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Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Living in the Shadows - 12/28/21 09:10 PM
Living in the Shadows

This song doesn't have much in the way of hooks. It's a bit of a throw-away song. I wrote it a couple years ago, but never could get it right--I changed the keys and tried different instrumentation. The style I am using doesn't parallel with the tone of the lyrics, but using a picked acoustic seemed hackneyed for this. I don't know if the vocal level is quite right.

The style is ICELAKE. I added a RT piano and harmonica, replaced the drums, and removed the pedal steel.

Band:
RealBass 1580 Bass, Electric
RealGuitar 3704 Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm 90sAcRockCool
RealStrings 1581 Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm Folkie16ths
RT1690 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopPromise
RT685 Harmonica, Background Pop
Drums - We Sound Human: Acoustic Indie Pop

Lyrics are posted on SC.
Posted By: TuneMonger Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 12:03 AM
I liked the singing on this and I am a big fan of your vocals in general

The lyrics raised a lot of questions, which is usually a good thing in songwriting (creating some mystery), but I found myself scratching my head and wanting to know more.

No hooks, but that's not necessarily a bad thing

The harmonica was distracting to me. It was stepping on your vocal. If it had been spliced and made to call and respond with the vocal, I think then I would have liked it. Others may disagree.

The progression reminded me somewhat of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer, for what that's worth. A nice progression.
Posted By: dcuny Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 12:36 AM
I like it! smile

I could easily imagine this with a slower, darker arrangement. But I think this is a good setting.

No issues with the vocal level.

Like TuneMonger, I agree the lyrics raise more questions than they answer, and it's a good thing.
Posted By: PROJECT M Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 07:57 AM
Hello Scott
Great song with a great sound
Your vocals are exceptionally good
Absolutely great job Scott
Das hast Du wirklich sehr sehr gut gemacht
Wünsche Dir alles Gute für 2022
und weiterhin so tolle Ideen ;-)
Thanks for sharing
Many greetings
Andi ;-)
Posted By: vicarn Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 08:18 AM
Hi Ezekiel.
You could try style "Save Me". Even 8 at around 85bpm.
I agree that the harmonica shouldn't be playing while you are singing.

Vic
Posted By: Rustyspoon# Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 09:02 AM
Scott,
Honestly I think you got it "right" this time smile Sounds very good. Arrangement, vocals, performance. Everything fits very nicely and listens very well. Actually I think vocals are one of your best. Also, I believe this is your vocal EQ sweet spot. They sit very comfortably in the mix. Curios if somebody else can comment who have heard your other songs. Thank you for sharing and Happy new year!
Misha.



P.S. Interestingly, right after your tune there was J&B tune in playlist. I consider Bud of of the most skillful people here for mixing acoustic songs. Transition from yours to theirs was very smooth on ears, to me it says a lot smile
Posted By: BabuMusic Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 11:31 AM
Another song by Ezekiel Storm is enough to get me hooked, Scott. I really like the harmonica, and of course your vocal is always the best. At first I agreed with the distraction factor of the harmonica, but then felt like this was more of a campfire song where we can imagine someone just pulling it out of their pocket to play along because they were inspired.
Posted By: bloc-head Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 12:57 PM
I'm getting a Neil Diamond vibe from your song, vocal recording/performance is very good...
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 07:17 PM
We like it as is.

We agree with Marty re the campfire feel. Good musicians sitting around playing something they feel.

We also felt Misha gave an insightful and positive review that we also much agree with.
And not because he threw an appreciated shoutout to Bud smile

All meaning we don't agree with your paragraph of negatives!

J&B
Posted By: David Snyder Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/29/21 08:32 PM

Sounds good to me man!

Hey, I could hear many different versions of this, and I think you should experiment with many styles just for fun to see what happens. Ya never know.

It might be cool to hear a slightly slower piano up front version just for grins.
Posted By: firesong Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/30/21 01:59 AM
I think the style is great...there's a bit of a tension between the style and the lyric content that I think is cool...your vocal is really great and the mix sounds fine to my ears...I love songs in this tempo range...and I do agree with others about the harmonica stepping into the vox's territory... enjoyed it very much...Dan
Posted By: Crossroads Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/30/21 06:16 AM
Hi Scott,

I had the honour of listening to the song a couple of weeks ago. I said then that I don't really get the lyrics - I'm relieved to see that also native speakers are irritaed ;-))).

Well, the song has improved soundwise a lot since that first version. I find it very balanced now, and I LOVE the harmonica fills.

Said iz more than once: I do like your voice and your singing!

Should I say, 'Not bad for a throw-away' song? Nah, it's anything but that - it's good.

Happy New Year - all the best to Tiffany and you.

Stefan
Posted By: Birchwood Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/30/21 12:18 PM
Hi Ezekiel,

A very nice song and a good melody line, and of course very good vocals (and lyrics)!
So many compliments and all meant of course.

There is one thing that made me a bit restless; the beat on the guitar.
The lyrics and singing will have more support from it when the guitar is simpler in that. Maybe softer, maybe some fingerpicking, I don't know. But I read I am the only one with that issue, so don't bother at all.

A good 2022,
Hans
Posted By: jptjptjpt Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/30/21 07:12 PM
I think it's a cool song. Your vocals are outstanding The instrumentation works fine for me. The lyrics are interesting. I think it's a fine recording. Good one.
Posted By: floyd jane Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/31/21 11:48 AM
A very balance sound.
Great job with the acoustic choices - and with their processing...they sound "just right".
And the drums are a GREAT compliment to the acoustics (is that an EZDrummer track??)

Very nice vocals - and beautifully mixed - they sit perfectly.

Nice.

fj
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/31/21 07:37 PM
Originally Posted By: TuneMonger
I liked the singing on this and I am a big fan of your vocals in general

The lyrics raised a lot of questions, which is usually a good thing in songwriting (creating some mystery), but I found myself scratching my head and wanting to know more.

No hooks, but that's not necessarily a bad thing

The harmonica was distracting to me. It was stepping on your vocal. If it had been spliced and made to call and respond with the vocal, I think then I would have liked it. Others may disagree.

The progression reminded me somewhat of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer, for what that's worth. A nice progression.
Originally Posted By: dcuny
I like it! smile

I could easily imagine this with a slower, darker arrangement. But I think this is a good setting.

No issues with the vocal level.

Like TuneMonger, I agree the lyrics raise more questions than they answer, and it's a good thing.


Tunemonger and David: Thanks for the listen. I forgot to mention in my original post that the lyrics were a bit of an odd creative writing exercise on my part where the POV is that of a child who is no longer living. I hope that clears things up a bit.
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/31/21 07:39 PM
Originally Posted By: PROJECT M
Hello Scott
Great song with a great sound
Your vocals are exceptionally good
Absolutely great job Scott
Das hast Du wirklich sehr sehr gut gemacht
Wünsche Dir alles Gute für 2022
und weiterhin so tolle Ideen ;-)
Thanks for sharing
Many greetings
Andi ;-)


Andi: Happy New to You too and vielen dank for the kind words.
Posted By: TuneMonger Re: Living in the Shadows - 12/31/21 09:44 PM
the lyrics were a bit of an odd creative writing exercise on my part where the POV is that of a child who is no longer living. I hope that clears things up a bit.


OHHHHH! That does throw a whole new light on the subject. I appreciate the clarity. What's great about online forums is we can actually ask the writer questions. In the old days of reading lyrics off of album covers, things remained a mystery. Later, when the Internet came along, we sometimes got answers, and they were often disappointing. I remember finally reading what Neil Young's Cowgirl in the Sand meant. It was just a girl he saw at the beach - nothing more than that.
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/01/22 08:47 PM
Originally Posted By: vicarn
Hi Ezekiel.
You could try style "Save Me". Even 8 at around 85bpm.
I agree that the harmonica shouldn't be playing while you are singing.

Vic


Thanks, Vic. I will check out that style. I tried and recorded many different ones.

Originally Posted By: Rustyspoon#
Scott,
Honestly I think you got it "right" this time smile Sounds very good. Arrangement, vocals, performance. Everything fits very nicely and listens very well. Actually I think vocals are one of your best. Also, I believe this is your vocal EQ sweet spot. They sit very comfortably in the mix. Curios if somebody else can comment who have heard your other songs. Thank you for sharing and Happy new year!
Misha.



P.S. Interestingly, right after your tune there was J&B tune in playlist. I consider Bud of of the most skillful people here for mixing acoustic songs. Transition from yours to theirs was very smooth on ears, to me it says a lot smile


Misha, even though my ears can't hear what a lot of what you and others hear in the mixes, I am trying to improve in that department. Thanks!

Originally Posted By: BabuMusic
Another song by Ezekiel Storm is enough to get me hooked, Scott. I really like the harmonica, and of course your vocal is always the best. At first I agreed with the distraction factor of the harmonica, but then felt like this was more of a campfire song where we can imagine someone just pulling it out of their pocket to play along because they were inspired.


Thanks, Marty. I appreciate your feedback, especially about the vocals---those I am always unsure of.
Posted By: Scott C Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/02/22 03:15 PM
Boy glad you didn't shelve this song. Awesome vocal. Backtrack was very cool. Loved when the harp kicked in. Well done
Posted By: Torrey Bliss Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/02/22 05:25 PM
Scott,

I'd hardly call this a "throw away" song! Sounds pretty good to me! Like David said, I could also imagine this with a slower darker backing! Either way it would work for me! BTW the vocal was great as always with your tunes! Thanks, Torrey
Posted By: MarioD Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/02/22 07:05 PM
I'm also glad that you didn't shelve this song. I think it is your best to date!

Super vocal, mix, instrumentation, and harp leads. They fit perfectly with your vocal.
Posted By: Greg Johnson Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/02/22 11:36 PM
I thinks the band works quite nicely, particularly the harmonica!! Vocal sounds great!! Good mix!! Take care, and Happy New Year!! Greg
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/03/22 08:21 AM
Hey Scott, love your vocal! One of your best I think.

Harp sounds good to me as does the overall mix, well done.
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/03/22 08:37 PM
Originally Posted By: bloc-head
I'm getting a Neil Diamond vibe from your song, vocal recording/performance is very good...


Thanks, Bloc-head. Neil Diamond--I'm in good company then,
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
We like it as is.

We agree with Marty re the campfire feel. Good musicians sitting around playing something they feel.

We also felt Misha gave an insightful and positive review that we also much agree with.
And not because he threw an appreciated shoutout to Bud smile

All meaning we don't agree with your paragraph of negatives!

J&B



Janice and Bud, thank for the positive vibes!

Originally Posted By: David Snyder

Sounds good to me man!

Hey, I could hear many different versions of this, and I think you should experiment with many styles just for fun to see what happens. Ya never know.

It might be cool to hear a slightly slower piano up front version just for grins.

Thanks, Dave. I've tried many different styles, even slower one, but they just didn't hit the mark for me,

Originally Posted By: firesong
I think the style is great...there's a bit of a tension between the style and the lyric content that I think is cool...your vocal is really great and the mix sounds fine to my ears...I love songs in this tempo range...and I do agree with others about the harmonica stepping into the vox's territory... enjoyed it very much...Dan

Thank you, Dan. I appreciate your feedback.
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/05/22 09:04 PM
Originally Posted By: jptjptjpt
I think it's a cool song. Your vocals are outstanding The instrumentation works fine for me. The lyrics are interesting. I think it's a fine recording. Good one.

JPT, many thanks!

Originally Posted By: floyd jane
A very balance sound.
Great job with the acoustic choices - and with their processing...they sound "just right".
And the drums are a GREAT compliment to the acoustics (is that an EZDrummer track??)

Very nice vocals - and beautifully mixed - they sit perfectly.

Nice.

fj

Thanks, Floyd. The drum loops are from We Sound Human. I thought I'd give their product a try.

Originally Posted By: Scott C
Boy glad you didn't shelve this song. Awesome vocal. Backtrack was very cool. Loved when the harp kicked in. Well done

Thanks, Scott. Your comments are much appreciated.
Posted By: Ezekiel's Storm Re: Living in the Shadows - 01/05/22 09:07 PM
Originally Posted By: Torrey Bliss
Scott,

I'd hardly call this a "throw away" song! Sounds pretty good to me! Like David said, I could also imagine this with a slower darker backing! Either way it would work for me! BTW the vocal was great as always with your tunes! Thanks, Torrey


Torrey, thanks for the kind and positive commentary.

Originally Posted By: MarioD
I'm also glad that you didn't shelve this song. I think it is your best to date!

Super vocal, mix, instrumentation, and harp leads. They fit perfectly with your vocal.

Master Composer Mario, thanks a bunch!


Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
I thinks the band works quite nicely, particularly the harmonica!! Vocal sounds great!! Good mix!! Take care, and Happy New Year!! Greg


Thanks, Greg! I appreciate it greatly.

Originally Posted By: BlueAttitude
Hey Scott, love your vocal! One of your best I think.

Harp sounds good to me as does the overall mix, well done.

Dave, thanks for listening and providing feedback. Much appreciated!
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