So Dirty the Flamingos -Before the Misfits
Alternative/Alt. Rock, Americana, Singer Songwriter
Toronto, Canada
Overall Impression: Before the Misfits is a beautifully poignant and contemplative piece of writing that captures the essence of its lyrical themes perfectly, So Dirty The Flamingos show great confidence and maturity in their songwriting with this expertly put-together track.
Strongest Point(s): This is an excellent production, retaining the heart and soul of the song whilst delivering a level of pristine clarity through its well-balanced mix. The vocals show great range, feel, and accuracy, and convey the lyrics with confidence and refinement. The use of dynamics throughout the song is of particular merit, utilizing volume as a means to highlight certain sections is a great way to provide a distinction between the aforementioned sections. The instrumentation is put to excellent use, keeping it bare and subdued throughout the verses and then adding layers to the chorus sections, which really help heighten the urgency and provides great variation throughout the song. As an example keeping the clean guitar parts as a main feature throughout the verse then introducing the overdriven guitar alongside the clean during the chorus, really helps create a thick out and full-bodied sound. The breakdown starting from 2:38 builds up excellently before stripping back the arrangement and allowing the vocals and guitar to have a quiet moment with one another, again this is an excellent use of dynamics to really create contrast throughout the tune, the listener is always kept cleverly engaged by mixing up the flow of the song, and it's not an easy feat to keep a song's flow feeling consistent, there's always a chance of a transition between sections coming across as somewhat jarring, that's definitely not the case here.
Target Audience Appeal: This perfectly fits in with the Americana and Alternative Rock genres and targeting these specific audiences is definitely the way to go.
Artist target suggestions: Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Joe Cocker, Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, Allison Russell, Willie Nelson, Travis Meadows, Paul Thorn, Ray Bonneville
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About the Reviewer:
Andre is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related and strived to become a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.