:!: :!: :!: :!: Soul brigade is tearing down the walls.

excellent vocal performance, good song that doesn't really put a foot wrong. Erm, fade-out at the end is a bit long? GOTTA CRITICISE SOMETHING. The breakdown / handclap bit is the best bit.

In the context of this fight, I very much appreciate how you've avoided the pitfalls that so many competitors have fallen into regarding lyrical content. +5 (arbitrary) points for that. The music is undeniably sunny in a 70s soft rock way, and has a charactieristically smooth sound. I feel like the fade-out comes too early, but when there are 19 other songs to listen to I feel like you're doing this for our benefit, so thank you. Nice song with growing power. I almost ranked it above Lunkhead but I just felt the extra exuberance in that song earned it one more point.

Perfect singing. Love the bass. Took me a couple listens to accept that the lyrics make sense... a little tenuous, but I'll allow it. Execution A+, concept: B+, hooks: A-

A very enjoyable retro vibe that's reminiscent of Delaney and Bonnie. However, I feel the bpm should be a couple of notches higher, as that would give it more of a Motown/Northern Soul feel. The ending feels like a missed opportunity. It's crying out for a repeated belted chorus during the fade out. As it is, the ending is just a bit flat. Some of the lines do feel like placeholders as well, especially in the pre-chorus.

My favorite of the round by far. Just absolutely nailing the small-ensemble soul band vibe. That bass-and-handclaps breakdown is a perfect arrangement/production moment. I guess the only two nitpicks I have are that it fades out a little too soon (though that is in keeping with the genre) and I think the rhyme of "relentless"/"eventless" is a little forced. Even so, what an awesome highlight.

Great production, arrangement, and performance, this is probably the strongest entry of the round as far as overall polish. The "december"/"remember" rhyme and overall vibe kind of make me think of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Really enjoyed the groove and swagger of the music, especially those rhythm guitars and backing vocal accents. The breakdown and buildup work really well. This stands out from the pack in terms of genre and general sound. The lyrics felt a bit too vague for me, but they flow well with the music.

really great music, and the singing is excellent as always! I especially love the lead and backing vox on “twists and turns.” In fact, the backing vocals are a real highlight. My favorite part is when the instruments drop out and it’s just bass and vox - the vocals shine, and HOO that BASS! What a great performance! I will say, the real weak point of this song is the lyrics. They feel very… canned. Generic words vaguely related to the idea of a love song. The title isn’t even shoehorned well; It’s an afterthought in the first verse. I guess it doesn’t matter too much, cause with the great music, the lyrics fade into the background, but it feels like a missed opportunity.