[Unclenny]

Hey folks! here's one that I finished up just last week. I was getting ready to put the old Kalamazoo away when this odd little rhythm thing jumped out. I fired up the studio and tracked it. The next morning I uncased the old Gibson EB3 bass and had some fun with a pretty active bass track....figured that would be it.

Instead, the more I listened while writing lyrics....the more instruments I kept hearing. With nobody around to stop me, electric guitars, piano, organ, strings....even a kick and some congas got tracked. Pretty busy stuff for me.

The lyrics can be seen a couple of ways I guess. Should we be acting like metaphorical angels and handling things better.....or are we really inherently better than this due to some sort of cosmic genetics. Hey...you never know, right? 

Anyway...

Race Of Angels
https://www.soundclick.com/music/songInfo.cfm?songID=14063117

It's not easy living here
Times being what they are
All this anger and all this fear
Has got me thinking about tomorrow
While I worry about today

CHORUS
That's okay
We'll seize the day
'Cause we are a race of angels
And we'll heal the world along the way
There's a price to pay
But we'll find a way
'Cause we are a race of angels

It's not peaceful living here
Folks being who they are
The answers to their questions are not that clear
And that's got me worrying about tomorrow
While I try to change today

CHORUS

INSTRUMENTAL BRIDGE

CHORUS
In our own way
We'll seize the day
We're a race of angels
And we'll save the world
Along the way
If there's a price to pay
That's okay
'Cause it's the price of change
And we're a race of angels

Yeah
It's okay
It's our day
So let's act like a race of angels

[rightly]

I listened to this earlier
I enjoyed the whole production.
Various instruments compliment each other
There’s something strange for me in the melody and I like that. It’s intriguing.
I can’t really get with the optimism. Generally my sentiments regarding the us are
Quite pessimistic but that’s just me and not the song.
Good song. (Song that came afterwards was quite touching).

[Muso1070]

Great track really liking your sound and use of instruments there, quite unique well done.
I may give it another listen for good measure ;-)

[PaulyX]

I thought this was a really interesting track... cool arrangement and unpredictable.  Love the way the bassline meanders and the instruments all take their turn in fairly equal measure.  Your voice is cool, reminds me a little of Sufjan Stevens. If I could have one crit it might be to get the chorus vocal melody hitting some different notes to the verse - reach up a bit more?  It works as is but maybe the chorus could zing a bit more if you reached for some higher notes in there.  Lyrically I thought it was good too and I liked the way the title can be read two ways (at first I pictured angles racing, rather than race as in species).  Nice track!

[Unclenny]

@rightly .....I'm glad that the strangeness appealed to you. I understand your reticence about the optimism. I actually share that in many ways. But I feel like I need to take the side of hope....in my music. Thank you for listening and for listening through to that next tune. 

@Muso1070 ...thank you for that appreciation. Sometimes my stuff needs more than one listen I think to get past my idiocyncracies. 

@PaulyX ...I know what you mean about the chorus......I hear that as well. I am most times guilty of going with what I have when it feels right, even when I know that another take or two might get me to a stronger place. I thought about adding some harmonies in the chorus get there but when I tried I felt like I was forcing things. Thanks for listening critically like that. 

 

[cowparsleyman]

@Unclenny - Love this, not surprised that @rightly and @PaulyX dig this, really like the clarity of the production, super to hear the EB3 again, perfect for the track, don't pack it away...

I agree with Pauly about stepping away from the melody line in the chorus, did think there is a bit of scope for some close mic'd harmonies in the 2nd half.

The only other thing that struck me was the lyrics are a little busy in places, it might benefit from more space in between words...

Hope this helps.

[adamfarr]

Musically  this is nice and interesting - nice contrasts between the instability earlier on and then the organ and e-guitar lines which glue everything together later.

Lyrically, I much preferred the last section when it said "let's act like a race of angels" rather than just saying we were. So I couldn't help thinking there could be more you could do with that idea. Could a more interesting take be "despite everything I still hang on to the belief that we can be a race of angels"? (not sure how you encapsulate that in a musical way, though!)

On a small point, I'd swap out "thinking about" and "worrying about" for something like scared or afraid, "anxious for" or even "pondering" to scan better...

Sorry to be a bit negative on this one, it's just that I think there could be an even more interesting and impactful song here. (I may also just be projecting my personal cynicism, which there's no good reason for you to share, so apologies for that!) 

[Jamie]

@Unclenny
Hi, I really liked this, it has a number of devices that really appeal to me. It makes me think a little of the Biffy Clyro slow acoustic song style, which is a good thing! All elements working nicely together, no nits from me!
Nice one!


Cheers
Jamie

[Unclenny]

So.....I have been posting my songs on one forum or another since I started my Soundclick page in 2007. I have found that it is not easy to get serious well considered and well meaning critiques from folks who so obviously know the importance of those critiques to a self recording songwriter. This is....refreshing. 

@cowparsleyman .....I actually generally have way too much lyrical space in my songs. These lyrics pretty much flowed from the musics as a scratch track and there was something about the busy-ness of them that stuck with me even after all of the subsequent recording of instruments. yeah...harmonies.....I tried but could not get to smiling when I was doing them. 

@adamfarr ....nothing negative about your comments. The one thing that did strike me toward the end was the repetition of the "race of angels" refrain. Listening now I am seeing just what you mean.

@Jamie ....had to google Biffy Clyro. Interesting comparison....I dig it!

Thanks to all for listening and commenting.

 

[cowparsleyman]

@Unclenny - To me Biffy Clyro sounds like an anagram, or a rare human condition

[Unclenny]

@Unclenny - To me Biffy Clyro sounds like an anagram, or a rare human condition

 

They are actually a Scottish three piece rock outfit with a seriously cool and dynamic persona.

[MonnoDB]

I listened to this a few days ago @Unclenny .. on my return to it, the bass really stood out for me.. fab..

It’s a lovely mix - everything exposed beautifully.. in its own space - it’s quite intricate yet simple if that makes any sense? Love the keys and how they come in. (these words might sound familiar to you  )

Re the lyrics - I really like the running theme using today / tomorrow and I really like that first verse.. I find myself agreeing with @adamfarr (not surprisingly).. very interesting lyrics..

A hit for me Steve ! Again not surprisingly

K

[Unclenny]

Hey Karen @MonnoDB ....I'm glad you like this one. Thanks for the comment about the bass.....I really enjoyed playing that part.

Thanks for checking this one out and for your kind words.

I hope you are micing up your acoustic piano for something new.

Steve

[pompeyjazz]

Hi @Unclenny Enjoyed this because of it's unconventional feel. Some very interesting rhythms going down and great choice of instrumentation. 

[Unclenny]

Thanks for that appreciation @pompeyjazz . Unconventional tends to be what I got most times. Gotta play to your strength, right?