PhonoBrainer

Lynn, thanks! I would have accepted "on hold music" but waiting room, lofty heights for this song indeed! I was going for exactly that mellow thing and I find myself nearly drifting off to sleep when I listen to it. Or it's just past my nap time. thanks! -Tom

Whatever reverb you have on the lead vocal really works for me. The vocal is exposed, especially in the first verse, and I think that reverb is perfect, what are you using? You might consider a slightly different eq approach with the bass guitar? It's a bit indistinct and a bit, sorry to use this horrible term, "muddy"? Everything else (guitars drums vocals) are super clean and so maybe the bass just sounds swampy in comparison. All of those guitar parts really work well together and I love the parts you played, super cool ideas that don't stop coming. Nice! cheers, -Tom

Thanks RR, glad you liked it and yes there is lots of inspiration to be had around these parts. Thanks for the comment and the listen!

Thanks, Gary - mixing is my lease confident part of this for sure. I appreciate the comment!

I think you must have a lot of musical days! Many thanks for the listen!

Thanks much!

Much obliged, glad it's a soother! Watch out for the neuropathy, that's how my feet often feel! cheers, -Tom

I remember this, just a killer song and performance. For my ears there is too much brightness in the lead vocal. It's still a pleasure to listen to. You can hear the noise floor is being compressed or something, got some hiss in the blank spots, check :08 - :013 area in the intro. I don't remember, was your original mix a problem? Absolutely great song and performance!!! cheers, -Tom

Super clear mix and vocal, I dig the groove. Professional! cheers, -Tom

Love the guitar work, the rhythm - vocals are great. I got a Van Morrison vibe. Keep it going! Maybe the bass could come up a bit, but it has a really organic tone. Love that, and the harmonica was sweet as well. You've been waiting for that train for ages now, maybe it's not coming? While you're waiting, maybe grab a weedwhacker and clean up those tracks? cheers, -Tom

I don't know about the mixing software you are into, but I listened on Audeze cans and thought maybe the bass guitar could come up a hair, and the keyboard stabs (prominent around :38 for example) might come down a bit? It's a helluva good song and mix, taking vocals into prog, really great! cheers, -Tom

This one really sucks you in. Maybe at the upper edge of the eq spectrum, things are getting a bit pokey/crisp? I can't really judge much above 13khz but I think there is some icepick potential you could check? If only visually on a parametric eq? I heard the space toad . . . Otherwise super crisp, clean, and separated, mix-wise. Well done! cheers, -Tom

Love the vibe, the tremolo moments, the nice drippy lead tone. I'd love to watch this in a live setting! cheers, -Tom

Love the song, the structure of the parts, the lyrics too! Your vocal has a very genuine quality to it. For me, the drums are letting the side down a bit. They are mixed well back yet they are quite busy. That's an odd combo that might be addressed. But here's what jumped out at me right away, listening to the first section around :30, you have your vocal, and a lot of other elements - buzzy power chord guitar, an arpeggiated guitar, a synth pad doing some little melodic noodles occasionally, and the drums buried far back, along with the bass. That's an awful lot of stuff right away all in competition, and kudos for making your vocal stick out amongst all of that!!! You might drop the big fuzzy distorted power chord guitar out of things completely? Just as a trial? That's a wall of distant fuzz that if removed could let the drums back in, and things might breathe a bit. Believe me I know it's hard to say goodbye to a beloved part, but my vote would be "less is more" in this case. This song comes across as a cool concept, especially with the nifty female vocal coming in - and the lyrics are really quite good, sung with feeling. Nice! cheers, -Tom

Cool tune, I like that dip down of the chords in the chorus, if that makes sense. I thought that was pretty inventive! I agree with Bapu on a different snare. There's something "high school gym" about the snare you have at present, where something less ringy and more woody might suit better. Hopefully, if you are using a drum sampler, that should be an easy experiment to see what other snares you might like. In the 2:21 section, you can hear the hi hat or ride part is perhaps flanging a bit too much, which might be creating a high-end smear which could also be making a mix problem. That by itself could be masking upper snare eq's or even your vocal. As for what could be added, everyone would have their opinion of course, but in your opening 8 bars with just the guitar as an intro, you could bring in a flute or harmonica, something in the upper range, maybe in bars 4-8, something working off the guitar line. I think subtle use of a flute-ish voice along the way in you song could be cool. Maybe an upper register flutey B3? Nice vocal, it does ring of Doobie Bros but I thought the song itself brought Bonnie Raitt to mind, of all things, so what do I know. Vocally you might double your track in the choruses? Or bring in Michael McDonald? nice work! cheers, -Tom

Thanks David, and yes I feel your age, and the occasion to calm oneself in this world of irritating uncertainties should not be passed by. The picture was kipped from the internet, it looks like an artist put some Norway fjords into a Photoshop fisheye lens thing. just a guess. Many thanks for listening . . .

Thanks y'all! Cleaned up the mix a little, and made a video - any comments are most welcome! If you can take your Youtube resolution up to 1440p, maybe let me know how crisp it looks? Experimenting . . . Would love any mix comments or anything else - thanks! cheers, -Tom

Hey Dave, cool tune, it's hard to do pop well these days and I think you are there, via the 1980's - very much dug it! If you are looking for a weak spot, maybe it's the initial intro vocal which is just single tracked and is a bit on the thin side. All other vocals have more treatment (sometimes doubled an octave lower) great techniques, and I love the mix choices all the way through. I don't think LANDR muffed it up too badly, you can tell it's a little louder and smooshed flatter that in could be in a few high-energy moments. hope you keep posting your tunes - very nice indeed! cheers, -Tom

Springsteen, Petty, Jackson Browne, that's a great lane to be in. I dug the lyrics and the song's backstory was well presented. I liked the bgv's which were supportive without being overpowering. A song in this lane absolutely benefits from the live feel, good job on that! cheers, -Tom

Crazy good prog. I'd boost the vocal just a hair, especially that "response" vocal part. Wow those piano runs at the end were killer! Video works a treat. Kudos to the bass player or programmer for keeping up with all of those changes - love it! The typical knock is that prog can get tedious but yours never, ever does. Really well done! cheers, -Tom

Very cool collab gents! I figured you guys would make a good team! I like the manic quality outside of the chorus, slightly Oingo Boingo! The chorus itself, for me, seems a bit of an emotional dip as it returns to the more conventional, more sedated rhythm. It's not bad or anything, and you might like that respite from the high energy parts. The theme I loved because wifey and I are starting to have that discussion of selling all of zee sheet and living Buddhist-style where your possessions are a bowl and some wi-fi. I'd put a vote in for either slightly increasing the volume of the lead vocal in the verses, or more likely dipping the volume of the fuzzed-out guitar a bit so the lead vocal can pop more. Just the verses, the chorus all rings true. great job both of y'all, and kudos to Lynn the Mix Whisperer!!! cheers, -Tom

at Plugin Boutique https://www.pluginboutique.com/search?qs=match&q=tokyo&oses[]= Kotelnikov GE for $24.

100%

This should help you with your Sweet Emotion(s) . . .

at least you didn't get "accidentally" hit in the yarbles by some kid swinging on a pinata.