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Hello Folks, sorry I've been quiet of late - life gets in the way sometimes and chaos often is a part of that. I've been visiting when I can & working on stuff when I can squeeze the time. These two tracks are evidence that I'm still "doing" stuff but nothing, at present, is ready for a big reveal. This one, Blundertown, is waiting on a real singer. I have someone who wants to do it but the when is uncertain. BIAB provides drums & organ. Draft vocal, (heavily tuned), bass & guitars are by me but the lead playing is by Stephen Hutter (Louisiana Steve) a professional musician by trade & a generous collaborator by turns: Here's a slightly updated version...the vocals are a little tidier and the bass n drums nexus more certain: BLUNDERTOWN vii V1 This town, my town This brown, my brown I swim, you frown Don't tear it down Working, living Talking, giving Walking, driving, Still surviving C1 Something calls, I can't hear Calls far, calls near Not quite home Not quite fear. I can't hear Something near Life in Blundertown. V2 This place, our place This case, our case You think, I pace In a rat race Working, living Taking, sieving Running, diving, Just surviving C2 Something calls, I can't hear Calls from afar, calls near Not quite home Not quite fear. I can't hear Somewhere near Life in Blundertown. V3 Living, dying Consuming, buying Faking, trying Making do Working, slaving Seeing, craving Always behaving We've been trained to. C3 Something calls, I don't hear Calls out loud, calls quite near Not my home, feel my fear. A different gear Someone near Live in Blundertown. C4 Something calls, all along Calls out loud, sounding wrong Not my home, feel me drown. Different tread Someone bled Life in Blundertown. This one, PsychB, has BIAB drums, solos, organ and held piano chords. Strings and piano bass are midi while guitars, lap steel n bass are the real thing. No vocals or even lyrics yet. I'VE REPLACED THIS WITH THE MELODY REMOVED SO YOU CAN HEAR THE ARRANGEMENT BETTER. Lap Steel is used quietly to add texture in the transitions mainly. PSYCHB sans melody No need to listen or comment unless you want to. Ears and advice on both are welcome, (except for the vocals as they won't be staying), as these are Works In Progress.
Last edited by rayc; 11/22/25 06:45 PM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi, Ray.
Blundertown has a cool vibe and sounds like it's shaping up nicely. Really like the bass on this one. Also like the melody of the scratch vocals and the lyrics I can make out. Assume the ending is a WIP as well.
Psych B also has a cool vibe (ok, so I think you have a LOT of cool vibes). The opening blossoms nicely. That string pad provides a lot of glue. Very nice lead and rhythm guitars. Not hearing a lap steel, but might not be listening for how you're using it. Super arrangement. A grand, cinematic feel to my ears. That's a great ending.
Thanks for sharing, you're doing some nifty stuff.
DC Ron
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Hi Ray,
Blundertown - Outstanding bass line and a super groove. Nice guitar chording and leads also. You vocal is really good for a demo. Super mix.
Psych B - Another super bass line. A fantastic intro. Great lead guitar. A great start and I'm sure that the finished product will be fantastic.
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Hi, Ray.
Blundertown's got a good, bouncy feel. Looking forward to hearing how it turns out.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Hi Ray!
Both songs are really interesting and in genres that I haven’t heard a lot of on the Showcase since I’ve been here. I like how you take the chord progressions to unexpected places, but make the melodies smooth out the changes. I can hear your use of major to minor chord changes (e.g. B - Bm) - always sounds cool. I’m really looking forward to hearing the finished songs!
For Blundertown, I love those ‘stabbed’ guitar strums, and in style, it is a similar sound to Augie March ‘Thin Captain Crackers’ - in style, not in melody or harmonically.
For Psyche, I reckon you’ve wonderfully captured an 80s Brit romantic sound with the synth - I could hear whiffs of OMD or maybe even Split Enz True Colours or Blondie Atomic.
Lovely stuff.
Andrew
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Morning, Ray,
Blundertown has a nice feel, bass sounds good, and Steve did a fine job for you. Couldn't make out much of the vocal, so looking forward to hearing it with the final singer.
PsychB has tons of potential, I like the melody line on top. It actually really works well as an instrumental, so I think it will be really powerful once you add vocals. Is it also Steve playing the solo? Nice!
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I really like Blundertown (I live close enough to one here). It's got a good feel. Yes, I can hear the "heavily tuned" Melotron vocal, but I like it. Steve did a fine job and I like the bass. SOunds like southern Louisianna --thinking NOLA.
I like the wild drums on Psyche B, and as Dave says, that melody tells me it's gonna be a great song.
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Blundertown:
I like the overall mood and the vocals (at least the parts I can understand).
The musical part could be a little more varied, with some dynamic changes and, above all, a direction in which the song takes me.
However, it could be that this feeling changes once the final lyrics guide me somewhere.
PSYCH B:
Even without vocals, this song is MUCH more interesting and has much more potential.
I'm looking forward to the lyrics.
I would even go so far as to change the outro, which is really interesting and has a strong Pink Floyd vibe, into a bridge and then add something afterwards (a final chorus or something).
I'd continue with this one first!
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Hi, Ray.
Blundertown has a cool vibe and sounds like it's shaping up nicely. Really like the bass on this one. Also like the melody of the scratch vocals and the lyrics I can make out. Assume the ending is a WIP as well.
Psych B also has a cool vibe (ok, so I think you have a LOT of cool vibes). The opening blossoms nicely. That string pad provides a lot of glue. Very nice lead and rhythm guitars. Not hearing a lap steel, but might not be listening for how you're using it. Super arrangement. A grand, cinematic feel to my ears. That's a great ending.
Thanks for sharing, you're doing some nifty stuff. Thanks DC, What are your thoughts on the ending? Lap Steel is pretty quiet & subtle - most prominent at the end as an FX thing.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi Ray,
Blundertown - Outstanding bass line and a super groove. Nice guitar chording and leads also. You vocal is really good for a demo. Super mix.
Psych B - Another super bass line. A fantastic intro. Great lead guitar. A great start and I'm sure that the finished product will be fantastic. Thanks Mario, The bass part for Blunder was fun to do.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi, Ray.
Blundertown's got a good, bouncy feel. Looking forward to hearing how it turns out. Ta, it was less so until the "jaunty" intro & solo were added. The final chorus solo is a little more tense and I wrote the lyrics to reflect the change.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Hi, Ray.
Blundertown has a cool vibe and sounds like it's shaping up nicely. Really like the bass on this one. Also like the melody of the scratch vocals and the lyrics I can make out. Assume the ending is a WIP as well.
Psych B also has a cool vibe (ok, so I think you have a LOT of cool vibes). The opening blossoms nicely. That string pad provides a lot of glue. Very nice lead and rhythm guitars. Not hearing a lap steel, but might not be listening for how you're using it. Super arrangement. A grand, cinematic feel to my ears. That's a great ending.
Thanks for sharing, you're doing some nifty stuff. Thanks DC, What are your thoughts on the ending? Lap Steel is pretty quiet & subtle - most prominent at the end as an FX thing. Ray, on the ending, well...it may have been "a feature, not a bug". The organ after the quick (and cool) fadeout seemed to linger at un-faded volume for too long and sounded like an editing artifact which one might expect in a WIP. Or it might be an intentionally adventurous ending. So ignore if the latter. 
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
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ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Ray,
I really like Blundertown - excellent song. I also think your vocal fits really well.
I like Psych B as well. Some great bass and a cool tune overall.
Bob
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Cool bouncey groove Ray. Well done
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Blundertown is another very cool lyric.
We enjoyed the progression of the “life in Blundertown” as the choruses roll by.
You and the session guys provided a great groove indeed.
And, as others mentioned, your bass and guitar work and Steve’s guitar are super.
Enjoyed it!
J&B
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ray,
Bass, drums, guitar - a solid base. All sounds good.
I actually like the vocal.
No advice. I don't hear anything "out of line".
(I do have to turn your stuff up to really hear the mix. Quite "soft" compared to others. That might be a good thing?)
fj
I listened to Sancho as well. Also sounds "done")
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