This is a NGADM Round 1 Review.

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Good:
- Extremely interesting use (and variety of) instruments (harmonica, didgeridoo, banjo, etc.)
- Varied thematic material; gave me sense of wonder and adventure!
- The entire second half of the track sounded very pretty and wondrous.

I've always had a keen respect for the use of instruments in your tracks. You always find creative ways to implement different sounds, all of which end up sounding at home with each other. Case in point, the didgeridoo blends well with the harmonica, banjo and organ. Awesome.

I want to focus on the latter half of the track first; it has such an otherworldly feel about it. Very atmospheric, very adventurous, and even mystical. In some ways, I feel that this would have made for a better introduction, because it instantly captures the listeners' attention.

What to consider:
- The first half of the track is somewhat empty sounding when compared to second half.
- Concerning the above note, the track really feels like two tracks that were arranged separately and then mixed together.
- The harmonica (as mentioned by TaintedLogic) does sound a little harsh. Granted, it does give the song its tone and atmosphere.

As mentioned above, the first half of the track sounds kind of empty. I think that it doesn't quite have a sense of space. By adding some reverb to all of the instruments, especially the harmonica, would work incredibly well. The two halves of the track are separated as if they are two completely different songs. On one hand, this is pretty neat as it allows for a diverse track, on the other, it breaks immersion.

I think that by adding some more texture, dynamics, and harmonic content to the first half and by bridging the atmospheric gap at 1:29 would make this track even better. Keep it up, SourJovis! :)

Score: 7.5/10

I like the soulful mood at the beginning, but that instrument you used for the lead is very harsh-sounding. I think you need to equalize out some of the treble tones in that instrument. This piece is very slow to progress, and lacks some textural fill for much of the first minute or so. You tried to offer some structural relief at 1:29, but the mood there is really different from in the first 1.5 minutes. You go from a bare-bones, raw, and even creepy and mechanical vibe to a dreamy, atmospheric, and upbeat one. I’m really confused as to what you intended to be the main themes/moods of the piece. The part at 2:08 sounds much more like the mood at 1:29 than at 0:00 as well, giving the piece the sense of being structurally incomplete and also lacking some coherence. There are some good ideas here, but you need to flesh them out more and also think more about how you’re connecting them with each other. Right now, this sounds like 2 or even 3 separate songs. I’d like to see you continue to work on this after the competition. As for now, I hope this review helped. Keep at it, man. ;)

6/10

This review was written for the Newgrounds Audio Death Match 2015.