Great lyric (though I don’t think the drop-off from Church attendance can seriously be entirely equated to the increase in heroin-taking – doesn’t say much about believers if that’s their alternative go-to)! Just two things I don’t like about this – the BVs (I think) in the first choruses sound flat to me (I may be wrong – as you absolutely nail it in the third/fourth, which makes me think you’re doing something clever that I’m never going to be able to hear properly) and the accordion VST (tee hee!) solo is ‘unnecessary’. It kind of sticks out in a way that doesn’t add anything. I was hoping for a psychedelic guitar solo instead. Otherwise I like this a lot. In fact I’m going to listen to it again. Oh yeah, before I forget, I absolutely love the rolling toms ‘bridge’ or whatever you want to call it. That’s Big-Top tops.

I like the story, the rhymes, and the concept. However, I'm not picking up on any psychedelic themes, lyrical or musical. The good news is I ranked you the highest of the songs that I feel failed to meet the challenge. Musically I struggled with it, I found it compelling in places (accordion solo), but ultimately I don't want hear it again tomorrow.

iVeg: All of your songs abruptly start. It's jarring. If you survive this round, please do me a favor and have a 1-2-3-4 stick count in before your song starts, or just do something so it's not so abrupt. The verses begin promising, with interesting language and lyrics, but it doesn't get to the chorus fast enough for me, and when the chorus does come, it's not worth the journey. There are psychedelic references in the lyrics, but none in the music, which doesn't cut it in my book. You edge out Ken simply because you were closer to meeting the challenge.

Ken: The verses plods along in a melancholy way which leaves me kinda low. The chorus is promising at first, and starts to pick me up, but doesn't go anywhere leaving me meh. If there is a nod to the psychedelic challenge here I'm not getting it.

I like the story, the rhymes, and the concept. However, I'm not picking up on any psychedelic themes, lyrical or musical. The good news is I ranked you the highest of the songs that I feel failed to meet the challenge. Musically I struggled with it, I found it compelling in places (accordion solo), but ultimately I don't want hear it again tomorrow.

I definitely made a conscious decision to focus more on crafting what I felt was a solid song than on nailing the challenge. The psychedelic elements (psychedelements) were intended to be the mildly flange-y harpsichord in the verses, some vocal processing in the chorus that didn't really come through at all, and the choir aahs and circle of fifths progression in the post-chorus. I tried to add some swirly effects to the accordion as well but it just sounded ugly so I abandoned that (I think there might be some very light flanger or phaser or something on the solo still). A weak showing challenge-wise, I know.
> I listened all day at work today to the songs on repeat, maybe 5 hours in total.

I take it your "Baked out of my Gourd" verse was at least partially autobiographical then? 🙂

Composition: 8/10
Lyrics: 9/10
Performance: 8/10
Production: 8/10

Creativity bonus: 3
Challenge bonus: 0

I just noticed your voice has similarities to Ian Anderson's (of Jethro Tull). I'd love to hear a Tull style song by you. Odd time signature is cool - you'd have done well in last year's round six. Sadly, the challenge here was "psychedelic", which I don't really hear. Current event challenge was done satisfyingly though. Maybe add some obviously flawed sounding animal noises over a spoken word origin story part? 😉