Hello! This is a review for the NGUAC competition.
I've gone over one or two general categories of issues specific to your song, and one section of things I think also deserve complimenting. I prefer being very direct with my critique, none of it is meant to offend. Thank you for your understanding!
Constructive Criticism:
- So much of this is cute, and yet there are elements of the composition that just do not sit well with me at all. The biggest issue is how repetitive everything is. You have multiple sections, you have different melodies that you bring back, and a very lovely harmonic line that stays consistent. However, a lot of these melodies are repeated more than just a few times, to the point that I honestly got tired of the track by a bit over three minutes since it had essentially just plain run out of content. As lovely as the harmonic line is, it repeats constantly with the same chord progression, the same constant four-on-the-floor drumbeat, and completely flat dynamics because the entire rhythm and harmony section repeats one loop the entire time. This needs variation and a breakdown without the drums to give at least some break in the constant unrelenting march.
- Secondly, while most of the melodies are very lovely, there are a couple which have very awkward rhythms and sound rather aimless. Both the melody at 0:53 and 1:32 suffer from this at times, despite being made of the same core elements. The main problem is that they aren't building to any climactic point. Even in very 'flat' and repetitive genres like reggae, there tend to be several central themes where the surrounding musical elements shape around that melody and lend themselves to a dynamic curve, even with the chord progression remaining the same. Further, the melodies themselves have direction and lead to a point of tension that is subsequently resolved. Here, give this a listen and notice how the chords change and the melodies have direction and development as a point of comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPHXqmeFmAk
Compliments to the Composer:
- Genuinely, I absolutely adore the chord progression and harmonies present in this track, even if I want some more variation. I want to love this piece SO MUCH with how cute it is. The melody at 0:23 also uses the main harmonic line as a point of contrast and is absolutely phenomenal, genuinely the best melody in the entire track. This feels so much like a classic 8-bit newgrounds flash game soundtrack (and I see it even is used for a game!) and I ADORE that about it. Please do continue making positive happy game music in the future, haha!
Final score: 8
stouf7908 
