Month: October 2020

Broadjam Artist: Ian Graham
Song: Unlovely and Unloved

Reviewer: MGB

Positive Comments: Nicely instrumented piece. Sounds similar to the Moody Blues and some other 60’s groups like Peter & Gordon or Herman’s Hermits, but with a much more modern twist.

Constructive Comments: Entertaining piece.

Broadjam Artist: SRJ
Song: Funky Summer Nights

Reviewer: CW Mullins

Positive Comments: If the artist acres about the opinion of someone who doesn’t really get into this genre….here goes! It’s a nice electronic dance track, very little “song”, just a beat and one shirt vocal line repeated many many many times. I actually appreciate that the track is not super noisy, soem electronic tracks can be. This is a nice, clean recording.

Constructive Comments: I think this should only be reviewed by people on the dance floor! After a couple drinks maybe lol. It’s almost 6 minutes long, couldn’t there be a little more musical development? A skosh? I guess not. That’s not what electronic dance music is. Well best of luck! I know there’s a market for this stuff out there!

Broadjam Artist: Merlo
Song: Can you Feel My Heart unplugged

Reviewer: CW Mullins

Positive Comments: The highlight for me is the solo acoustic guitar, so tasty, really adds an element of beauty to the piece. Am I hearing “fill my heart” or always “feel my heart”? This is a pretty basic recording, I have to wonder if it was more fully arranged and recorded, would the melody come across stronger? Maybe! It’s a promising track as it is.

Constructive Comments: I think in places this is really held back by the simplicity fo the arrangement, with the solo acoustic being the only creative touch. Singer has a good voice, the lyric hits the usual “unrequited love” points well enough. I think it’s a nice song, I just think this artist is probably capable of something even stronger and more original.

Broadjam Artist: Adam Avery
Song: Halfway To You

Reviewer: CW Mullins

Positive Comments: Not the biggest country fan but hope I can still appreciate quality stuff, and I hear a lot of quality here. First thing is the voice, got to have a really fine one for country, and the singer is solid. The arrangement has tasty licks, nice build. It’s all really well done and get the artist some attention from the right people!

Constructive Comments: I’m going to be picky about the lyric. It has soem nice lines. In the end, I need to understand what “halfway to you” means. The story seems to be, she left him. So he is going to where she is, and he’s halfway there? Does she know he’s coming? Maybe just a line about “thanks for the second chance, I’m on my way” might clarify things. The chorus is OK in my opinion. Could be stronger.

Broadjam Artist: Kate Carpenter
Song: Lightning Bug Lullaby

Reviewer: CW Mullins

Positive Comments: I guess this a song for children. It’s certainly a very sweet number. It’s professionally recorded, nicely played, very well sung. For what it is, it probably couldn’t be done any better by anyone else. Did I hear a bit of “over the Rainbow” bridge in the melody? If intentional, that’s a nice way to honor a great score that children love.

Constructive Comments: For me, this is so sweet, it’s like a very rich cake that tastes good at first but after a few bites you think twice about finishing it. The tune is pretty enough, just not very original. Again, as a little song for children, I think it’s so well done. But maybe even kids will get a little antsy after maybe the three minute mark.

Broadjam Artist: Patrick E. Muth/Catnip Pat
Song: WHO OWNS THE SUN

Reviewer: CW Mullins

Positive Comments: Hey we’re all having fun! Sounds like you had fun recording this. I’m sure your kitty got a kick out of the song too.

Constructive Comments: keep doing you! What else can we do, what else can we be but ourselves. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

Broadjam Artist: Margie & Art Corey
Song: How’s The Weather II Coreys

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: This song is a marvel. Classified as a waltz, it’s so much more. Great use of metaphor. People dancing just talking about the weather because they are afraid to hit on the more current topics of the day, because the weather is safe. Avoid conflict, subjects that divide. But that’s really crazy because there are so many relevant things to discuss. Love the rhyme neighbors/strangers dance/stance deep/cheap aloof/truth. The song is just packed with great, original rhymes and the message is concise and clear. Nice job, songwriter!

Constructive Comments: Well I saw who wrote this when I clicked on lyrics. Another Corey Creation! Keep em coming my friends.Mrs. Kate

Broadjam Artist: Jeff Ashbaker
Song: First Date Blues

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: Amazing! The first date blues. Never heard a song written about this topic (and probably don’t want to hear any more, because this one was SO GOOD!) Packed with humor and reality, the song effectively conveys the nervous feelings preceding that first date. Great rhymes (rejection/protection) and word pictures (coat of armor, heart of stone). Instrumentation is excellent. Classic blues style. Easy to follow where he’s going until the stellar surprise ending, which I found to be highly original and funny. Ok, let’s just call it our second date. That was a fantastic way to end the song!

Constructive Comments: The only thing I had a little trouble with (which was resolved). When I listened to the first chorus I could not discern whether it was the first aid blues, first day blues, or first date blues. Of course, I figured it out, but work on clarity in diction. Otherwise wow, this is just an amazing song and I would definitely like to hear more of your work! Mrs. Kate

Broadjam Artist: Todd Kreuzburg
Song: Non Filtered Camel

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: Here’s an interesting instrumental piece, my intro into Middle Eastern music, and a good one at that! Nice mix of instruments and percussion. Not a long composition, but definitely ear candy and moves along with a good energy. Excellent job!

Constructive Comments: Were the instruments real, or did you create this on the computer with samples? Just wondering. Mrs. Kate

Broadjam Artist: Greg Lambert
Song: The Love I Want

Reviewer: Kate Carpenter

Positive Comments: Love goes wrong in a lot of places in the songwriting world, but this time it ends in the party room of The Dragon Inn, a Chinese restaurant. After 7 beers and tossing her egg foo yung, she calls it quits and he’s left with the wedding ring and this sad song. The lyrics and rhymes in this song are extremely original and effective. Young/done/crumbs/numb. It’s all amazing lyric writing. The vocals are clear and the vocals convey the sadness of the song. Nice guitar playing. If there’s a niche for this song, it could be successful. Even if there’s no market for it, it’s a well-written and nicely performed composition. Bravo!

Constructive Comments: I just want to say that I almost had to laugh at the first verse about her throwing her egg foo yung. Gotta ask…was this all made up or did it really happen? I am guessing made up, but my mother always used to say that truth be stranger than fiction, so maybe it IS true? Suggestion: Write a bridge for the song. At the end, you repeat the chorus twice. Why not insert a bridge? Then maybe end with a chorus. Or put the bridge before the last verse. Your song is okay without a bridge, just trying to brainstorm a little. FYI I have a china song. It’s called Made in China. Look it up under Kate Carpenter. Quite different from your tune!