This track starts out with a banjo and shadowed by what sounds like a mandolin, that reminds me a lot of some of Tom Waits' tunes (never a bad thing). After the vocal's opening tag, the rhythm breaks into a tarentella type of thing that helps define the avant nature of the arrangement.

The vocal is that of cold narative (again with the folk influence of Waits and possibly some John Prine). Though the main instruments are banjo mandolin, this is not a bluegrass song, though it could be if one wanted to juice it up a bit and sing through their nose. I wouldn't recomend it though.

The dobro or lap-steele sounds really good. Doesn't sound like a lot of guessing going on. I hear that so much that it makes this one quite refreshing; a practiced lead part.

The lyrics are haunting but not super-sad. Again, I like the choice of instruments as they naturaly blend well together. The slide as I said was very good, but I might have approached it from a dirty setting if at all possible to get some of the lyrical grit on it. It sounds as if its skirting the composition afraid to get it's knees dirty. As good as it's played, it could sound a litle more in context to the rest of the song. That may be just me hearing the Tom Waits influence and not the usual assortment of clangs and whoops that usually accompany his tracks, I don't know.

Overall, I think this is a super track.

Music: Arrangement-9
Execution-9
Lyrics: Arrangement- 8
Execution- 8
Overall- 8.5
This one goes to the station as well. Thanks.
L

I think this song is close to public domaine. I will not judge the composition as you didn't write it.

The mix is great. The bass carries the song, and the piano sets well in one speaker as a side kick. The brushed drum is classic. he acoustic strums dutifully.

Vocals are crystal clear and right out front, bare and beautifully executed. The dobro provides excellent counter-point, and the two help to make the song sound as if it belonged to you. This is a genre I am very familiar with, and I can tell that you guys know what you're doing. I'm adding this one to my station. Well done.

Music: Execution- 9
Vocals: Execution 10
Overall- 9.5
L

-----------------------------------------
Artist: Michael Hughes
Title: Cold Rain Water
Link: here OR Download
-----------------------------------------

Hows's this for serendipity. Who likes 'post-punk stuff, machine music, jazz, 20th/21th century classical, contemporary acoustic-based music, American roots-oriented stuff, early country, African & Middle Eastern music'? Moreover who bangs on endlessly to anyone who will listen about the magical properties of Waves (and no, not the wet kind)? Such a description could be applied to yours truly but not in this case. Michael Hughes is the man of the hour, a Maine-based acoustic player who has just won the first Critics Corner competition - which is why I am wittering on about it now. Seriously, this track was up against some big time competition, but the votes are what counts.

Anybody who can field and play ukeles, banjos, steel guitars, dobros and endless other fascinating toys is gonna be A-fekkin-OK in my books. I love all manner of stringed instruments especially the kind named above, and more so when they are used in living, breathing country music. That is what Cold Rain Water promises to be on your first listen before it detours into some very interesting nooks and crannies; including some Eastern European strains of mandolin playing. Its easy to see why this won and I am glad that I didn't listen to the tracks beforehand because I would have been seriously biased towards this from the get go.

As such, I've been getting used to it since the competition finished but having said that it hasn't been far away from the start button either. Its not the raucous, yeehaaah fest I was expecting that's for sure; it's a much darker, complex song than the intro leads you to believe. Country fans will either see its instant appeal or they will be so far up their purist asses they couldn't even see daylight. Me, I loved this dour, sparse little track and will no doubt be playing it many more times before the year is out. All I want now is a track from them where they REALLY let rip. Yep, that would be a sight to behold.

MUST HAVE country genius (yep, that word. Listen to the track)

Steve Gilmore

I was fortunate enough to have the job of short-listing for the contest this month. It happened that ‘Cold Rain Water’ was in the group of songs I auditioned. Truthfully, while the contest had a battery of strong entries, this one stood out to me right away. I actually had it pegged as the winner from my first listen, so it didn't really surprise me that a plurality of listeners agreed - it was nearly a no-brainer. Since music is more about emotion than intellect and this track touches a musical nerve.

The appeal of the track is multifaceted, but the most significant one is simply this: it sounds like a folk classic that has been around for a 100 years. If someone had told me that this was originally written by Woody Guthrie I would have had no trouble believing it; I would only have wondered why I hadn’t heard it before.

I always smile when someone says to me, or any songwriter, “Where did that melody come from, because it sounds so familiar?” I smile when I hear it because I know what any good songwriter knows: good melodies are part of a family – therein lies the familiarity! (The etymological link between family and familiar is no accident.) Every good melody is like an old friend; you’re sure you’ve heard it before. And, in point of this note following that note, every melody has its antecedents in a 1000 other tunes. The strong sense of the familiar this tune instills is its strongest virtue and a testimony to the skill of the writer.

Of course, packaging is important. In a track the packaging is first the instrument choices, secondly the performance and finally the production. This sounds like a skiffle track and you can’t get more rustic than that. The sparse furnishings described by the track (…nothing in the house but a red wing blackbird, and old black dog and a picture of you…) are mirrored by the sparse feel of the instrumentation. Equally important, to my ear, in this age of electronica is the obviously authentic instruments. It’s like smelling genuine leather; how could one choose formica over something real? Of course, if the instruments were real and the playing poor: there goes the charm. Not the case here. Michael plays beautifully and soulfully.

The third appeal of the track is the subject matter. This is a lament, but not that egregious variety which creates a corresponding lament in the listener, namely: “Don’t write maudlin crap!” No, this lament has grit in its belly. Meaning, it’s manly, I suppose. (Apologies to the women, but men are better with things morose than women are. Men want to get drunk. Women want to cry. Of course, the guys cry too, once they’re drunk, but no one’s listening by that time.)

So, any way, I really, really like this track and if you who voted for it and liked it for any reasons other than those I’ve mentioned, please feel free to supply the deficiency.

Congratulations, Michael, and thanks so much for creating this track and sharing it.

Blessings,

Cam

Michael Hughes

Cold Rain Water
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6823566
_________________

Genre Acoustic : Acoustic General

Previous Reviews:

None

Summary Opinion

Congratulations to Michael Hughes for winning our first musical competition in the Critics Corner (or at least the first one of which I am aware). A well deserved win I might add. I am surprised that a song in the traditional string band folk-style could win in our open genre competition. However, it pleases me that his has occurred because it confirms my sense (at least here in Soundclick’s Critics Corner) that good musicians are open to any form of music that demonstrates artistry and creativity.

It seems Michael has followed the typical path of us with BA’s in English Lit. Graduate and do some work entirely unrelated to our studies. From Michael’s bio, I see he turned to music for a decade enjoying the life all the while before seeing ‘the writing on the wall’ and turning to teaching High School English. Fortunately, Michael invested the vast wealth he acquired in his teaching profession in developing his home recording studio. Well maybe ‘vast’ is an exaggeration, but it seems the money was put to good use judging from the quality of his recordings. With the advent of modern technology, fine recordings of electronic instruments are easy, but recording acoustic is still a challenge today and a test of skill; a test that Michael passes with high marks.

There is always a danger with a song writer steeped too much in academic considerations of language that the songs may be over-written. As I have said before in other reviews, unlike poetry, songs are best when they feel organic and natural; as if they are thoughtful enough but a bit off the cuff. With ‘Cold Rain Water’, we have about as much as we could hope for in a song. It is simple, natural and feels as if it is conversational, yet it has considerable depth. There is a layer of consistent symbolism that does not call attention to itself, but which has its emotional effect.

It helps that the production, music, instrumentation and vocal are right on the edge of the warm and beautiful. Again, it is a testament to my own feeling from the votes of others who love good music and songwriting.

Production

Michael’s interest ‘in the art & science of making good sounding recordings’ has paid off here, and in general, in the other recordings on his page.

Recordings of electronic instruments are a bit of a cheat because often, especially in the case of midi controlled recordings, the adjustment to the quality of the sounds can be radically applied after the recording. With acoustic instruments, except for some effects handling, we have limitations to what can be done after a track is recorded. If the string instruments, in this case, are not properly miked, the best and warmest sound qualities of a good instrument may never make it into the box. Even then with trying to record the best sound from an acoustic instrument, there is the possibility that the instrument will not sound natural. I think Michael with his appreciation of many types of stringed instruments has learned the techniques of recording them and maintaining their natural timbre and resonance.

The vocal and instrument balance is wonderful in this recording with mild degrees of separation. The limited separation gives the instruments their own place in the stereo spectrum, but allows for the sense of layering to good effect.

Music

There is a beautiful symmetry to the construction of this song, not that much about the chords or melody, but the layering of instruments.

The song opens and closes with the simple banjo pick. The first verse is just banjo and vocal. The first bridge brings in the mandolin and steel string guitar (I am not sure of what is providing the bass that is evident). The 2nd verse has it all combined with the vocal. An electric slide solo adds variation and leads to the 3rd and last verse, ending with the solo banjo. I love the musical construction because of the way it builds and declines.

Content

Ah there is nothing like a song about missing someone. Interestingly, although nothing is stated, we understand that we are dealing with a relationship that has ended causing a permanent separation. The singer (symbolized by the red-winged blackbird) is really struggling with the attempt to forget the lost one although the memory (cold rain water) clings.

The answer I suppose is that it just takes a few things to ‘make it through’ assisted by the warm opposite of cold rain water, whiskey, and also, time ((1) get some sleep, and 2) forget about you.).

This is a well written song with a few simple verses that say a great deal and give some deep insights in such few words. A little bit of perfection.

Lyrics
Cold Rain Water

Sky so dark, and the red-winged blackbird is
sitting on a wire trying to make it through--
bird on the wire in the cold rain water,
cold rain water like a memory of you.

Gotta get out 'cause I need some whiskey,
need some whiskey just to make it through.
There's nothing in the house but a red-winged blackbird,
Cold rain water [amended from old black dog], and a picture of you

Gonna make a list of the things I need--
I'll make a little list 'cause it's what I do.
I'll make a little list, put it down on paper:
1) get some sleep, and 2) forget about you.
_________________
Larry Ludwick