new way. Not to fret about it…how many hits out there sound like carbon copies of each other with their cliches? I have annoyed myself by doing the same thing. But you’re a step ahead by being able to craft a good tune and you have a good ear for arrangement.

Broadjam Artist: Noreen Inglesi
Song: Plant The Seeds

Reviewer: John Walradt

Positive Comments: This song has a nice pastoral feeling with sweet vocals. The vocals aren’t so sweet that they’re girly-girly but truthful, more like every woman, and that’s refreshing and believable. It’s much like a simple acoustic New Age tune without the glitter and phenomena of overproduction. It sounds genuine. This would work well on an album with themes of simplicity, nature, and nurturing. Nicely done studio work. I tend to look at tunes from the standpoint of is it a single, an album cut, or filler. This sounds like a good album cut…no outstanding hook, but good to listen to and certainly worthy of inclusion. I wouldn’t change it.

Constructive Comments: This isn’t a biggie, it’s more picky so it’s really up to you: that sweet voice can be toned down a little, not much, with a simple turn of amplification or maybe slight normalization to take the edge off of some of the shrill (bad word for it because it’s not really shrill but I don’t know what other word to use) high notes. That could be more personal taste on my part. On this, you’re the expert more than I am.

Broadjam Artist: Pat Flanakin
Song: This Too Shall Pass

Reviewer: Peter G Olach – PGO

Positive Comments:

Constructive Comments:

Broadjam Artist: Greg Lambert
Song: My Name Is Boodon

Reviewer: Charles ‘KIZZO’ Kizzee

Positive Comments: I enjoyed the track. I listen to all genres on a regular basis, and country is in my top two categories. This would be a great song for today’s market. It’s catchy and you catch yourself singing along. I did not find anything to correct with this track and would add it to the family road trip playlist. Keep up the good work.

Constructive Comments: I give this song an easy five stars.

Broadjam Artist: Bob Birthisel
Song: I’ve Got My Telephone

Reviewer: Antho

Positive Comments: What an appropriate song for the modern COVID-19 era! Subject matter hits close to home for me, too. Production is clear as a bell and very, very well mixed.

Constructive Comments: None really – well done!

Broadjam Artist: Jeana Potthoff
Song: Adrift

Reviewer: Charles ‘KIZZO’ Kizzee

Positive Comments: It reminds me of the lullabies or nighttime music we listen to, to help the little ones have a good nights rest. It is very soothing. I actually like it. This has a place in the market as sleepy time, music or just a time to relax after a hard day’s work. The sound quality is excellent. I would not change a thing.

Constructive Comments: I would not change a thing.

Broadjam Artist: Sam Cooper
Song: MY BEST GIFT LIVES IN TEXAS (featuring Ray Dahrouge)

Reviewer: Bob Birthisel

Positive Comments: Very nice bluesy Christmas song. While it has Country elements it feels more like Blues to me, with a vocal similar to “What A Wonderful World” or other classics. Well-recorded without a hint of distortion or hiss, it was a nice change-of-pace to hear.

Constructive Comments: If I were going to change anything, the cymbals seemed too prominent in the mix, maybe just a little too much high-EQ, but that’s personal taste.

Broadjam Artist: Hartmut Oberdieck
Song: it’s tea time

Reviewer: Bob Birthisel

Positive Comments: Very nice groove, and the sound on the Strat/Tele is very on-point. It’s got a nice melody and I hear this more in line with R&B tracks like Billie Jean or a classic Isley Brothers sound than Pop. Doesn’t matter, still a very enjoyable listen.

Constructive Comments: I would have loved a more natural drum sound, but it’s well in time and tempo which still works. The only thing I’d really change was the drum intro which seemed out of place. Just start the groove.