Just wanted...
 

an opinion on a cover of volcano I did live about a year and a half ago. Its on my band website at http://www.myspace.com/ennuiofthefaith. The other songs on there are pretty badly recorded but we are about to come out with our first demo done in a professional studio in september, so if you like the crappy recorded stuff, I'm sure you will love the new stuff we will put up. Anyway just wanted good honest feedback from fellow lovers of real music.

Keep the real music alive.
Isaac

You seriously need to work on your strum pattern, and not just for this song, but in general...
The vocals were ok though...

Your version stirs up a different set of emotions for me than Damien's. When I hear Damien's, I want to work out, run on my treadmill...
When I heard your cover, I wanted to...I don't know...critique!

Yes the rhythm is different, But it is still in correct and in 4\4 time signature. It was not supposed to be just like damien rice's version, it was my own take on it. But the rhythm was still on. But really thank you for your honest opinion, its hard to come by those these days.

Actually, I both agree and disagree with audity,

I'd say your vocals were the worst part. The inconsistent slide work in "Lady" (Really nice harmonica though) was much more distracting than the too hard, shrieky sounding upstrums in the guitar of "Volcano" (rhythm is but one aspect of good strumming).

When you sang about kissing her mouth and back I thought "unless it's a peck I just don't buy it." There's no hint of true lust anywhere in your squeaky-clean delivery and it's way too clipped to sound convincing. Also the part where you sang "what I give to you is just what I'm going through" was so goofy and yodel-like that it made me laugh.

The girl had a nice, sultry voice but even she was forced to rush and basically your version tries to take all of the sex out of the song. That song needs to ooze in a smokey way like hot lava (it is called "Volcano" after all) and I agree w/audity that the snappy tempo doesn't allow for that. I just kept thinking "slow down! What the Hell's your hurry?"

That was probably way more honesty than you hoped for. :director:

P.S.

Musically, your other two songs were really quite surprising and well done (great drumming and strings) but for a guy who claims to strive for good lyrics, those were remarkably generic and Hallmark card-ish in both cliche and over-sentimentality. :sleepy2:

By the way, "Ennui of the Faith" is a terrible name for any band other than a Death Metal outfit, but especially so for a Christian Rock/inspirational band like yours. You do know that the definition of "ennui" is extreme dislike or boredom, right? :oops:

i don't know. somehow you made that song sound average. there's nothing special anymore to it. took all the great volcano spirit out off it. :smiley6:

Yeah "lady" was put down in a hurry, so the slide work wasn't so good. and lyrically the songs that are on the demo coming out in september are better, but the key word is "striving", I know we haven't reached our peak in song writing, we are still learning and growing. Which is what its all about when you are trying to find you're own voice. The strumming aspect is still a matter of opinion and I still like it the way it was done. and I know that there are more aspects to strumming than just rhythm, thats just what I thought audity was reffering too. I agree that the song was a little rushed, which a year and a half ago I was still a little nervous about being onstage. And I do disagree with the kissing her mouth part, I thought I sang that with plenty of passion(you have been thrown by mislabling us as a "christian rock band") Yes we did know what the word ennui means. The name is supposed to refer to those of us of the faith, who are weary of the world around us. But Thank you for your honest opinions because we know that will only help us in our growing process. Blunt honesty is definately what we need these days.

Since the songs were old, I hope your new stuff is better...

I will agree with Spamlet in saying that there was not enough lust/passion in 'Volcano'...I will agree with Spamlet and myself by saying that you rushed through it...

Is Ennui of the Faith really your band name? I thought it was a joke.

Anyway, thanks for dealing with our criticism so well and I hope you guys improve!

Good luck.

with criticisms like that from spamlet im dreadin when i put my stuff up on this forum!! :o

Have no fear, Timacious G!

I'm sure your songwriting is lovely. :icon_kidr

The truth is genuine emotion overrides less than stellar technique anyday in my book. It's only when both are missing that I focus on the nitpicking because one can be developed/practiced but true artistic talent (which I once heard defined as the willingness of a soul to reveal itself fully to the outside world) cannot.

Bottom line is if it really moves me then everything else is minor.

Thats a hefty claim to make...telling someone they don't have genuine emotion in songs that they themselves have written. Just cause you're not able to hear it doesn't mean its not there. Of course I'm not here to pick a fight, I asked for your honest opinion, and I got it.

Herb,

First of all, I didn't say any of that to you. I was addressing my homeslice, the splendiferous Timmy, and his concerns! :hello:

Besides which, when I say "genuine emotion" I mean 'genuine' in the sense of purity. I mean 100%. I mean the kind of emotional truth that can absolutely be heard and felt by everyone. It blows you away. It's not even a question of taste. You don't even have to like the person's music but when you hear somebody who's risking everything and hiding nothing that's something which can't be ignored. It's unforgettable. It haunts you.

It's not just singing with feeling, most all decent to very good singers do that. But most of them are at a 6, a 7 or only occasionally an 8. They don't make you gasp or almost want to cry. When I say "genuine emotion" I'm talking about about a singer who is holding nothing back. Artists like that are extremey rare and everybody knows it instantly when they hear it.

Can you honestly say you gave every fiber of your being into singing these 4 tracks? Would you choose any of these vocals as your best takes if you'd been in the studio? Would you listen to them and say "WOW! That's the best singing I've ever done in my entire life!!!"? I honestly don't believe that you would.

If you had truly laid your soul bare then I assure you the 3 people who responded here would have heard that. Even if you'd been at an 8 we'd have been impressed. Most of the time you were at a 6 with maybe a few moments a 7. The comments you received were that "your vocals were ok", "not enough passion" 2) that you made the song sound "average", "nothing special", "took the great spirit out of it" and 3) mine which were even less complimentary. Your responses each time were defensive and full of excuses. If you ask for honest criticism and then get upset it usually means the critic has touched a nerve and that you already realize it wasn't your best work. No one likes to admit that, which is human nature.

We have nothing against you personally and therefore have no reason to lie to you. I mean come on: we're fans of Damien Rice, one of the few singers of our time who sings his songs with the emotional intensity of a 10.

You said "Just cause you're not able to hear it doesn't mean its not there." This is where you're crucially mistaken. It's your job to try to make me feel what you're feeling. I don't doubt you felt something but it's got to mean so much to you that you believe you will die without it. If you need it that bad that you honestly can't live without it then we'll feel it too. That's what I mean by passion.

That doesn't necessarily mean you aren't capable of it only that in these instances you didn't exhibit it. But remember that I'm talking about emotion at its highest level. When a singer is pouring their guts out it's undeniable. It sends chills down your spine.

Not talking about screaming either: it can be just barely whispered. Complete vulnerability. Check out a song like "A Little More" or "Ol' Grey Dog" (all hastily self-recorded, btw) by the phenomenal young lady in my signature's link for an example of that.


P.S. Your explanation of the band name still doesn't make sense to me. "Ennui of the Faith" doesn't convey at all people of the faith being weary of the world around them since there's no mention of the world in your name. Why not just call yourselves something like "The World Weary Faithful"? Or even "The Ennui of the Faithful" would get your point across that it isn't faith itself that you're weary of.

i can't believe you address someone as herb!! not to mention homeslice :smiley36:

ehem reminds me of the fast food giants

i actually can't wait for to send my stuff up when i get the chance. i'd like to believe I give my music passion, and if i don't then i'll scrap it and walk out the room.

i used to hate it when a man recorded me when i was young in his pro studio and emphasised the importance of clarity in your tone and perfecting Every syllable - just so some deaf sixty year old can hear what im saying

i think back to "what a load of bullshít". :rolleyes:
ironic that he's givin me advice on buying recording equipment next tuesday!!

CONDENSER!
CONDENSER!
CONDENSER!

are you up in those clouds again?

have you been into the grillo again? :smiley2:

hang on, let me grab a glass and i'll be right over..

So, I'm a new guy here, but I must say that I totally see Spamlet's ideas of purity and passion in his post. I don't want to be too verbose, but I loved the words you said, and I really feel that in Damien's music. Not to say I don't feel emotion in this guy's stuff, it's just that the comment hit me....that's all. :icon_smur :icon_smur SMURFDOM!!