Month: February 2022

Broadjam Artist: Uncle Spider & The Electric Dirt Clods
Song: My Eyes / Rock & Roll

Reviewer: Tom Reed

Positive Comments: Despite my rating I liked this instrumental. Reminded me of The Shins and other in that vein. Meloncholic (sp?) feel, Nice cetnral melody. The lofi noise at the begining .. I dunno. The musc comes in with the theme but I was so ready for vox to come in — sigh :-). I wanted a lyric but this was not the writers intention. I don’t like using one star but when they ask about quality of vocal or lyric they should provide a ‘doesn’t apply’. The only time I will do a one star and the only reason.

Constructive Comments: IMOAs an insturmental it needs that bridge, to bring out another idea, or theme. Becuase there is onlyl the one phrase repeated. Really would love to hear a lyric.Regardless I wont tho hear more and follow this writer

Broadjam Artist: Eric and Ray
Song: Magically Delicious

Reviewer: Bill Dake

Positive Comments: Tasty easy listening Jazz. Nice guitar tone, piano too. Actually, everything sounds great in this recording.

Constructive Comments: I’m guessin’ Eric & Ray…cool tune.

Broadjam Artist: Douglas Branson aka dB+1
Song: Unknown Singer

Reviewer: Nathan Totten

Positive Comments: Very punk, indie attitude 🙂 I actually love the from-the-bedroom guitar sound that combines punk and 80s metal. The UK-sounding vocal adds to the punk vibe, but it also straddles the metal line. Cool genre mash-up!

Constructive Comments: It’s too short! 🙂 This seems like the seed of an idea that could be taken further. Some solid production could also make it very cool, with some compression on the voice and a little more attention to the mix. Very cool idea, though! 🙂

Broadjam Artist: The Band Hennessy
Song: There’s No Stopping Us

Reviewer: Nathan Totten

Positive Comments: The production is beautiful! I love the contrasts between heavy and clean, and the singer is passionate and has a perfect voice for rock. Very cool stuff!

Constructive Comments: I don’t have any suggestions (and I usually do). This is very good!

Broadjam Artist: Signal 30
Song: Sue Me

Reviewer: Tom Reed

Positive Comments: I marked it more appropriate for electronic. Although the lyric is clearly punk I didn’t think the music suppored it very well. But the opening music line and instrumentation suggested to me that was where it was going.

Constructive Comments: As a punk song, eveything past 3:10 was needed (except in linve context). And the Brige is that section ending at 3:10. That’s where the ‘lift’ is and I suggest it shoud be sooner.

Broadjam Artist: Jimmy
Song: I’m BAD

Reviewer: Tom Reed

Positive Comments: Good recording, vox are right up front as, IMO , they should be. Since I’m a music first listener this always helps me to get my focus over to the lyric.

Constructive Comments: The bridge where the lyric theme is hammered home (not in a negative sense) I think there needs to be a change – the prodiminate drum rythym and guitar doesn’t change and I think needs to to make it more interesting.

Broadjam Artist: Jimmy
Song: We Are One

Reviewer: Albatross

Positive Comments: Good piano work!! Very good lyrics and vocals but sounded a bit stretched on the higher notes. Difficult to pinpoint a genre for me but leans towards country.

Constructive Comments: Excellent mix but couldn’t help thinking the song would benefit from some additional instrumentation later in the song to give it a lift and a different perspective in parts. Having said that, I can see this song working in a tv or film scenario where a solo voice and piano is required. Well done!

Broadjam Artist: DENNIS MAKEPEACE
Song: why has love got to be so sad

Reviewer: Peter Boynton

Positive Comments: -I liked this song from the start. Thanks for sharing it!-Solid arrangement and players. Pro studio? Sounds it.-I listened 3X to catch as much as possible as I wanted to be clear with any thoughts I have. 3Xs, my friend. That’s a rave right there!-Nice vocal quality and delivery. Yours or a studio?

Constructive Comments: -Great to include the lyrics! Very helpful. Maybe put them in a standard verse-prechorus-chorus-bridge form to help get a sense of your song structure a bit faster.-You vary the melodic line/range from the verse to the pre-chorus very nicely, but the chorus melody doesn’t lift with an expanded range. Combine that sameness in melody with the repetition of the hook, and I felt the chorus stalled a bit instead of having increased contrast and tension. Maybe take that chorus vocal line up, and let it offer a ‘cry’ factor to the vocalist’s inflection? That might give more of an emotional impact and let that chorus/hook really stand out.-To my previous point, you add melodic/lyric variation and syncopation that sets the 2nd verse off from the first. Very nice! get that into the chorus and a really good song could notch up to ‘great’.-Not sure your intention: SYNC placement? artist pitch? singer-songwriter artist (you)? It’s a bit long either way. The instrumental bridge is very well done and you might consider going into a 3rd pre-chorus right after it to condense your vs3 and pr-ch3 thoughts and then head right back into the chorus.-Very nice work! I enjoyed listening to this and thinking about it.

Broadjam Artist: Signal 30
Song: Christmas , The 25th (Country Version)

Reviewer: Peter Boynton

Positive Comments: -there’s a sweet quality to the back and forth with the kids-holiday songs are always sought after if they have a unique angle

Constructive Comments: -This isn’t a country song. It’s a children’s holiday song -The band-in-a-box type of production is very robotic. I’d rather hear this accompanied simply with an organic instrument. Solo acoustic piano and/or guitar would be more interesting. -The melody and lyrics always start on ‘1’ of the measure. Varying where the vocals come in and adding some syncopation to the melody/lyric delivery would help a lot to bring it to life and lose the sameness throughout.-the lyrics are cliche and don’t say anything new that we haven’t heard about a Christmas experience. What can you bring to the story that’s unique to the experience of the singer and the kids? And what is the relationship between them? It’s not specifically addressed here.-I’m not a children’s songwriter, so I may be way off on all this. It may be perfect for that genre. I bet you’ve had a funny, weird, crazy, unique, makes-a-good-story experience at Christmas that you could tell instead of this!-Sorry that this was not very positive, but I’ve tried to give actionable, constructive thoughts I think would help move the song forward. It’s hard to get feedback that isn’t positive! I know – been there! Best of luck to you.

Broadjam Artist: Luanne Hunt
Song: The Butterfly Effect

Reviewer: Peter Boynton

Positive Comments: -Good production values with solid instrumentation and a nice arrangement.-The vocals are nice in an adult contemporary or easy listening kind of way.-Not contemporary feeling – could work in a vintage placement for Sync?

Constructive Comments: -Shorten the intro to get to the lyric much more quickly. That would help move the song towards a more contemporary feel.-Take a full minute out of the song.-There’s not much contrast or tension in the song. It all stays in the same emotional range section by section. The 1st verse sounds so sweet in terms of melody range and the vocals, but the lyrics are just the opposite. Maybe try to get an edge into that 1st verse vocal melody and delivery? Smaller melodic intervals and more conversational. Acknowledge the hurt in the vocal/melodic delivery.That would also help it move to more of a contemporary feel.-With an edgier arrangement and a bit more grit to the vocals, I think the song would hold my attention longer. It was just a bit too long and constantly sweet sounding. -This could work in SYNC, where it doesn’t take focus, but not as an artist pitch. That might fit in with your plans for it?