Reviews for The Wanderer (Acoustic)

[DonJentleman]

I'm going to have to agree with DJ-Hectic here: the echo and and your long notes really drag down your song. You have some really nice lyrics, but your voice needs some work, and it gets out of tune at some very obvious points, especially when you try to hold a note. Are you running out of breath when trying those notes? If so, you need to practice on your breathing and holding out in order to refrain from wavering on your longer notes. I would recommend paying close attention to your diaphragm and see how long you can keep it fully extended when singing such notes. When that collapses, so does your breath, so you need to watch out for that.

If that doesn't work, then you can focus on making the notes shorter. this would also fix the echo problem as well, so 2 birds, one stone, I guess. All in all, this needs work, but it's a good start

Keegs responds:

Thanks for the review!

As I've stated, the harmonies of fail were way out of my range. Yes, I was out of breath. No, its not because I have bad breath control. I was recording this in a small dorm room where, if you're too loud, you make everyone around you angry. So, I had to whisper-sing. Bad for the voice, didn't help the finished product but, as all musicians know, quality can be changed, inspiration cannot. A good idea with a bad recording is miles better than a good recording with a bad idea. (i.e. everything you hear on the radio).

I realize I have insulted you with my product and I agree the vocals need improvement. I appreciate your criticism and hope you'll see improvement in my future pieces.

Thanks!

-Keegs

[DJ-Hectic]

Good start, but not quite there. Your lyrics are interesting, but the breathy style makes it sound whiney. I understand that's a personal preference thing, but this felt like too much. Also, you go out of tune sometimes, which is painful to listen to. Like, the background 2:20 is COMPLETELY out, so sharp that you're actually hitting an F instead of an E, which is the minor second of the E major chord. Probably wasn't what you were going for, just listen back to it. The guitar playing and chord progression is cool, and actually not as derivative as I expected it to be. Definitely the highlight of the song, but the vocals need work. This could all be remedied with classical training and voice lessons.

ALSO: TOO MUCH REVERB. Don't use it as a crutch in this kind of music, it sounds completely unnatural and forced. Stuff like the filtering is fine and it adds to the music, but the reverb is overbearing for the "(Acoustic)" thing.

Last thing: THANK YOU for not using auto tune, but PLEASE work on nailing pitches! This has lots of potential, a bit more work on the musicality front would make this really stand out! Keep it up, bro.

Keegs responds:

Hey!

Sorry you don't like my voice. Its subjective when it comes to texture.

I know the background harmonies were off. I'm surprised more people didn't notice. My voice was starting to go at that point so I basically grabbed the best take I had to work with. I was singing the chord progression that the guitar was playing, which was (clearly) out of my range. I tried to cover it up with distant panning and reverb, which covered most of it up. Based on your criticism so far, you would have exploded if you heard the raw take.

The weird dissonance at 2:20 was intentional, but it didn't really work xD. I was trying to make some Whitacre-esque chord stacks, but it didn't quite sound how I was hoping it would.

"This kind of music"? I'm not going for realism, I'm going for surrealism. Listen to bands like Coldplay or Moving Mountains. Ambient music calls for a decent amount of reverb. That being said, I would agree that there's a bit too much in some places.

Thanks for the review! I'll try to improve!

-Keegs

[GrantProjectXero]

Okay my honest opinion. The chord progression was too generic emo/punk/acoustic. The lyrics are the strongpoint which pleases me. It's a calming song and you did a great job. But as soon as it started I though "Have I heard this before? like a hundred times?".

Keep up the good work though.

Keegs responds:

Generic? The generic punk/emo/pop chord progression is: I-V-vi-IV. The chord progression I used is rarely used in pop music. Usually more R&B or rock ballads, starting on the IV: IV-vi-I-V. It is pretty bland, as it uses the same chords, but not in the usual order. Listen to the bass and you'll hear it.

Thanks for the review!

-Keegs

[Acoustatic]

Damn man. I saw one of your songs on the latest page, liked it, and decided to check out some more of your stuff. Was not disappointed :P keep up the awesome music!

Keegs responds:

Thanks dude! I try to explore a wide variety of genres so almost every song is different from the last. Sure, it's inconsistent, but it's WAY more fun :p

Thanks for the review!

-Keegs

[TKBaja]

this is great but i think as a drummer you should add a simple rock beat or something simple but quiet.

Keegs responds:

I honestly considered adding some drums. The more I explored it, the more it started to sound like an Alt Rock version of this song I already had planned. So hopefully that one comes out nicely! :D

Thanks for the review!

-Keegs