alternativesolution's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[This is Not the End]

- NGADM Round 3 Review -

The strongest part of the song is its melodic content during the first half of it. Very beautiful, and soulful. You've got some good compositional ideas....but the way you have played them out is not so good. You do have some unsmooth transitions (1:38 being the worst offender), and your piano melody becomes repetitive after a while. At the section during 2:25, the mixing of the strings and piano was unclear, and made neither stand out in its own way, really. I don't think there is much off about the sound of the piano, itself, except for those high notes at the end, which sound a little hard-hit. I think once the repetition issues are out of the way, along with smoother transitions, this piece could be more improved.

Score: 8.5

ChronoNomad responds:

Thanks for the review, AS. I'm wondering if it's based on the original version or the newly updated one with improved piano, but I guess it's more or less academic. I really like this piece for what it is, whether anyone else agrees or not, and that's fine. It's not perfect, and doing a piano-driven piece when all of my pianos sucked at the time was probably ill-advised.

I've already been dragged through the proverbial mud on this one review-wise, so everything just feels comfortably numb at this point. It probably could be further improved, but I've stuck a pin in it so that I can move forward and concentrate on other things. At least the piano's better than it was! :)

[Agnos]

- NGADM Round 3 Review -

As usual, you've displayed excellent vocal skills. I find that your voice matches well with your instrument choice, and your mixing skills are pretty great. Your pads are nicely - intriguingly - placed, as well. I've found there to be a defined atmosphere in your works, and this piece not lacking in quality when it comes to this. I did find there to be a few directionless spots throughout your song, which hold only very loosely together; they go largely unnoticed after a few listens, however. As for your intro, I think you start off wonderfully. Your melodies are very beautiful, and strings perfect. Overall, this is a solid, quality piece.

Score: 8.7

[Cthulhu Surfaces]

Where to start. This is a great cinematic piece. I'm impressed with your use of instruments, and you come up with some really great rhythms throughout the piece. Oh and the section at 0:46 was introduced very nicely. The dynamics in this piece are excellent, and this can be seen all throughout. Your chorus at 2:19 was beautiful, but short-lived. The transition right afterward at 2:21 comes off as abrupt, although the percussion tries to smooth it over and becomes somewhat successful with it. Same with the transitions at 1:01 and 1:38. Melodically, they are fine, but the way they are integrated is not.

Unlike your intro, what I didn't like about this piece was its ending, which gave it an unfinished, unsatisfactory feel, and almost completely offset the unique, memorable sections in your song, and left the song overall as entirely forgettable - which is unfair, because you have some really strong sections, particularly the one from 1:02 to 1:38.

Overall, this is a very solid piece, filled with an abundance of beautifully integrated melodic and dynamic variation.

Score: 9.6

headphoamz responds:

Hey, thanks so much alternativesolution! Great detailed review, and I appreciate the feedback very much. Got some things to work on I see. Glad you liked it overall and thanks for the score :)

[Not Everday]

- NGADM Round 2 Review -

I'm liking the production of this one. Very clean, and clear. Tons of funk in this song, and it's pretty cool to listen to. One thing I really didn't like is the vocal sample from 0:20 to 0:40, as it got very repetitive, very fast. The transition at 1:46 was nicely done, and the bitcrushing toward the end of the song was just wonderful. Your actual ending though was poor compared to the rest of song, and sounded rather dull. When it comes to the song as a whole, I can't say too much about melodic work, as there is relatively little of it in substance. What there is an abundance of, however, is rhythm. To put it short, this is a highly danceable, unique track, and that is its main strength. Good work! This is a track I'll be listening to again for sure.

Score: 9

[I Feel]

- NGADM Round 2 Review -

Ah, another track with noticeable atmosphere. This is the kind of stuff I love! There is decent progression, and the simplicity of your composition goes well against the already established atmosphere.

Around 3:20 the song the transition is less than smooth, as others have noted and you've explained, though I honestly don't think it's that bad...although it is indeed abrupt, the mood is still consistent, and that's what counts for me. After that, it begins to pick up again, and the sounds that follow are really cool to listen to, although after a relatively short of amount of time, they already become repetitive. Your ending was also done well.

Oh and that koto(?) at 0:18 was nice. I'd have *loved* to see that used once or twice more, like at 0:26, or even 0:46. Looking back at it, those three notes seem somewhat random since they don't come into the song again after that. In fact sometimes as I listen to it again, I can easily imagine it appearing at parts where it actually doesn't come again at all. (0:26 and 0:46...hehe)

Overall, what I like best about this song is its defined tone and set mood, which I appreciate just as much as in your round 1 submission. I'll surely be listening to this again and again.

Score: 8.8

InvisibleObserver responds:

The koto like thing is my grandma's metal full scale dulcimer. I sampled it and played around with it, but I found its metal sharpness stood out potentially too much when layered in with a lot of other stuff. It really only worked (to my ears) when it was reverby and diminished in volume.

I think there is something that an atmospheric feeling can evoke that melodies can't quite do. I'd rather make someone feel something rather than think it sounds like something. Hopefully that makes some sense. I dunno, I'm a bit wiped at the moment.

[Ablixa]

- NGADM Round 2 Review -

What's noticeable right away is your production quality and excellent use of effects. There's a nice crispness throughout the song, with the exception of some slight muddling when it gets fuller around 2:40. This track also has great progression, although the first minute was definitely the most repetitive and got boring quick, but then takes you by surprise at 1:03. Your transitions are generally well-integrated, *especially* the one from 1:30 to 1:42. I loved how the song went back to its roots in the introduction at 3:33. How it went from there was well done, and brought the track to a satisfying end. Definitely an enjoyable track, as well as one of my favorites from this round.

Score: 8.8

[Worth Your Time]

- NGADM Round 2 Review -

I really like the progression in this one. Your lyrics are thought out, and the way they're sung and mixed into the song is great. They also help offset the repetitiveness of the background melody and beat. I like the change around 2:12 as it leads up to the final chorus. The section that followed did sound muddled, due to the lower frequencies mushing together in the beat, rather than in the vocals- of which I really, really liked in that section. Your intro and outtro both work great for this piece, so no complaints there.
As Neon-Bard said, this song is also one of my favorites.

Score: 9.4

[Juste Une Blague]

- NGADM Round 2 Review -

As usual, you have great sound. Your production is excellent; you combine your instruments beautifully as well as their respective melodies, and nothing sounds off at all. I am a little disappointed in the lack of originality of this one, as it is very similar to your other pieces. And I'm not talking about the atmosphere, but rather some repetitive rhythms in the composition. This is somewhat minor, however, as you have layered some great new composition atop the old and that helps to keep the song fresh. As always, a highly enjoyable track.

Score: 9.1