I like the prominent bass, 6/8 meter, and ghostly pads in the background. The texture is quite minimal, and there were times I thought you could use more reverb or other mixing effects to fill it out a bit. The trumpet at :28 sounds a bit inauthentic, and its square rhythms seem a bit bland compared to the funky texture of most of the rest of the piece. There’s an underlying sense of apprehension in this piece that doesn’t really ever get resolved in my opinion. I also would’ve appreciated if you did more to make this piece your own - maybe some harmonic variety the last time the trumpet came in, or an unexpected melodic flair at some point? Overall, you nailed the atmosphere and production, and the sound design also hits the spot, but the composition is a tad bland. Bolder melodies and a more dynamic arrangement would easily add a point or two to your score. That said, it’s nice to see some stylistically authentic jazz in the NGUAC this year. Keep at it, Azurenite! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

a faithful remake, but kind of better in some ways! i really prefer the faster tempo in this version, and the smooth, trembling female vocal is just gorgeous for this track. i think the overall mix is a bit too bright and could use a nice soft plate reverb on the kit and the trumpet to blur the high-mids a little. and yea, even though they are meant to be an occasional accent the loud snaps are way too forward and dry. i would also spread them across the stereo image a little more if possible and bring the bass closer to the center - not totally mono - and also quieter. good stuff!

important notes on my NGUAC review process: https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1476427/18#bbspost26965604_post_text

Sounds pretty good. I like it! 😃

I might take the snaps down a couple dB, but that upright sounds good, the piece moves along like it feels it should. The muted trumpet sounds pretty natural, as does the brush kit. I may take some of the sibilance off of the vocal and remove some boxy mids, but as a whole, everything sounds good.