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Originally Posted by Guitarhacker
Originally Posted by DC Ron
Herb, superb backing track and great playing. Love the song and the arrangement moves the song along in all the right places at all the right times. The sheen is quite lovely and makes for pleasant listening. The vocals sound really nice, but they do remind me of synth vocals on some lines. Might be something in processing. The ambient FX on the vocals are quite nice. Super song!


Thanks for listening. See my reply to ghostgum and see if that answers your question.

Herb, didn't really have a question, just made a comment about the character of the vocals unrelated to ghostgum's vocal harmony question. Don't really need a response at any rate. Thanks just the same!


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WaoBand #857659 07/15/25 05:12 PM
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Originally Posted by WaoBand
Brilliant instrumentation in this song, excellent chord structure, amazing incognito vocals, great production all around.


I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for listening


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rayc #857661 07/15/25 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by rayc
Excellent stuff Herb,
the reverb on the vocal at the beginning & when it's in the stripped back verse sections, seems a little at odds with the bad a little.
Modern country - pop with dobro & banjo?
Your parts fitted and enhanced the mix really well.

Yessir.... Modern country pop with dobro and mandolin. I had considered banjo but the song just wasn't a good fit for the banjo. I also flirted briefly with fiddle and steel guitar but they also didn't seem to fit.

Thanks for listening and your keen observations


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Herb - breathtaking skills on the production & mix,
to my ears this sounds like it was recorded and
mixed in a multi-million dollar commercial studio?
Great song too - super well done,

Carl

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A well produced country rock song, the mix is crystal clear and the low end rocks. The vocalist sounds very nice and professional - I'd really like to hear what else she has recorded. The repeating lines in the chorus, is a clever trick to get to the "circles" theme, and makes also the chorus very catchy.

Janne


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WaoBand #857713 07/16/25 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by WaoBand
Brilliant instrumentation in this song, excellent chord structure, amazing incognito vocals, great production all around.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for listening


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
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Originally Posted by BlueAttitude
You had me hooked that from that opening hooky piano part I think, Herb smile

Man, what a vocal! Everything about this works, love the write and the instrumentation.

Sounds like a hit to me, excellent!


Thanks.

I have fretted over the piano a lot. I actually found the piano I wanted to use. I knew it was in the plugs. It runs under kontakt. Maybe I will update the copy.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm hoping as well.


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Originally Posted by Tano Music
i like that bass also! Great track, and lots to learn from here. Thanks for that tip about using Melodyne to create a harmony track--I'll be using that for sure. I esp liked the stripped down outro, very effective. Thanks for sharing your quality work!


Hey thanks. No problem with the tip on melodyne. There's a lot of ways it can be used. Check YouTube.

That bass track has a lot of character and it was one I used on my previous song and noticed the playing was really good. It'll be one of my favorites from now on.

I really like using dynamics in my songs. It often requires a bit of preplanning and work to get it sounding natural, but it's well worth it. A lot of modern country songs are using drastic dynamics. It helps keep things interesting and the listener from getting bored and zoning out.

Again, thanks


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camog #857856 07/18/25 09:57 AM
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Originally Posted by camog
Herb - breathtaking skills on the production & mix,
to my ears this sounds like it was recorded and
mixed in a multi-million dollar commercial studio?
Great song too - super well done,

Carl

I wish I had access to one of those big studios but truth be told, I wouldn't know what to do in there. So I just try to get a good sound in my little backyard reclaimed tool shed and my old gear.

Thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed it. That's what it's all about.


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Great song, great production. I loved the build-up to the chorus, really thrilling. As a few others have mentioned, it crossed my mind that this might be a synth vocal. It started with the way she pronounced "I" on the third note of the melody. I guess that's just an indication of how far the technology has come, that we're second-guessing things. Anyway, as Mario said, she's a keeper!


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Well how 'bout that? I was just "talking" with RayC about how often I listen and comment, then forget to push Post Replay. I came back for another listen, then looked to see what I wrote my last time here. I wanted to make sure sure I mentioned waht a good choice the mando was. I knew I wrote about how good the guitars are, and that my ears are not nearly as good as yours smile but the piano was a bit lost in the mix to me --until the very end. The vocals are superb and I forget what else I said. We know I like it cuz I'm back for another listen. If I forget to push Post Reply, at least I got that.


Enjoy whatever happens!
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Originally Posted by jannesan
A well produced country rock song, the mix is crystal clear and the low end rocks. The vocalist sounds very nice and professional - I'd really like to hear what else she has recorded. The repeating lines in the chorus, is a clever trick to get to the "circles" theme, and makes also the chorus very catchy.

Janne


You know I really hadn't planed for the repeating lines to relate to the circle. It just kinda worked out that way. Something else that struck me as an after thought..... almost nothing in this song rhymes. Again, I realized it after the fact. I recall writing another song a year or two back that has no rhymes in it but the lyrics are compelling enough the it really didn't matter in the end.
Thanks for listening.


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Originally Posted by TuneMonger
Great song, great production. I loved the build-up to the chorus, really thrilling. As a few others have mentioned, it crossed my mind that this might be a synth vocal. It started with the way she pronounced "I" on the third note of the melody. I guess that's just an indication of how far the technology has come, that we're second-guessing things. Anyway, as Mario said, she's a keeper!
Thanks for listening and taking the time to comment.


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Originally Posted by BabuMusic
Well how 'bout that? I was just "talking" with RayC about how often I listen and comment, then forget to push Post Replay. I came back for another listen, then looked to see what I wrote my last time here. I wanted to make sure sure I mentioned waht a good choice the mando was. I knew I wrote about how good the guitars are, and that my ears are not nearly as good as yours smile but the piano was a bit lost in the mix to me --until the very end. The vocals are superb and I forget what else I said. We know I like it cuz I'm back for another listen. If I forget to push Post Reply, at least I got that.

😆.... I've done that too. Write out a detailed review and leave the page without sending it. Then I realized what I did two seconds later and then I'm faced with the choice.... take 5 minutes to try and remember it to write it again or...... sum it up in one short paragraph.

Man I love a tasty mandolin and this track was spot on for that job. Same thing applies to a dobro.
I really didn't want the piano to play a major part so it was kept low or out to avoid running interference with the guitars.

Thanks for pushing the reply button this time


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Excellent song, sung by an excellent singer.
Despite the mandolin grin
Sounds modern, probably modern country rock, but I'm no expert in this genre.
Very professional sound [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]

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Great song that grows on you like Virginia creeper. Fabulous vocal. Love that dobro.

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Those drums sound good.
Nice acoustic track.
A good balance in the mix.

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Originally Posted by B.D.Thomas
Excellent song, sung by an excellent singer.
Despite the mandolin grin
Sounds modern, probably modern country rock, but I'm no expert in this genre.
Very professional sound [Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]


Despite the Mandolin.... LOL! Glad you like it, in spite of the mando.


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Hi Herb, what a great listen that was! Your vocalist is well on point and really adds to your fabulous instrumentation. Love the mandolin and dobro with that driving rhythm section, it works really well imo. The lyrics are top notch also.

All in all, for what my opinion is worth, it's a superb country track and I genuinely hope it does you well.

Much enjoyed

Pete

Last edited by PeteMcN; 07/21/25 08:15 AM. Reason: Spelling!

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Hey this is cool man. Definitely a rock solid country song.

Sounds great. Definitely fits right in with the genre. Has a good groove.

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