[PaulyX]

Hola!
Would be grateful for some feedback on this track, the next one we've got around to (almost) finishing for the Elastic Justice album.  This one is envisaged as an album opener.  Mixing final tweaks still need to be done, so any comments on the mix as well as the song & delivery itself are verrrry welcome. 

You guys gave great feedback on the last Elastic Justice one I posted ("Ram Raid...") which was invaluable in the final mix so thanks for that. (That is also posted on the Elastic Justice soundcloud site now, if anyone wants to hear the final forum-informed version).

Lyrically, "Lovely..." is about feeling washed up, but finding solace in something or someone special.  (You can insert your partner / guitar / dog / drug-of-choice / favourite LP etc into that category... whatever picks you up).

Thanks as ever - Pauly

LOVELY TO MEET YOU

VERSE 1
I should have caught a ferry to anywhere
Any port in a sh*t-storm
Should have gone north, when it was all going south
Thrown my passport overboard

PRECHORUS 1
I thought I'd had my chance and I thought I'd missed it
But I didn't count on you showing up like a shotgun to a hostage

CHORUS
And so now, now where I seem to be
Is not where I planned to be, there's not much to do
I, I get knocked down again
But when I come round again, it's lovely to meet you

VERSE 2
You could be a vegan, Buddhist, conscientious objector
But sometimes the world still needs a slap
I should have hot-wired daddy's snow plough
Packed a six-pack and an axe
Built a cabin in the woods to start again from scratch

PRECHORUS 2
I thought I'd missed my chance to slip under the wire
But I didn't count on you showing up like matches to a bonfire

CHORUS 2

PRECHORUS 3
I thought I'd found my place in the fossil record
But I didn't count on you showing up like Vegas in the desert

CHORUS 3+


https://soundcloud.com/elastic-justice/lovely-to-meet-you

[Darren1664]

I can't offer any advice on improvements for this Pauly. It's a solid and really enjoyable track!

Really well produced and excellent delivery all around. All the instruments had there moments and vocal superb as usual! I especially loved the guitars >.<

If I had to give one slice of feedback it would be to say that I don't see this as an album opener...more of a later track for me....but that just me, no real reason it can't be

Look forward to the album release

Darren

[Skub]

Yo Pauly.

I noticed a reference to the Small Faces in your sig. This is a good starting point when listening to your music. Heavy 60s influences,though I get the feeling you are way younger than that generation.

I suppose there is the BritPop thang,but for my money this is closer to the original feel than the likes of Blur envoke. I was there so...well I may not know! 

Instant pop fantasticness encapsulating that classic 60s song with added 80s synth and tricksy Ray Davies wordscraftery,covered by David Bowie and XTC riffs mixed in for seasoning.

This is the best 60s song the 80s never had. I'm blown away. 

[pompeyjazz]

Pauly. This is nearly perfect in all ways and an absolutey stunning album opener. It's got drive,  it's got attitude, it's got every thing apart from being able to hear your exceptional lyrics. So my only advice is turn up the vocs  It needs to be done, seriously.  An exceptional song in my umble opinion

[shadowfax]

A great song..it's got everything 'cept a vocal..where is it? buried somewhere in the mix it seems...as pompey says..turn it up mate, ( or turn the backing track down) we wanna hear it!!!

[PaulAds]

A fantastic song to open what I’d be willing to bet will be a fantastic album. Couple of mixing tweaks...more vocals - as has been said - and I thought the tambourine was a little bit too loud - though I love a bit of tambourine!

Super sound...quite hi-fi and modern-sounding...great playing, fine, intelligent lyrics and an all-round belter.

It is quite Brit-pop-sounding to me...and the chorus did remind me of Pulp’s brilliant “do you remember the first time” a tiny bit...but it’s a great listen and another winner from the band.

[2tuoo]

The song is great!
the performance is superb.

IN the mixing part - I feel as if the high end is gated. It feels like there was a ton of higher frequencies in the unprocessed sound but it was EQed out of the song

[Yodasdad]

Well my only bit of constructive criticism has already been said...bring the vocals up in the mix. I'm glad though coz I was thinking my ears were still jot right.

Great track Pauly with so much going on. Not sure why but it reminds me a bit of Supergrass, with a hint of Bruno Mars I think I want to marry you in the melody.

Loads of different elements woaven together nicely to make a powerful and energetic track.

Nice one.

Yodasdad

[redrhodie]

Great upbeat song. I really needed that right now. You made me forget my troubles for 4 minutes and counting. Love it as your album opener. It's fun and optimistic.

[Neil C]

Paulyx,
Top sound. Energetic power bit pop.
Like the little bits of detail. Vox up please.
And massed chorus backing vocals on the main part of the chorus please.
I'm hearing Gene in ther too.
Neat one.
 
Neil

[Mikey]

Great track, real 80's pop sound to it, I thought the chorus was great and the lines with harmonies at the end worked really well.

great job, Mikey

[Silver Machine]

Hey man this is damn good. The layered instrumentation is a joy to hear , every gap is plugged to perfection, it's a feast. It's like you studied every second and invited tenders for each.
So yeah monstrously catchy and sung in an conspiratorial, cheeky, nudge nudge kind of way.

If you want my personal crit, I gotta say the vocal sounded slightly weak. It sounded like a sketch, a guide vocal for the musicians,  lacking the confidence of a  real take.

Regarding your comments on  my Big Larry song. If I've gotta defend my own music, I would have to say (re your song) Ive heard all this before and name a slew of old bands that this sounds like.
That don't mean I can't appreciate this and the fine art of recycling the past, because I do.
I just want some form of originality, and if people aint got a clue whats going on in what I do, then they aint looking hard enough.

[adamfarr]

Hi Pauly - interesting lyrics and great band sound. I think maybe a rethink around the vocals could add something - I'm not sure it's just a volume thing: I missed some of the anticipated welly. The prechorus in particular sounded a bit tame - wondered if some additional voices there could fill it out. In the chorus you seem more at home, but would probably also go for more of a gang feel behind it.

Sorry to be a bit down, I liked the song a lot, but thought the vocal arrangements didn't quite live up to the impact that it could have had...

[PaulyX]

Apologies for bumping a song back from page 2 (I'll bump myself back down in a minute...) but I wanted to say thanks for the forum feedback on this, as it was directly used in a remix my bandmate did (which has now replaced the earlier version on Soundcloud).   This is why this forum is gold dust to us.

@Darren  - thanks so much mate.  Had it down as an album opener mostly on account of the title!  But will think about it.
@Skub - well, you pretty much listed my musical heroes there, so I was smiles all round at that.
@Pompey, @Shadowfax, @PaulAds & @Yodasdad - you were spot on about the vocal being too quiet, hopefully fixed in the new mix.  A good example of how your ears can lose objectivity when you know a song too well.  Massive thanks for calling that out.
@ 2tuoo - our mixing pixie was totally impressed that you could tell it was a little over-gated in the high ends.  He says he wants your ears.
@ Redrhodie - mission accomplished if it cheered someone up for 4 minutes.  Hope things are better now.
@ Neil C - very good call on the backing vocals.  We added more to the last 2 choruses now.
@ Mikey - much appreciated!
@ Silver Machine - thanks dude.  I like the idea of writing a song by tender exercise!  Maybe we should try that across the forum some time.  For sure, the song’s derivative of other bands - partly that’s because the Kinks etc are hard wired in my head, but also because, at the minute, we’re trying to write the ‘instant & accessible’ tracks on the album.  There’ll be others that are less so (working on one in 11/4 time signature at the minute).  By the way, I’m sorry if I seemed down on “Larry”, I was trying to say I did like it in the end, but it took some time, for the reasons Adam eloquently summarised on your thread.  Keep the weird coming though man...
@ Adam - very fair point on the vocals lacking welly.  I think this is one constraint of recording in your bedroom with a baby living next door; can’t always let loose!

OK, time for some reviews. Thanks again.

[moraamarolaloba]

Hola Pauly!
Your post is full of... everything, hope, ends, starts, like a wheel, like the Life. I enjoyed the lyrics and the voice(s).
Going against the tide always sow doubts, and that's great, the doubts are the fingers that make us rummage inside us to find... us.
The sense of humor that has the terrible is a great float. See you arriba o abajo. Mora