alternativesolution's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Daybreak]

Hey, I love the melody! It's pretty uplifting to listen to, all around. The intro was well done, and the piano use throughout the track fits well. The snare volume starting from 0:45 could definitely be lowered, as I feel it takes away from the smoothness and impact of the melody. The transitions at 1:51 and 3:19 are very nice and satisfying. Overall a nice happy song, enjoyable :)

Geoplex responds:

Thanks! I am a sucker for the loud snares haha. Cheers for the feedback

[the fight]

- NGADM Round 6 Review -

Oh, yes yes. Nice pull in the intro. I like this too much. At 0:28? Ffgdfgdf.

What I love most about your songs is the soul you can feel in it. Not just calculated melodies, or a clean mix, but what you do is bring a real “want to follow” for the listener, making them not want to stop listening. I really love the progression in this, and the amount of variation and how *well* it's done just makes me want to fangirl all over the place.

The transition at 1:03 is not as smooth as could be, but right out of that section into 1:16 almost makes up for it entirely. As for your atmosphere, this is the third most impressive aspect of your song, after variation and mixing (mixing was excellent). A true johnfn track. Great work! I apologize for the late review.
(Crazy alien music ftw)

Score: 9.6

johnfn responds:

The truth is that, from the beginning of my music career, I've been focused on one and only one thing: MAKING GIRLS FANGIRL OVER MY MUSIC. Now that I've finally accomplished this I guess I can move on to other (comparatively easier) goals like curing cancer and eliminating poverty.

But seriously thanks for the review! I'm glad for the shout out at :28, I was pretty pleased by the change in energy at that bit. I buy your complaints and I'm glad that you liked it :)

Thanks for all the work you've done for NGADM.

[A Weirdo's Gigue]

- NGADM Round 6 Review -

Plent of melodic variation! As characteristic of your songs, I love how there's so much going on at the same time, and nothing sounds out of place. Some particular favorite parts are at 0:22, 0:53, 1:10. The section starting at 1:10 sounded like it could used in a MarioKart race. The transitions at 0:43 and 1:10 were great; in fact, transitions are something that hardly even seem to exist when listening to this piece. The track is highly cohesive, and melodically very stimulating. After a while, however, the business in the song becomes too much, and as well as the lack of dynamic range which, even with the lively compositon, makes it somewhat stagnate in the entire middle section, considering the track's length. I liked your ending. It ended on the same, fast-paced note but also brought about a quick sense of conclusion. Overall, great track! My apologies for the late review.

Score: 9

steampianist responds:

and here is a very late response: thank you ! hehe

[wide world]

- NGADM Round 5 Review -

Another one track recognizable as made by you. :) I like your melodic composition a lot, the bass, and the light, casual atmosphere you've established for the first three minutes. There are a couple of clashing notes in the piano, intentional or not, but they are quickly forgotten. My favorite parts are up til 1:10, and at 2:07.

The change at 2:25 is nicely done, and the buildup to 3:06 is melodically great - which brings me to my next point: the drums. Before that point, they are already a bit loudly mixed, which doesn't help its repetitive beat; afterward, they sound like an obstacle, getting in your way, preventing you from hearing the rest of the composition clearly. What offsets that later on is when you filter them out toward the end, easing their presence, leading them to the track's soft, well-suited outtro.

Score: 8.6

johnfn responds:

> clashing notes

WHAT. THERE ARE NO CLASHING NOTES. >:O

.. Maybe you could point them out to me? :P

> drums lol

Yeah :( I've come to realize this was a mistake. I wonder how much better this song would have been without drums at all? Oh wellllll :P

Thanks for the review AS! I appreciate all the work you've done here.

[Busy Feet]

- NGADM Round 5 Review -

You have a beautiful intoduction. The gentle harp and pads, along with the quiet waves create a soft, thoughtful mood that becomes lighter around 0:30. When the vocals come in, the mood becomes deeper. When they are first heard, however, they sound opposite of too loud – in fact, they had a somewhat restricted quality to them, as if the microphone is a bit too far away, particularly at 1:29. From 2:00 (my favorite is the singing in the last two verses; the composition is very soulful in that section, especially. Also, lyrically, the last verse is my favorite) onward, it balances out. There is also a lack of sound in the lower frequencies, which comes along from not having a bass-like instrument; this could be enhanced with some lower notes in the pads, instead. Overall, this is a nice song with good progression, unique melodies, relaxing atmosphere, and a great voice. :)

Score: 9

[Ascension]

- NGADM Round 4 Review -

As I happened to remark to the same to etherealwinds, I do think this is my favorite track from you so far. You make very nice use of reverb on your voice, which mixes very well with the warmness of the piano and subtle backing strings. Where the mixing skills do lack is at 1:50, where the horns feel out of place and even a bit too full, causing the mids to sound muddled.

On the whole, I love the song's structure and simplicity. You sang very well and everything flowed nicely. As for the ending, it's similar to your previous tracks in that it feels very short and rapidly comes to a close, without leaving a sense of real conclusion. Also, I nearly to forgot to comment on the lyrics! I suppose my main opinion on them is that I rather like them, a lot. :) Great work!

Score: 9.5

headphoamz responds:

Thanks AS! Appreciate you taking the time to review. :)

[Mystic's Shore]

- NGADM Round 4 Review -

Oh, this might just be my favorite track from you. I couldn't help but sing along and hum some harmonies! Very pretty. Your intro is wonderful, and 0:53 and 1:13 is just yes. You have a good sense of rhythm in your singing. Ah, the composition in this one is great. Outtro is done with no less skill. It's very lovely to listen to.

The only thing I feel I should point out is the vocal recording, itself – it is very clear, and clean; however, your voice doesn't mix with the rest of the track as well as your background vocals do, for example at 1:28 - they seem to hang above the rest of the instruments in an unnatural way. Still, this is an improvement over your previous tracks in regards to that. Overall, this a great song that I won't be likely to forget.

Score: 9.6

etherealwinds responds:

I uploaded a new version with the main vocals a bit quieter. Thank you so much for your review ^ ^

[Everything is Broken]

- NGADM Round 4 Review -

Ah, I didn't expect that plucking at the intro, nor the other strings for that matter. 1:12 sounds pretty cool, and I love the bass right after that. There are some pretty obvious elements that are reminiscent of your earlier work, and they all sound great. The glitchiness in your low sounds are always pleasant to listen to. Still, as you've probably recognized, with your score ceiling expectation, there is a lot of repetition in this track, with nearly all of it in the strings and general structure of the song. This track, for the most part, is stagnant, and bland. I imagine you're probably burned out from creating good stuff all this time, so congrats to making it this far. You had a good run.

Score: 8.1

[She Was Picking Flowers]

- NGDAM Round 4 Review -

I haven't heard such a refreshing intro in the longest time. I enjoyed the turn at 1:19, as well as the bass around 1:51. The strings that come after 2:00 have a great melody, although about twenty seconds after that, things don't mix too smoothly. As the track comes to its end around 2:52, well, let's just say you have completed the unusual feat of having a more impressive intro *and* outtro than the entire bulk of the song (opinion, opinion). Your ending is probably my favorite part, with its clear and pronounced melodies, the slow in tempo, and nice, airy background fading out. Beautiful. (I like your song title, too. The simple description of your dream is enough to picture a nice setting)

Score: 8.7

steampianist responds:

thank you very much

[Real Life Absurdities]

- NGADM Round 3 Review -

Oh you. I am never not impressed with your work for this contest. So upbeat and fun-sounding right off the bat, and incredible melodic variation mixed with fun and games. I love all of it.

This is definitely melodically conclusive with both a solid intro and outtro. Your transitions are excellent to the point of hardly being noticeable; there is such great, crazy flow throughout the entire piece and that is the strongest aspect of the entire track. Great work!

Score: 9.8

steampianist responds:

thank you so much. haha i just hope i dont disappoint you with my round 4 submission