I like the atmosphere at the beginning. The progression is a little slow-paced, but the harmonies at :35 have a great emotional quality. The transition at 1:45 could’ve been foreshadowed a tad better imo, but I like the quirky percussion at 1:49. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, but the mix holds up pretty well. The piece could use a stronger sense of direction after a while, though. The harmonic pattern gets pretty repetitive, and I think some more phrasing and dynamic contrast in the middle of the piece would help heighten the emotional stakes here. That said, I really like how you returned to the furtive, minimal texture at 4:06, even if the transition there was also a little sudden. Overall, the lack of variety in the compositional elements is probably my main concern here. You nailed the atmosphere and mood, and the progression would be perfect with just a little smoothing over at some choice spots (1:45, 4:06). Also, I’m really sorry to hear about your struggles recently. If you ever need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to send me a PM. I’m really glad you’ve found a good outlet for your feelings in music. Keep at it, PackMan3!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

For someone to create something from nothing is special, for someone to create from pain is magical. I want you to know that your family on Newgrounds cares about you and we look forward to seeing more of what you create. Speaking as someone who's father left when I was young, the pain will come and go but you'll be all the stronger for it. Keep your sister close, lean on one another when it gets tough. :) Great job, Pack!