I like the emotional quality at the beginning. You’ve done a great job of playing up the somber mood in this piece, like with the descending line in the melody at :18. The entrance of the violin at :38 is absolutely haunting, and the somewhat predictable phrase pattern (i.e., every other measure has a significant number of moving notes) helps channel the emotion further. The percussion at 1:14 sounds a bit flat, but I’m liking the call-and-response action at 1:34 and the trumpet solo shortly thereafter. The piece comes together rather well by 2:20, and I think it was also a good choice to return to a more minimal piano line for the coda. Part of me would’ve liked the mix to be a bit fuller-sounding at times, or for the final climax to be a bit more of a point of arrival, but at the end of the day it’s hard to find fault with the solemn and languid tone of the piece. Probably your strongest work yet, Potato-stick! These are some truly moving melodies.
Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.75/10