[adamfarr]

Here we go at last with my competition entry. A loud and punky little love song.

Thanks to everyone for all comments received in Lyrics and WIP sections. Looking forward to any more feedback and comments!

https://soundcloud.com/lutehill/winters-finished-14-02-2016a
Winter's Finished

Intro
Now that you're here
Driving all the darkness out of sight

V1
I used to wake
Shipwrecked on the icebergs of regret
But the glaciers I cried
Were vaporized and dried
by the Spring that started when we met

CH
Winters finished
And finally your daylight melts the night
I'm not shiv'ring round a candle
Any more now you're here
Driving all the darkness out of sight

V2
When I'm alone
Food and sleep are things that I forget
No more putting myself first
My clouds are fit to burst
Thawing all the icicles I wept

M8
The trees are singing,
The birds are turning tail
I want to cast the anchors off
And raise the racing sail
You laugh and say that yesterday
We hadn't yet begun
Spring's for learning how to walk:
when Summer comes we'll run...

(c) Adam Farr, 2016

[tboswell]

Fun little punk song with a some really interesting turns in places. Some of chords changes were surprising, in a good way.
The chorus I found a little too similar to the verse, everything continues on the same level as the verse, the arrangement, the chord movements the range of the vocal. So it doesn't quite lift for me.

Lots of touches I loved. The harmonies at the start, the contrast of the M8 and the list of "final" words at the end. All really add interest keeping the listener on board all the way through.

Nice lyric too with a strong idea behind it.

Tis fine work!

Tom.

[shadowfax]

yer a punk rocker at heart intya!!..getting better all the time,
good lyrics but your singing them into my right ear
chorus is rather elusive..
and you didn't try that trick I explained to you to reduce the guitars slightly as you sing..it's worth a go
still think you should try a semi tone up

best, Kevin

[IronKnee]

Put a smile on my face...... "
"Driving all the darkness out of sight".....
....good stuff!
                                 -Tom

[delb0y]

My first gigs that I ventured to were punk gigs (horrendous gigs, on reflection - I mean, the spit...) so I've always held a bit of affection for the music.

I enjoyed this a lot - I didn't get the line about shaving around a candle anymore, but then I read your lyrics and it became clear. I'd misheard. I listened again... and it still sounded like shaving to me. :-)

I think it was rocking along quite nicely without the laid back M8. It comes out of that M8 rather well, but I'm not sure it's needed.

But, yes, great stuff and great fun and would have worked well at one of those gob-storm gigs of 1977.

Cheers
Derek

[adamfarr]

Thanks guys!

Tom B: I know exactly what you mean - was a conumdrum, as I hated losing energy in the verses but left nowhere to go in the chorus... On balance I decided to go with the more one-level approach (with just a bit of inaudible creative panning)... Thanks for appreciating the details though!

Kevin: thanks again - I actually did duck the guitars around 1db overall and around 2-3db in the bands covered by the vocal... perhaps too little but I wanted it to be smooth - I'll have a listen again. Perhaps moving the vocal towards the middle again and away from the guitars could help...

Tom T: many thanks - was supposed to be "joyous" (which is not my default setting...)

Derek: thanks for that! You could be right that the middle eight could actually be a terrible moment for attracting even more spit than normal... Maybe a bit too songwritery for the genre?! But given the one-dimensionality of the rest I thought it probably needed something. Shaving round a candle, really? At least you didn't go for "My clouds are Chris de Burgh" in verse 2...

Cheers everyone.

[Skub]

When my foot taps,it knows I'm enjoying myself.

An irresistible and irrepressible hook in this one. It's a mind worm for sure.

It reminds me I need to be a little more upbeat myself and stop with the melancholy already!   

Ta for posting Adam.

[Jamie]

Aha, so your a punk at heart! I saw the Stranglers recently, they could hardly get on the stage they are that old . Nice upbeat feel to the song with some nice chord changes. It's all coming along Adam!
Cheers
Jamie

[digger72]

Hi Adam,

Great energy. Love it when it just stops (almost).
Perhaps the vocal could be a little more upfront.
Someone with a bit more knowledge may be able to explain this better, but you could always try a side chain compressor to lower the volume of the guitars, or whatever, when the vocal is present. So, the lead vocal becomes the key to the compressor and dictates when you want it to come in and say reduce the guitars by 2 db or so. I think some folks do it with bass and kick drums. Just experimenting with it myself - so not full up to speed with how it works.

Good song, nicely delivered.

Digger

[Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra]

I've listened a number of times but thought I'd better give a listen before commenting. So as I'm preparing to do that the song is running through my head specifically the chorus. That has got to be a plus point Adam!

I think that the 'winter's finished' hook that opens the chorus is a memorable one which doesn't do any harm to make a track stand out from the rest...plus the 'driving all the darkness out of sight' that ends it also sticks in the head.

So, for me, the chorus works as it is just because of the way it's made lyrically/melodically.

I was a bit too old to be a punk rocker but have 2 younger brothers so listened to plenty. Be interested to know what bands you're into from that era Adam. For me this has quite a poppy/punk feel...quite melodic...

Good stuff and a great entry for the comp from our leader and instigator himself!

[pompeyjazz]

Hi Adam really liked this when it was wip. It's really come on and is quite unique. You have a lot of subtle stuff going on. I really like it. My era too 

[adamfarr]

Skub: thanks a million - yes writing happy songs really doesn't come naturally. I would never have written this if not for the competition so it has already served its purpose for me.

Jamie: thanks so much. I saw the Stranglers in 97 - can't believe it... (and can't believe they're still soldiering on)

Digger: yes, I was having the sidechain compression conversation with Kevin (Shadowfax) and learned how to do it for the first time. But clearly I need to tweak some bit more...  Thanks for the encouragement.

Ian: many thanks for comments on the song itself. I agree it's not your shouty 1970's punk - I was trying for a more melodic sound a la No Use for a Name (band that Chris Shifflet of Foo Fighters used to be in). I had definitely been listening to tracks like "Dumb Reminders" or "For Fiona" when this one was made...

John: thanks so much - you always get my subtle stuff! I guess being our age we have the advantage of being able to mingle all our influences into a unique cocktail!

[montydog]

Works for me. Lovely filthy guitar sound which is authentically punk, loads of energy, great drums and bass. The weakness is the vocal which sounds like you're singing too low for your natural range. It's not badly sung but I think it could be better.

Enjoyable trip down memory lane to 1977.

M

[pompeyjazz]

Wow Adam. I have just listened to your latest remix and this song is sounding absolutely great. You've managed to retain that punk vibe yet tweaked it production wise. This is sounding good mate 

Cheers

John

[Paulski]

Hi Adam

This has come a long way since its WIP days
I was getting simon and garf - Hazey Shade of Winter somehow - one of my all-time favs.
Don't know much about punk -  but this is (thankfully) more high-brow lyrically for me.
Maybe next time sing in a higher register but you've fixed most of the out-of-breath spots IMO.

This could be another dark horse coming in first place!
Paul