Another Blue D-a-y

[feaker]

Catchy lil tune here Casey.Like the acoustic run down from "on a blu day"Liked the echo after "wouldn't see"Thumbs up for sure.Paul

[deantaylor]

Casey,What I like most about your songwriting on this is how the verse melody doesn't really resolve itself .. it ends a little 'hecticly' .. reflecting the uncertain state of mind the guy is in .. then it 'gets resolved' in the chorus .... resolved into just feeling blue. Very Nice melodic treatment for these words.Dean

[Casey H]

Jan 19, 2009, 5:41pm, deantaylor wrote:Casey,What I like most about your songwriting on this is how the verse melody doesn't really resolve itself .. it ends a little 'hecticly' .. reflecting the uncertain state of mind the guy is in .. then it 'gets resolved' in the chorus .... resolved into just feeling blue. Very Nice melodic treatment for these words.DeanAnd you think I planned that? HA!! I'm nowhere near that good!! In fact, this is really a re-use of an old rocker song that didn't have very good lyrics. Thanks for the good words on the song! Casey

[kitz]

I like this Casey!! Pretty much says it all and in a way that feels right. I like the simplicity that you have going. It seems like it would definitely fit the singer/songwriter genre to me. Kitz

[deantaylor]

Jan 19, 2009, 5:46pm, hurowitz wrote:Jan 19, 2009, 5:41pm, deantaylor wrote:Casey,What I like most about your songwriting on this is how the verse melody doesn't really resolve itself .. it ends a little 'hecticly' .. reflecting the uncertain state of mind the guy is in .. then it 'gets resolved' in the chorus .... resolved into just feeling blue. Very Nice melodic treatment for these words.DeanAnd you think I planned that? HA!! I'm nowhere near that good!! In fact, this is really a re-use of an old rocker song that didn't have very good lyrics. Thanks for the good words on the song! Caseylol ... but yes, you 'planned it' .. you 'planned it' in your subconcious, when you wrote new lyrics for this melody that just seemed to 'work' for iti remember another recent song from you that I thought the same thing about .. just didn't say it .. it was a song about a guy contemplating/being-attracted-towards an affair all the way thru v1 and the musical tension/energy kept building and the guy ended up at the woman's door at the end of the verse and he was ready to explode, as was the melody/music .. does he go inside or not? ... and I think I got all that from just a guit/vox .. that is good songwriting, imo .. whether it is concious or not .. whatever came of that song?Dean

[geo]

Hey Casey.... like this a lot!!!"With my heart in recoveryMy brain stuck on a memory" Great line!!It does seem folky to me but all in all some good stuff here.Peace, GeoP.S. You didn't write this after the Giants/Eagles playoff performance, did you? I owed you that for your post Superbowl dig last year

[Casey H]

Jan 21, 2009, 11:28am, geo wrote:Hey Casey.... like this a lot!!!"With my heart in recoveryMy brain stuck on a memory" Great line!!It does seem folky to me but all in all some good stuff here.Peace, GeoP.S. You didn't write this after the Giants/Eagles playoff performance, did you? I owed you that for your post Superbowl dig last year ROFLMAO!! I live in Philly... I wrote it after Sunday's Eagles/Cardinals game!!

[Casey H]

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to listen and comment. I decided to get a custom critique, mainly to check on the type of listings that this will fit when the final is recorded.I am very pleased with the results of the critique. The areas where it could be improved are consistent with some thoughts of my own, though if it looks like a winner I may not touch it.The arrangement & performance here are not by me! Special thanks to my friend who recorded this. The screener really loved your work. And thank you screener #221! CaseySong Title Another Blue D-a-y (Very Rough Concept Demo 20) StyleI would consider Another Blue D-a-y to be in a Singer Songwriter type of category. It could also be considered in an Acoustic Rock style (depending on how you produced it, you could potentially emphasize more of the Rock elements.) There are clearly aspects of Folk as well, but I hear it more as being in a Singer Songwriter style. MelodyThe melodies have a nice flow and you did a good job providing a distinction in phrasing right when the chorus hits. Good work keeping the lines simple and memorable. StructureExcellent job getting to that first chorus without keeping your listener waiting for too long. The overall arrangement is straightforward and concise, with a good structural balance. The bridge provides an effective diversion from the other sections.LyricThe message of the words is definitely a universal one- well done. I like the way you use the imagery of a color in the title phrase, though it occurred to me that there could potentially be a slightly more unique phrase than "blue day", to add to the originality of the lyric.TitleYou do a great job of making sure to hammer home the title through plenty of repetition in power positions throughout the chorus. My comment on the uniqueness of the lyrical phrase is applicable here- I think it works pretty well, and is certainly relatable, though there could be room to stand out as even more original. Overall CommentsCharles, The chord changes have a natural feel and a quickly familiar quality. It crossed my mind that it seems like coming out of the bridge could be an opportunity to throw in an unexpected chord or two, and perhaps create a moment of musical tension to help support the words of that section. You might consider experimenting with some alternatives on "just how you felt" to give the bridge even more punch. I like the background vocals in that part, and the harmonies are effective throughout the song. Your guitar playing is strong and you execute the part skillfully Also, you've got a good voice (even though I realize that this is still in demo form.)I like the melodies of the verses- it almost seems like the melody lines are going to be a touch predictable ("Haven’t slept for a month now, my eyes don’t wanna close"), but then you give it more of your own unique stamp with "I see you lying next to me as if it were reality..." As mentioned, the chorus effectively varies the melodic phrasing coming out of the verse- good work. One thought is that after the first couple of chorus lines the vibe sort of goes back to the feel of the verse on "with my heart in recovery, my brain stuck on a memory"- you could consider keeping the flow more along the lines of "Oh another blue day, oh it’s a blue day" throughout the chorus (which might require some new lyrics). I think it is specifically the phrasing on "recovery" and "memory" that seems sort of like being back in the verse mode. The lyrics have an element of universality that most folks can surely relate to. There is a heartfelt vibe and a feeling of sincerity. Also, there is a good match of the feel of the music with the message of the lyrics- effective prosody. Regarding your question about the style, I do think that the song is in a Singer Songwriter/Acoustic Rock/AAA type of category, and would be an appropriate submission for a listing a la Elliot Smith, Rufus Wainwright, etc.I've enjoyed the listen, and I feel that you are well on your way to a solid piece of work here that is commercially viable. I hope that these comments and suggestions are helpful. At the end of the day, of course, go with what feels best and most "right" to you! Overall RatingMusic 7Lyrics 7Marketability 7Arrangement 9Production/Engineering 6 (It is a rough)Listener ID # 221