Hi Mike
You obviously are really keen to get some feedback so I've streamed the album twice and have written a bit more in-depth than I normally would do. As a guy posting music on here from time to time I know how much the reaction and constructive feedback from other Beach Boys fans means. At the end of the day all of us here hope for some nice comments on our stuff, yet all too often we forget to spare a few minutes for giving feedback that a fellow fan & musician would value and which he/she might be able to use for developing their music further.
So having a day off today I've spent some time listening and writing my thoughts down. I hope you can use my comments for your future projects.
First of all, the fact that you're pulling stuff like this off at the age of 15 is really impressive. When I was 15 I was spending all my time reading Marvel comics and watching MTV!
Secondly, I'm not a musician in that I don't play an instrument but rather sing and come up with lyrics, melodies and what have you not for the group I'm in. So unlike others here I'm not able to offer technical feedback as such. But I know what I like and what little details on backing tracks that will appeal to me and have tried to present this in the comments on each track below. I'm assuming you're looking for an honest opinion so when a song doesn't appeal to me I don't sugarcoat it. Some of the songs I really like, other's don't work for me but probably will for others. Overall, I think your album is a great achievement for a guy your age including a couple of very strong songs and interesting, playful instrumentation throughout.
I have two fundamental suggestions for your future work.
1) Personally, I find that some of the songs would have benefitted from stronger hooks. Writing catchy songs is of course incredibly difficult but I think that at least some of your songs feature sections that perhaps are more clever than catchy, if you know what I mean? I guess it's a matter of personal taste but taking the easy road can sometimes be a good thing, I find.
2) I hope the new microphone will improve the sound of your vocals. Thoughout the record they sound a bit muffled and some of the harmonies can be difficult to discern in the vocal mix. Personally, I think your voice is way better suited for slower, more restrained songs like Half Asleep. When it comes to the faster, more rockier songs I think you could work more on developing your vocals. Some songs have a bit of both - So Long, for instance, is one of my favourites with a great chorus, but the verse vocal I find a bit shouty and inferior to your chorus vocal. I'm only speaking at my own behalf of course but I imagine that others might feel the same. Have you ever thought about hooking up with other singers that could grace some of your songs? In the group I'm in all of us take the lead from time to time depending on who will have the right sound and vocal range for the song and I really think this benefits our output.
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OK, on to the tracks. Here are my comments based on listening through headphones:
Overture - This is nice enough but personally doesn't do that much for me.
So Long - Definately one of the highlights for me. Great guitar sound and production. I think the chorus is incredibly catchy. The dreamy slow-down where it segues into 'Into Thin Air' is a nice twist.
Into Thin Air - this one doesn't really work for me. It sounds nice and I like the percussive keyboard during the chorus, but personally I miss some sort of hook that would stay with the listener. The short a capella section near the end is really beautiful - great vocal work!
Half Asleep - This is without comparison my favourite track. Very Friends-like with a great lyric, top notch harmonies and interesting instrumentation. The horn parts are such a cool element. Seriously, if this song had been part of the ending suite on the new BB album, many fans would probably have it as a favourite track.
1000 words - I feel the same about this track as I did with Thin Air. The instrumentation is nice and has some great ideas, but at least to these ears it comes off a bit derivative and definately in need of a hook. I also have to confess that I don't like the way you've decided to sing the lead. Like previously mentioned, it sounds a bit shouty and overdone to me and I think the result would have better with a more understated approach.
Moonlit Lake - This is a cool track. I particularly noticed the nice bass patterns that you feature throughout. Very nice vocal and great ending with an almost hypnotic feel.
Open the Windows - I also like this one, quite catchy .... reminds me of something Paul McCartney could have written. I also think that this song compliments the previous tracks rather well because its sound & feel is a bit different.
Everybody's Doing It - There's some nice guitar on this one. You really come up with some great guitar parts throughout the record. As for the song itself it's not really my cup of tea. But I like the fact you're pushing the envelope with a rockier track. The part near the end where you use a lot of echo is very nice. As far as I'm concerned small interesting sections like this one (you also have a few at the end of other tracks) could easily have appeared earlier during songs instead of being kept for the very end.
Our Brother's Keeper - One of my favourite tracks. Great melody, great chorus, great vocal. When listening I envisioned Carl doing a great lead on this one - but that's not to take anything away from you. You do a great job on it and it's more to say that to me your best material comes across as something that would have made nice additions to the Beach Boys catalog.
Doesn't She Know - The beginning of the song is very atmospheric for a lack of a better description but the Doesn't She Know chorus is a bit too heavy-handed to these ears.
Lonely World - Very Beach Boys sounding with some Pet Sounds flourishes throughout. I like it! The chorus grows on you. The section with the 'oooooh' vocals that segues into the lone synths near the end is very trippy!
We're There Again - I also like this song. The electronic blips & blops thoughout (you know what I mean) are a nice percussive touch. There are a lot of twists and turns on this track and I would probably need to listen to it a lot of times before it really stuck with me. But at the first two listens I found a lot to admire here.
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So there you have it. I've bought a few of my favourite tracks off the album and look forward to listening to them the next couple of days. Keep up the good work. The Surf School Dropouts plan to release our first album via Bandcamp in the near future. When that happens I hope you'll have a listen and offer some thoughts.