I like the harmonies at the beginning. The vocals and real recorded instruments were a pleasant surprise - I don’t see a lot of tracks with vocals in this competition, but they really add a lot to the piece here. Don’t be afraid to use some more mixing effects here - you could really thicken up the atmosphere of the piece with some more reverb on that cello and make the vocals pop a little more with some compression. Still, I like how your voice is just slightly raspy, but also very clear in the mix. I also like how they’re almost spoken rather than sung, making it seem like you’re performing in a musical or something. The melancholy lyrics fit the instrumental tracks really well, although sometimes it sounds like the instrumentals are tripping over each other a bit, like at :57. The acoustic guitar solos were also a pleasant surprise, although the lead is a tad behind the beat in the recording for the first few bars. The ending is lovely, too. You’ve really sold me on the emotional content here. At times, I felt like you could’ve given the piece a stronger sense of drive with some drums or other rhythmic content, but I can also appreciate the on-theme lack of resolution in the melancholy aspects of the piece. Overall, really admirable work here, Nodle! You’ve earned a scout for sure. Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

I didn't expect your vocals. They add a lot to the otherwise lackluster string and flute synths. I think you would benefit considerably using Spitfire LABs libraries for those applications or techniques on your guitar such as bowing instead. Your live guitar elements are great. I would have been utterly deceived had I just had a peek at the beginning.

Nice work! Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!