TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[RejSende & Eonboi - Espresso]

I like the smooth E-piano at the beginning and the ambient noise in the background. Really nice tranquil and cool melodic flair. The vocals are a nice touch, and I like the simple ABAB structure of it. It's a little hard to follow the rhythm with that snare at 1:02, but overall the mood and sound design totally have me sold on this piece. The composition might need a bit more fleshing out, but you've really set the scene well here with these jazzy vibes and a strong production quality. Keep at it, RejSende! :)

Vimori responds:

Oh, thank you very much, TaintedLogic :)
Glad you like it

[The Crows Perch]

Sorry for the slow response! Was busy with some contest stuff.

I like the airy vocals at the beginning. The percussion sounds a little dry, but I like the layering at :22 and the tranquil vibes thereafter. The softer vocals at 1:13 are really lovely, and the guitar at 1:30 was a nice touch for some variety in the texture. After that, the composition gets a little bland, and I would've liked to see you expand on the theme of "my baby starvin'" more - seems like a narrative waiting to happen. The guitar could also use a more prominent solo or melodic riff - the part at 2:28 kinda feels like the beginnings of that, but the pattern there doesn't feel very dynamic. Overall, the mood and atmosphere are probably my favorite elements of this one. Really soothing and smooth soundscape. Keep at it, Anoth3rMind! :)

Anoth3rMind responds:

Thanks for the insight and taking the time to share your thoughts. This is all really encouraging and we are looking forward to putting out our next creation.

[NGUAC chapter 2]

I like the emotional piano line at the beginning and the violin drone at :18. The brighter, more energetic tone of the strings at :29 is a bit of a sudden shift, but I’m enjoying the brass harmonies and mallet arpeggios. There’s a good sense of climax into 1:19, and I’m liking the victorious vibe there. The mix sounds a tad over-saturated there, though, especially at the lower end of the frequency spectrum. The return to the melancholic piano and string duality at the end was a nice touch, but I still would’ve liked to see a bit more fluidity between the somber part at the beginning and the more blissful body of the piece. Still, the production quality is solid overall here and the sound design is appealing. The composition might need a bit of fleshing out, but overall solid work here. Keep at it, Zimnior12! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Wertw - Far Away]

I like the reverse piano at the beginning and the tranquil riff at :14. The echo-y fade-in of the vocals at :27 was a nice touch, and I’m enjoying the crisp beats and rich atmosphere in the meantime. The melodies at :41 are nice, and I also really like the lyrics. The vocals themselves have some really heavy autotune, which is fine if it’s necessary, but ideally it wouldn’t be. The drop at 1:22 has a great sense of energy and drive, and the harsh leads there really goes nicely with the thematic content - it’s like it represents the singer’s passion for his absent loved one. The guitar during the re-intro at 1:51 was a nice touch, and while the second verse/build-up cycle is pretty similar to the first, I enjoyed the variations that were there, like the more aggressive-sounding vocals at 2:51 and the synth riff at 2:47. I also really enjoyed the variations on the drop the second time around. The piano echo of the vocal melody at 4:20 was a nice choice. It seems like the piece ends in the middle of a vocal phrase, but overall you did a great job with the progression and flow here. The arrangement itself might be a tad generic, though. Still, I’m impressed with the production quality, sound design, and intricacy of the rhythmic content. Pretty much all of my complaints here are small compositional details. Keep up the good work, Wertw! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Wertw responds:

Thanks a lot for the review! I'm gonna do my best now ;)

[The Gist]

I like the mellow guitars and vocals at the beginning. The vocals might need a bit of a boost in the mix there, though - they get a little lost under the guitars at some points (notably, “lance the wound” at :20). I like the climax into :27 and the defiant lyrics there. In the second verse, I really like the vacillation between the tranquil and energetic parts. I like how the lyrics are different during the second chorus compared to the first. You also nailed the solo at 2:06, even if it was a bit drawn-out. Really rocking it after the 3-minute mark or so. I might’ve liked to hear an additional refrain at the end just to tie it together, but overall the progression is really effective here, and I really admire the mixing, sound design, and just straight-up raw talent you bring to the competition, man. The lyrics also spoke to me on a personal level - I’m definitely really excited to advance in my career, but sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m often the least-experienced person in the room. It’s never a good feeling to be the least experienced person in the room, but I’ve got to keep in mind that being more aggressive about making myself heard with my coworkers (as opposed to listening and learning first) often isn’t going to get me anywhere. Anyway, I’m curious what you had in mind when you wrote the lyrics, and either way it’s an awesome track. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10

[Improvisation #1: I Will Wait For You]

I really like the soothing guitar at the beginning. The little flourishes (like at :27) are really impressive, and the flow is rather smooth. The very ending felt a tad rushed (just the final chord, really), but the biggest problem with the structuring imo is that there wasn’t enough of it. I feel like with solo instrument tracks, it’s really important to create variety along parameters like dynamics, energy levels, pacing, etc., because it’s inherently hard to create variety with the sound design. So, I guess that’s all to say that the composition could’ve been a tad more dynamic here along some of those other parameters. The recording quality is great, but there are a couple of small moments where you seem to hit the strings unintentionally (notably :59). The melodic content here is really nice, though, and you nailed the relaxed and somewhat wistful mood here. I still think the composition could be fleshed out a little more, but it’s good to hear a raw and organic submission like this. Keep at it, Thomastique! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

Thomastique responds:

Thank you! I will definitely keep all of this in mind for the future, great feedback!

[Departure from Remorse]

I like the quirky percussion and ominous synths toward the beginning. The riff at :12 has a lot of movement, but the rhythm is a bit square. Meanwhile, I really like the contour and syncopations of the melody at 1:12, but the synth itself sounds a bit harsh. I also think the structure of this piece felt a bit cyclical, and could’ve used some more shape, perhaps via a more atmospheric or downtempo breakdown/bridge. Still, the sound design and mood really make the piece what it is. Overall, my main complaints are with the composition here - it needed a stronger sense of direction over time imo. Still, the mixing is also solid, and I could see this fitting in really well in a videogame. The eerie tone and catchy melodies only bolster that fact. Keep at it, Tebyricat! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Leap]

I like the quirky sound design at the beginning, but the rhythm is a little hard to follow until the kick comes in at :11. There’s a good sense of climax into :22, and I’m digging the 90s-style trance-y beats. Reminds me a lot of Waterflame’s “Outrun,” actually. The progression is really slow-paced, though, and by 1:07 I think you’ve already overused the big descending filtered thing (do people call it a “fall” or “reverse-riser”? Idk). The mixing is really good, although sometimes the balance feels a tad off. Example: the bass at 1:27 is a bit too loud. The piece has a great sense of ebb-and-flow over time, but could also use some stronger melodic content or at least some more harmonic variety. The frantic synth patterns on display throughout this piece are nice, but they also left me starved for some more legato elements of what I consider to be a well-rounded texture. The piece is also pretty repetitive after a while, and the extended climactic section during the last 2 minutes doesn’t feel substantively different from the two shorter ones earlier in the piece. Overall, you’re clearly a talented producer with a great sense of harmony, atmosphere, and sound design, but the composition could’ve used a bit more dynamism here. Keep at it, St0mpy! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

St0mpy responds:

Wow. I appreciate you making time to write this review. This song was a stab at personal nostalgia. Dynamism isn't a goal, relatively, in this genre, and I should've considered the audience more knowing that. I completely understand all the points you've made and will try to build on them for future contests. Again thank you so much for the detailed analysis.

[A Major Delight - NGUAC 2020]

I like the easy flow and catchy melodies of this one. The strings at the beginning aren’t really playing on top of the beat, which bothered me a little - I can’t tell if it’s the sample or some sort of mixing effect. The percussive rolls during transitory moments are really nice in this piece. Sometimes the rhythm of the lead is a little hard to follow, like at :39 for example, and the string harmonies could’ve sounded a little more distinct in the mix there. The brass section at 1:25 felt a little bare, and I feel as though the texture could use some shake-up to the instrumental hierarchy, as right now it feels like a procession of short solos. The injection of intensity at 2:18 was quite welcome, though, and helps hit the piece home well. My main complaints are probably with the generally thin texture and lack of structurally variety here. Still, the melodic content and sound design are strong as usual with you, and there’s a good amount of development in the melodic themes to keep things interesting later on. Keep at it, Spcialist! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

NativeNiles responds:

Hey, thx for the review, Im glad you like it.

[Shanlix - Fallen [House] (for NGUAC 2020)]

I like the cute synths and atmosphere at the beginning. There’s a good sense of climax into :30 and again into :45. The melodies at :45 are nice, even if the chord progression is a bit cliche. Some of the melody synths are a bit cheesy, and I would’ve liked the clap to pop a bit more in the mix during the refrain. The breakdown at 1:15 was good for some structural variety, but in general the second half of the piece could use some more variation, especially regarding the harmonic framework and main melodies. It also would’ve been nice to have more of a proper outro here, especially since the piece was already pretty short as it was. Overall, one of my biggest problems with the piece might be how generic it is, from the chord progression to the arrangement to the transitions. Despite my complaints about the lack of variety and compositional details, the mixing and melodies are highlights here. It’s a catchy piece with a blissful mood. Keep at it, Shanlix! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10