Retreat From Moscow album

meathawk

Finally after 2 years or something at work I've finished this album. It's called In Search of Home and it's all about discovering what home really is and what it means to me.



retreatfromoscow.bandcamp.com

Anyways, I hope you will listen to. I'd really appreciate any feedback.

meathawk

*shameless bump*

any input fellas?

MilanPan!c

not too bad... pretty lo-fi, but sure, that's a style...

it's pretty melodic, which I dig...

overall... it's too same-y for me to really get into properly...

I think as well... you should either get a bit more brave with the vocals (i.e. don't obscure them as much) or ... I don't know... find a singer you would be hugely proud of...

vocals are the songs... if they're good, make them loud... they should be the loudest thing on a song, pretty much...

by about tack 6 I was jumping into the tracks to see if they were gonna do anything different, or if they were just variations on a theme...

Anyway, it's a good start... congrats on working so long and sticking to it!



Hope my feedback is useful.

meathawk

I don't understand your feedback. In nearly every song the singing is the loudest component. Furthermore, I don't follow your lo-fi comment. I would've thought lo-fi would be a long the vein of indiscernible crash cymbals and walls of snare, clipping vocals and acoustic guitar that's so close to the microphone it sounds distorted. I don't think that's what I've created here.

I'm sorry it couldn't keep your attention, I think there's a decent variation there regarding songs. I'll just have to see with more reactions. It's not about if, but when. :eek:

The Jammy dodger

I think that if I were to put you in any kind of category it would be Lo-fi indie/contemporary/folk

Lo-fi indie doesnt mean its bad at all. your music reminds me of Elliott smiths music which was lo-fi indie and very good. I find your music very good and relaxing. I'm enjoying it. As a fellow musician there are always times when I'd suggest one or two things here and there, but thats only because I'm a musician and we always overthink things lol. I really like the music. I like your voice, and do not think it needs to be turned up at all. It really adds warmth to the sound you produce.

You have a defined sound and there are elements in your vocals that remind me of an Irish band known as ''The Flaws'' but although I like the flaws vocal and sound a lot, I'd prefer your vocals and sound as thats my comfortable taste of music.

The music and vocals are interesting and I'm into the 4th song and still have not turned it off just yet thats how much I like it. You really know how to keep the listener engaged to the point where it does not get ''boring'' and your going ''Oh man, when will this get interesting?''

Good work my friend. I'd buy the album but looks like you have it for free download. I'm more of a fan though of getting the cd and artwork in my hands. But then again I'm just one in a million of people who dont use Ipods or whatever.

Good job. No shame in being lo-fi indie.

The Jammy Dodger

meathawk

Thanks Jammy Dodger for that lovely reply. I guess because it wasn't recorded in a studio it would be deemed lo-fi and I guess it isn't an extremely over-produced wall of sound either. In that light I could live with it being tagged as lo-fi.

I hope you keep listening, there will be a physical release some day. I'll revive this thread in a few months when its finished if I have to.
I'm glad you've listened so far, if you get to the end, let's know what you think about the whole thing as a single unit. Thanks

The Jammy dodger

meathawk wrote: »

Thanks Jammy Dodger for that lovely reply. I guess because it wasn't recorded in a studio it would be deemed lo-fi and I guess it isn't an extremely over-produced wall of sound either. In that light I could live with it being tagged as lo-fi.

I hope you keep listening, there will be a physical release some day. I'll revive this thread in a few months when its finished if I have to.
I'm glad you've listened so far, if you get to the end, let's know what you think about the whole thing as a single unit. Thanks

Well I did a song in a day in Scotland that was deemed lo-fi indie in the studio years ago in 2007. So I think it has everything to do with the engineer you use and your desired sound. If you like it you like it.

Even with Elliott smith your gonna have people who wont like it. Doesnt matter if your known or unknown.

I've listened to the whole album and enjoyed it quite a bit. my favourite song, (although hard to pick a favourite as they are all equally good,) happens to be ''Giving up Dad''.

I think you would be better served allowing people only to listen to your deemed best tracks on it rather than allowing people to download the album for free:eek:.

But if you like to distribute it for free then where is the harm in that? perhaps you have no faith in what your doing and this is the reason? I'd sell it and I'd buy it too.

If you do happen to have a physical ( as opposed to digital ) realease PM me and let me know about it. There are a lot of bands I've heard on this forum that seem to just join in with whats going on in the mainstream band scene at the moment. They are good but its nice to hear an old sound that never dies out such as contemporary/indie. Your songs have been a little bit of fresh air for me this summer. I'm impressed that this was not recorded in a studio. Ya did a good job on it. Where/how did you record it as a matter of pure curiosity?

Thanks again
Jammy

meathawk

I recorded it in my room with a tiny little netbook and a shure sm51 microhphone. Drums were definitely the trickiest thing to record with only one microphone. I had to record them several times placing the mic at different places to get a sort of surround sound. Then I have this 60 euro acoustic guitar and a 20 euro casio keyboard and that's all I used.

The Jammy dodger

meathawk wrote: »

I recorded it in my room with a tiny little netbook and a shure sm51 microhphone. Drums were definitely the trickiest thing to record with only one microphone. I had to record them several times placing the mic at different places to get a sort of surround sound. Then I have this 60 euro acoustic guitar and a 20 euro casio keyboard and that's all I used.

Well you have amazed me at how a good recording can turn out on a low budget.

Nice one. Wouldnt of thought you did that at all. No wonder it took you two years. Nice one!!!:D

MilanPan!c

meathawk wrote: »

I don't understand your feedback. In nearly every song the singing is the loudest component. Furthermore, I don't follow your lo-fi comment. I would've thought lo-fi would be a long the vein of indiscernible crash cymbals and walls of snare, clipping vocals and acoustic guitar that's so close to the microphone it sounds distorted. I don't think that's what I've created here.

I'm sorry it couldn't keep your attention, I think there's a decent variation there regarding songs. I'll just have to see with more reactions. It's not about if, but when. :eek:

Ok, so.. As you saw lofi wasn't an insult but a genre/aesthetic label. I like lofi stuff and I know a lot of it. This is def in that category. I'd get used to that label; it's gonna be used frequently to describe this record.

As for variety... I would very much stand by my statement that the record isn't very varied. Most records aren't. It's not a bad thing, but it's true.

I would agree with the idea of maybe presenting only the strongest tracks... People usually don't spend a lot of time on music they don't know. Hit them with your best stuff, drive up interest, and then push the whole record out. IMO.

Finally, your answer seemed a touch defensive, if it was, and maybe it's just one of those things confused by the internet, but if it was be careful; I've got thick enough skin, but many folks will be less forgiving, and Dublin/Ireland is a tiny scene. A bad rep spreads like wildfire. That's not me being snide, that's honest and hopefully helpful advice. No offense intended.

meathawk

Sorry, I was a tad defensive as I had just finished it and it was the first comment I had gotten on the record. I guess, how varied an album is would be a subjective thing that has a lot of do with personal preference so I respect your input there. I did jump the gun there with a defensive rebuttle regarding lo-fi(ness). I don't think it follows the vein of traditional lo-fi bands but I guess people choose a piece's genre and not the artist. I'm all good with the lo-fi badge.

I know people in the Dublin scene will swallow you up and spit you out, I just simply wanted as many opinions as possible from people I don't know just to see how I fared with this album. Hopefully this thread will become a little bit more popular, I want as many varied interpretations as I can get. Milanpan!c and Jammy Dodger thanks for you input thus far, I do actually appreciate it.

meathawk

Bros, yo give me more opinions.!