SpinTunes #9 Round 4 Reviews: Dr. Lindyke

Alrighty then.  This being round four and a photo finish, we can pretty much throw my previous judging criteria out the window. All you have to do is write a song "inspired by" a panoramic photo of a beach scene. And what's in that scene...? Well, anything that could possibly happen in a beach scene, basically. Given that, and that "inspired by" is 100% subjective, I'm going to unabashedly rank these by personal preference.

So, with most-preferred at the top...

My Pick for the Pic:

Brian Gray - All You Can Eat

OK, I was... er.. "pre-occupied" this week, so I didn't write a new shadow for this round, but if I had, This'd be it (just ask Tom). Only this is much better than the analogue in my head. For me, it's a comedy rule that more outlandish the topic, the more deadpan it should be delivered. And this follows that rule very well. I'm loving the easy-listening acoustic sound and the Jaws / Jaws II references. I pretty much like the whole thing, so there's no point in going on. I needed some humor this week, and for giving me exactly what I wanted and needed to hear, you get my top spot.

James Young - When The Morning Comes
I  must be in the mood for easy-listening guitar. This one comes across as a 1980s power ballad. Me being the old fart that I am, that's dead smack center of my sweet spot. And the production...! Lord love a duck, that's good! It's just a pleasure to listen to.

MC Ohm-I - Black People Don't Swim

I always hate ranking the last round, because it comes down to the infinitesimal, and the differences in style mean that we're comparing apples to lug nuts. Each is better than the other in its proper place. I think that this one would have gotten my #2 spot if it didn't have the disclaimer at the beginning. OWN the humor and screw 'em if they can't take a joke! This would pop with some SoundFonts replacing the tinny MIDI horns.

TurboShandy - Twenty-Two

I'm not sure what's up with the anemic opening. I like the song as a whole, but find myself wishing it wasn't NSFW in the first verse. That just seemed unnecessary, as is demonstrated by the entirety of the rest of the song. But mostly what lands it in this spot is that, given the style of the verses, I keep waiting for a big payoff in the chorus, and it never happens. Maybe that's by design... maybe it auditorily illustrates the frustration of the singer, but I wasn't in the mood for it. Sorry.

SHADOWS:

in order of appearance

Steven Wesley Guiles: If It's All The Same To You

I think the puppies are back to sing! I adore the rapid-fire rhymes here. I adore the guitar (did I mention I'm in the mood for easy-listening guitar? Well, I am)

Zoe Gray: Shark Week

There. Are. No. Words. 

Governing Dynamics: Surf Whatever

I actually think this is a big improvement over your usual style. It doesn't sound like you're trying to record at 2am without waking your parents in the next room. No razors, no wrists; instead just turning your back on a world coming apart and surfing. Great job.

Boffo Yux Dudes: Beach Chairs

An ode to beach chairs...  I looked for a metaphor in the lyrics, but then I remembered that Scott's judging. So this is just about plain old beach chairs. And that's about as deep as you can really expect a Beach Boys pastiche to be, isn't it?

Boffo Yux Dudes: Panorama

I see what you did there! A panoramic song for a panoramic view, in the (quite literally) inimitable, patented "BYD mode". Hit the two-minute mark aaaaaaand.... it's a wrap!

(OK, for reading this far, bonus shadow. Dr. Lindyke didn't write a new one this week, but we did write one for this very photo a couple of years ago. It's called "On The Waterfront", and it's sitting out there on Bandcamp with the intention of re-mixing it. Here ya go.)