Spintunes #5 Round 4 Review: Mick Bordet

3. Edric Haleen - My Friend
This song just put a great big smile on my face. For some reason I picture this song accompanying clips from the "Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews racing around the countryside hand-in-hand with Bigfoot. It's so happy, then sad, but happy again, just like every feel-good movie you've ever seen. Musically, it's just Edric and piano, which is really all it needs.
8/10

1. Governing Dynamics - Houses
The Dynamics left it until the last round to write a song that I would actively go out of my way to listen to. Their sound is still instantly recognisable, but this just seems to be stronger as a song in its own right rather than feeling like an album-filler. The lyrics focus on the dust-in-the-wind aspect of a footprint in sand; not particularly inventive perhaps, but it is done with class and avoiding the numerous possible cliches. I love the imagery and the musical flow of the chorus. In a couple of places there didn't seem to be quite enough time to fit all the words in, leaving some words a bit incomprehensible without the lyrics, but that's a pretty minor flaw.
8/10

4. Ross Durand - When The Tide Comes In
Another 'dust-in-the-wind' offering, this time in a folky style that is beautifully produced with some nice subtle accordion laying the ground for frantic fingerpicking and a strong, gritty vocal. I like the way the song doesn't just cover the philosophical aspect of footprints being washed away, but stands up well as a nostalgic view of childhood days spent on the beach.
8/10

2. Mariah Mercedes - Footprints
Oh dear, what happened here? We usually hear songwriting improve over the course of the four SpinTunes rounds, but after two great rounds at the start, Mariah really seems to have lost that initial strength. Leaving aside the muffled production (please can we have a re-mastered version?), the vocal layers feeling out of sync and the intrusive and even clumsy drumbeat, there still isn't much to recommend about this song. Lyrically, it doesn't really cover much after the first two verses which suggest more of a story. "The test of my stability" feels clumsy as a line, whilst the stop-go-stop-go bridge section seemed rather over-played. Disappointing.
6/10

Shadows:

6. Dr. Lindyke - Carbon Footprint (Shadow)
This feels like a musical version of Vonnegut's "Galapagos" and that's good enough for me. And it has a dolphin solo. Is that a first?
8/10

13. Boffo Yux Dudes featuring Dr. Lindyke - Foot In The Sand (Shadow)
Punk. Foot. Sand. Awesome.
7/10

5. RC - Orange Beach (Shadow)
This starts off on a positive note, but turns into a rather sad, though effective, break-up song. "what worked at the ocean, failed on the street" sums it up; a holiday romance turned sour. Plus points for the quirky percussive guitar backing, minus points for the repetitive 80's synth cymbal sound.
7/10

8. Gray Havens - Onward To The West (Shadow)
My first thought was that this was a mis-placed entry for round three, but there's the footprint! According to the song bio, this was an attempt to hit two challenges in one go and it is generally effective at doing just that. There are a couple of places where the upper notes are clearly a struggle for both vocals, so maybe try again in a different key? The synth brass is quite horrible, though, and would be better left out (or replaced with strings, perhaps).
7/10

10. Boffo Yux Dudes featuring Osmium - Wash Away (Shadow)
A catchy, upbeat rock song with a memorable chorus and rather nifty guitar solo.
7/10

7. JoAnn Abbott - The Mermaid's Waltz (Shadow)
A very effective re-telling of the classic (pre-Disney) mermaid tale, especially the first verse. There are a few places were the melody escapes reach, but this seems like the kind of song JoAnn's voice is perfect for. The guitar accompaniment is beautiful and very sympathetic.
7/10

12. Boffo Yux Dudes - Footprints (Shadow)
I've always wanted to know how to pronounce "Chtchth". A bass-heavy view of today from a future insect's perspective that is both funky and forgettable. I hope. Can't seem to get that chorus out of my head. Arrgh!
6/10

11. Boffo Yux Dudes featuring Denise Hudson & Mick Bordet - Sand In My Toes (Shadow)
Well, that's not quite what I expected.

9. JoAnn Abbott - First On My List (Shadow)
This song says much more about the writer than about the target of its ire.