Be Your Own Man

Steinberg Lounge
1

Hi

New track from me called ‘Be Your Own Man’

http://davesmithmusic.com/blog/?p=156

Or

All comments welcome

Cheers

2

Hi Dave

I liked the double tracked vocals but they seem a bit overwhelmed by the guitars in the prechorus and chorus.

And thats a very abrupt ending- haven’t decided if it’s good or bad, just different.

3

Hi

Thanks for the comments. I have a continuous mental battle to mix my own voice loud enough compared to guitars. I tend to bury my voice. I have now applied some mid rage cut to the rhythm guitars and raised the vocals a db and re-uploaded the track

Hope you get used to the ending. :slight_smile:

Cheers

4

Aye, I’d say that the vocals do tend to get a bit lost in the louder sections … reluctant singer syndrome(?) Not bad … just lacking a bit of wellie.

[edit: Damn!! Dave just fessed up to the reluctance two mins before I’d posted this!]

Now, this is where I get horribly out of my depth:

IMHO:

I like the overall sound of the piece. It sounds indie. Genuinely independent. I like the string squeak in the 1st 20 seconds, the slightly wayward drums in the run-up to the stop at 2:40ish and the bass sound - like the strings had been changed and really needed a few day to bed in but hey: it was record today or miss your chance.

It sounds to me like a re-discovered early recording - if that makes sense.

But hey: what do I know?

R.

5

Hello R.

Thanks for the listen. Yep my bass playing isn’t always consistent and my midi pad drumming can be a little wild. :wink:

I’m still tweaking this and have uploaded yet another mix.

Cheers

6

Umm…

Bump, just in case anyone missed this and more tweaks to the mix. :slight_smile:

Cheers

7

Hey Dave,

Sounds good! You’ve always had a good ear for keeping things well blended. This has a real
‘live in the room’ sound to it. the vocals on the verse are a bit louder than I’m used to from you,
but they’re about right on the chorus.
The only thing I’m not crazy about is the sameyness of the lead vocal. The verse keeps repeating the same melodic phrase with almost no variation, and the chorus harmonies are sorta rhythmically static. I wouldn’t mind hearing some subtle variation, and on the chorus, you could almost treat what you have as the backup harmonies, and
add an answering lead hear and there to give it a little somethin’ somethin’.

But - you know my tastes in vocals. That’s just my preference. This alt genre which is almost bordering on punk may call for something more like what you have here. I dunno.

Good sound, as always.

Lenny

8

Good rocker a la Green Day or Husker Du. Buried vocals don’t bother me so much when it comes to Pop-Punk

9

Hi Lenny

I agree about the vocals. As you know I have a continual battle to not sit vocals too far in the mix. After other comments I probably went too far.

I guess I do come from a very different place to you vocally and melodically but you do make valid points. I don’t see me changing this one now but it is certainly something for me to bear in mind as I do tend to not have much melody in my vocals quite often.

Thanks for stopping by

10

Thanks Doug

Just uploaded another version with the verse vocals down just a bit.

I always appreciate your view point.

Cheers
Dave

11

Hi Dave
You and I have similar challenges. I have been listening to this and reading the comments and have a suggestion with the vocals. In the verses I would clip/shorten the vocals, as you (almost) do with “it’s so easy”, and even here you could be more definite. No harmony on the verse, very important to make the excellent harmony that you have on the chorus standout more; and let the note drop an octave, very important to let the listener know you are making a statement with the vocal delivery being in sync with the rhythm you establish in the intro. This is hard to explain in words. (Imagine Bowie)It’s so ea-sy-y, the y sound being an octave lower than sy, almost an exhale, and clipped to a 16th note.

Bring the harmony in on the chorus and sustain the notes as they are now.

I like this a lot.
Michael

12

Hi Dave ! Been listening this one for a while and waited for the moment I could hear it via my monitors or my hi- fi. Hence no comments earlier. Anyway - seems like I’m travelling all the time and cannot do it so few comments now… It is like Green Day meeting Mamas & Papas, Sex Pistols and Clockwork Orange feel / soundscape. Liked it a lot. Loved those harmony guitars and text. Cannot comment the mix but it certainly works in iPhone and whatever cans they are giving with it. More comments in few weeks. Liked it a lot. Btw, that how bass guitar should sound like…fresh strings :slight_smile:

braunie

13

Hey: consistency is over rated! It works fine.

What Lenny said. I think that was part of what I was trying to get at. It sounds like a recording of real musicians rather than something that has been ‘produced’ to within an inch of it’s life. That’s a good thing, IMHO.

I like it.

R.

14

enjoyed it dave. really a catchy song, like the way you harmonized the vocals especially in the chorus.
nice guitar work

15

Maybe I’m hearing a later mix; vocals sound about right to me. I like the harmonizing. Turn the bass up, a little, don’t be shy there!

16

This is a nice tune Dave! To me the vocal mix is sounding good - I reckon you’ve got it just right.

I see there’s been some comments about your delivery… one approach that I think could work really well for you, not just on this song but others as well is to actually be less ‘singy’ - make the delivery more ‘choppy’ - lose the long notes, and deliver in a more angsty, shouty, accentuated and punktuated way - if that makes sense. :question:
To get in the right mode you might have to swill a few ales or have a fight with the wife first though! :laughing:


Always a fan…
:sunglasses: