This reminds me of the style of a band from the 80's.... but I can't remember their name. One of those bands that never had a #1 but got some radio action on a few tunes.

Overall, the song is fairly decent. I'd really like to hear it with better production. I don't hear any bass in this at all. The drums are really weak and provide no drive. I hear your keys and a drum machine track.... and very little else.....maybe some disto guitar and toward the end .... a lead part on guitar ????

The vocals are good. Nice harmony. On my speakers (cheap computer) I can't really hear the side to side Josey mentioned. I'd be careful trying to use "artsy" techniques like panning back and forth as there are very few artists today who do that. Also, I heard some plosives in there where the mic got blasted by a breath pop..... those plosives are easily fixed with proper singing techniques and a pop filter.

So, back to the production. Why didn't you let BB & RB handle the tracks for you? You said in the OP that you used BB to make an "early guide track".... Really? .....Why didn't you continue to build from THAT base? Because, all this needs to make it 1000% better is a solid bass and drum track. A fat, full bass and some huge drums would be a huge plus for this. Then, clean up the vox track and add some EQ to accent the highs in the vox. Put the lead vox down the center and pan the BGHV 30% or so R&L. One on one side, one on the other. That makes it full sounding without the artsy-fartsy aspect of a distracting, bouncing lead vox.

Pick one of the real tracks guitar-lead-solo tracks to play the guitar solo towards the end if your guitar chops can't handle it at this point. No shame there..... I can't play drums, or piano very well, and not at all on fiddle, or steel, so I use the Real Band tracks to play what I can't. The goal is to make a song project as good as you can possibly make it and with BB/RB.... there's almost no excuse since you have an amazing tool in your hands to accomplish that very task.

My advice.... take the song back to the square one, and this time build it totally in BB and use RB to add the guitars and mix it. Take all the time you need to do this and ask questions if you get hung up on something.

OK.... that's my 2 cents


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.