Trying to nail a War on Drugs vibe - feedback requested :)

[sguiles]

Hey all!

Pedro and I are working on a new tune (probably in development for a month or two on or off) and it's nearing completion.
We'd love to hear if we're on target and would like specific help with the mix end of things.

There is no current listing for this song, but there WAS a listing awhile back which inspired this song and it was for a band called The War on Drugs and their song "Red Eyes". http://youtu.be/bsoqmFL1vlU (If anyone has the actual listing, that would be awesome).

Here's our song called "Coming Home". https://soundcloud.com/pedrocostamusic/ ... 15/s-rHC8a
(IF Pedro's link doesn't work, here's a mix that's one step back. Pedro is internet-free for the weekend...)
https://soundcloud.com/newcoolnowmusic/ ... edro-costa

Would this be a song that would be on "the same radio station or playlist as" the mentioned band? Would it make a film/tv editor happy as well?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Peace,

Steve (and Pedro)

[rsarja]

Steve, Very nice track! IMHO, I would cut some of the reverb. I think I understand the vibe your going after with it's use though. I was listening on my iPad which as you know isn't the greatest source. My experience was I heard the reverb first and your voice second. Again, just my opinion, but I liked the track very much. I did listen to the "Red Eyes" Youtube example and there is tons of reverb on the vocals. I guess you need it in order to capture the vibe they are looking for but I would still try backing it off a spec.

[rsarja]

I 'm not so sure about what I said in my last post now. I listened to the "Red Eye" video again and the reverb is really washed. What do others think?

[feaker66]

Frist impression was Fleetwood mac

I am not a fan of reverb buttering, but in this case I really like it. Just MHO Naked without it??

It's cool all over the place.

congats guys

Paul

[sguiles]

Thanks for the feedback Paul and Ron!

yeah, the Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, Springsteen are also part of the influences of the ALA track Red Eyes for sure. So, I tried to channel some of that. It all started with that tight acoustic and kick/snare pattern for me. Then the bass line.

Then just adding atmosphere.

So, still looking for any mix advice. Pedro will check this out when he gets back on the internet on Monday. Pedro is MixMaster™. I am Make Many Tracks And Have Pedro Sort Them Out Master™.

[JamesCarvalho]

as i listen,

the reverb seems compelling and relevant to the style.. i like where its going.
my other first thought was to add another deep reverb element to glue the style ( perhaps a dreamy faint organ or synth...to add to the mix

im getting "love song- by the cure" ala with a reverb bomb
http://youtu.be/hXCKLJGLENs

thats my view from the couch

[bobporri]

Steve and Pedro,

I think the reverb sounds good in the context of several War on Drugs songs I just A/B'd with yours. I know it's maybe not exactly mix advice, which I don't have much of because the track sounded well on the way to having been mixed nicely, but I thought I'd mention the drums. Something about the timing kept pulling me out of feeling comfortable. They just didn't seem to sit right in the pocket for me. I kept trying to put my finger on it, but I think it was just not being totally locked in. I think that was the only thing that kept me from shifting from liking it to loving it. Great song, vocals, all instruments (except just the drum thing for me).

OK, I went back once more to see if I could hear anything specific. Right at the beginning, the drums almost sounded like they were going to have a swing feel, then they didn't, then they seemed to drift between swing and straight throughout especially weird when the kick was doing the busier stuff. If you or anyone else can pick up on this and decide I'm not just hearing things, then I think they should lock to straight.

Bob P.

[pedrocosta]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.
I did some work on it on the weekend.
Would appreciate some new feedback.
Still at the same link.
Thanks gents!

[feaker66]

Hi guys. This song is addictive:)

I think the keys coming in at 1:16 are slightly too loud. I know you want that contrast there, but you might try to knock a couple db's. I can't hear that great vocal as well there. Don't take this wrong, but it's almost a slight relief at 1:38 when you come back down.

Sounds like you might have dialed back a touch on the verb? Or not?

That's all I got guys. Like hearing songs like this that are so nontypical.

sincerely

Paul

[andygabrys]

its good - however to my ear there are several things on the ref that you might reconsider

the ac guitar feels a little narrower, drier and more propulsive that yours, which is pretty high end-y. You might need a touch more bottom and cutting freq maybe 1khz or so. Same as later in tune when tambo comes in. They both sound a little bandwidth limited on the top end so they don't step on everything but sound fat.

the snare in the ref is dry in the beginning, and then as the big parts of the song happen, there is a rocking big (probably gated) reverb that comes in - or could be a super squished mono room mic. Its a pretty prominent splash on the snare. This keeps the snare from getting lost. In your tune you could ride the room mic up in the choruses when you start to add instruments.

the vocal likely has some long rhythmic delay as well as verb - try sending the long delay to the verb or vice versa. sounds like the level of the delay / verb is also automated - in the verses its less delay and a touch less verb, then in the choruses they ride it up.

balance / panning - stuff in the verses sounds much tighter into the center, the drums, the ac guitar. Then the organ / synth seems much wider. And the piano / guitar shots doing the rhythmic part in the verse also have some pretty prominent delay, which sounds like hard L+R ping pong. Then in the chorus / instrumental stuff explodes wide.

HTH.