Blossoms: Perfect Me
Comments
[Edit broke the video embedding, so I've just put a placeholder image here instead]
I actually quite liked that. By comparison with some of the other utter crap I hear these days it's really good. Even if it was a piss take it would be less of a piss take than some other songs I've heard that are deadly serious. In the video they are clearly juxtaposing early to mid 70s attire with modern living and tech, and their overall sound goes hand in hand with this vibe. I think they have just decided to create what amounts to a catchy song using a minimalist approach vs an overly complex song that ends up sounding like a dirge.
Loved it!
Edit broke the link Bill ;) I'll put it here instead.
I rather like it, very catchy & fun. Resuscitation technique is poor though B)
I rather like it, very catchy & fun. Resuscitation technique is poor though B)
Not really liked anything theyve done previously but this is a brilliant song.
I'm in this boat too...enjoyed the vid...but where's Rick Astley?lustycourtier said:Not really liked anything theyve done previously but this is a brilliant song.
That was rather good.
I like the overall sound, but find it too monotonous to be catchy. Ain't no good for whistlin'!
I thought it was quite good.
Don't know what I was expecting, it's not exactly just one note.
Sometimes having something fairly constant while everything else works round it can be good. Like playing the same guitar lick multiple times (Freebird!), or just the same scale, over changing chords.
It can actually sound more interesting than everything changing together, like changing scales to fit the chords.
You hear people talking about knowing what scale to play over what chord, picking out notes in that chord etc., but in rock music anyway it's usually just one, or maybe a couple, of scales throughout a song. It's just the chords changing that makes it seem more interesting.
I remember when me and a few mates were jamming we had a tune where there was a dramatic change in structure at the end and we were trying to figure out how the lead guitar part would change there. We played it through and I was like yes that's the one! When I asked what my mate had done he said I just stayed on the same scale.
Sounded much more powerful and cool than changing, to us anyway.
Don't know what I was expecting, it's not exactly just one note.
Sometimes having something fairly constant while everything else works round it can be good. Like playing the same guitar lick multiple times (Freebird!), or just the same scale, over changing chords.
It can actually sound more interesting than everything changing together, like changing scales to fit the chords.
You hear people talking about knowing what scale to play over what chord, picking out notes in that chord etc., but in rock music anyway it's usually just one, or maybe a couple, of scales throughout a song. It's just the chords changing that makes it seem more interesting.
I remember when me and a few mates were jamming we had a tune where there was a dramatic change in structure at the end and we were trying to figure out how the lead guitar part would change there. We played it through and I was like yes that's the one! When I asked what my mate had done he said I just stayed on the same scale.
Sounded much more powerful and cool than changing, to us anyway.
Anyone know if there's a term for that?
Do you mean one sustained (drone) note while chords or other single notes change around it it?
"Pedal Point".
https://www.kingsdownschool.co.uk/images/documents/KO_Music_-_Glossary.pdf
I don't know anything about them but I put it on whilst I was loading the dishwasher and it seemed jolly enough, like an Icelandic Eurovision entry.
BillDL said:Do you mean one sustained (drone) note while chords or other single notes change around it it?"Pedal Point".https://www.kingsdownschool.co.uk/images/documents/KO_Music_-_Glossary.pdf
I suppose a drone does this, but not everything that does this is a drone?
Thanks, will check that out later, as I'm expecting company any minute.
Just having a quick Google and came up with "ostinato".
That's maybes something similar to what I mean.
Not exactly though.
Not so much the chords repeating, like the streets have no name etc, and the "lead" parts changing, but actually the opposite of that. Like in OPs tune.
Very much like the end of freebird where they repeat licks, which might be boring on it's own but because the chords are changing underneath it sounds cool.
That's maybes something similar to what I mean.
Not exactly though.
Not so much the chords repeating, like the streets have no name etc, and the "lead" parts changing, but actually the opposite of that. Like in OPs tune.
Very much like the end of freebird where they repeat licks, which might be boring on it's own but because the chords are changing underneath it sounds cool.
There are loads of really cool examples of that. Repetition is an amazing part of music because it can often feel so different even though it's exactly the same.
This, however, is (in the verse, with the exception of the little uplift at the end of some lines, and in the chorus) one repeating note. Take that in isolation as a vocal melody and hum it to yourself. I'm aware of one-note solos in blues music, repeating the note with varying inflections and rhythm, and they can be quite brilliant, but can anyone offer another song where the vocal melody is so rigidly single-note?
This, however, is (in the verse, with the exception of the little uplift at the end of some lines, and in the chorus) one repeating note. Take that in isolation as a vocal melody and hum it to yourself. I'm aware of one-note solos in blues music, repeating the note with varying inflections and rhythm, and they can be quite brilliant, but can anyone offer another song where the vocal melody is so rigidly single-note?
I quite like it, the transition from 1st chorus to 2nd verse is a bit monotonous, but I think otherwise they do a good job of keeping interest with production and other little harmonic / melodic snippets.
And as for other one-word melody examples, almost ever rap song of the last 40 years…..
And as for other one-word melody examples, almost ever rap song of the last 40 years…..
This is close enough for a mention:sinbaadi said:...but can anyone offer another song where the vocal melody is so rigidly single-note?
sinbaadi said:There are loads of really cool examples of that. Repetition is an amazing part of music because it can often feel so different even though it's exactly the same.
This, however, is (in the verse, with the exception of the little uplift at the end of some lines, and in the chorus) one repeating note. Take that in isolation as a vocal melody and hum it to yourself. I'm aware of one-note solos in blues music, repeating the note with varying inflections and rhythm, and they can be quite brilliant, but can anyone offer another song where the vocal melody is so rigidly single-note?
As so often is the case David Bennett beat us to it:
I don't understand @sinbaadi...... see what they can get away with? A one note melody in the verse and a one note melody in the chorus may indicate they're taking the p*ss?
Musical complexity isn't any indication of quality - often quite the opposite..... the appeal of a song or piece of music isn't a result of the degree of technical proficiency it takes to play it......
I think we'd all agree that the appeal of any piece of music is largely subjective. But we do know that pop music is it intended to appeal to the masses - so broadly speaking a simpler melody is likely more memorable.... pop is inclusive, it welcomes all - it isn't intended to challenge or leave you stroking your chin and pondering the use of a suspended 7th or modal scale......
It's not my cup of tea personally but I'd take it over the purposely complex noodling of your Dream Theatres of the world - there is as place for that and its not Radio 1
Musical complexity isn't any indication of quality - often quite the opposite..... the appeal of a song or piece of music isn't a result of the degree of technical proficiency it takes to play it......
I think we'd all agree that the appeal of any piece of music is largely subjective. But we do know that pop music is it intended to appeal to the masses - so broadly speaking a simpler melody is likely more memorable.... pop is inclusive, it welcomes all - it isn't intended to challenge or leave you stroking your chin and pondering the use of a suspended 7th or modal scale......
It's not my cup of tea personally but I'd take it over the purposely complex noodling of your Dream Theatres of the world - there is as place for that and its not Radio 1
It seems like you do understand but disagree? Fair enough!
My point is, much like with the The Killers example, they obviously know that this is a single note melody when they are writing it.
I am a bitter cynic, perhaps, but I find this so monotonous and lacking in melody, it's not an easy listen. Maybe they hear a different thing but this is supposed to be pop music.
I can only hypothesise what decisions and choices led them to these "tunes" for verse and chorus. One of those hypotheses is that one of the writers is a different kind of cynic, and what better way to mock Popular music than by getting a song in to the charts with no tune?
Or maybe they just didn't have any good ideas but knocked one out anyway.... Probably that.
My point is, much like with the The Killers example, they obviously know that this is a single note melody when they are writing it.
I am a bitter cynic, perhaps, but I find this so monotonous and lacking in melody, it's not an easy listen. Maybe they hear a different thing but this is supposed to be pop music.
I can only hypothesise what decisions and choices led them to these "tunes" for verse and chorus. One of those hypotheses is that one of the writers is a different kind of cynic, and what better way to mock Popular music than by getting a song in to the charts with no tune?
Or maybe they just didn't have any good ideas but knocked one out anyway.... Probably that.
Yeah - that definitely seems like a strong possibility doesn't it lolsinbaadi said:
Or maybe they just didn't have any good ideas but knocked one out anyway.... Probably that.
I wouldn't argue with monotonous either - but my point is complexity doesn't equate to quality. Music isn't better or of more value because it has more notes.
Da Da Da ;)
You’re talking like it’s a failure somehow when in reality it’s by design. It is an idea, not a lack of an idea. If you don’t like it, that’s fine, but it’s not a bad song on the basis that it uses one note.
The Killers one (because I’ve heard it more times) is very good at raising tension and then when a melody kicks in there is a sense of relief and the thing zooms off. In my last band we used to cover Too Much Pressure by The Selecter which my wife hated because it’s so repetitive (although has more than one note) but, for me, it was a similar thing where it becomes like someone poking you in the ribs then phew they stop.sinbaadi said:It seems like you do understand but disagree? Fair enough!
My point is, much like with the The Killers example, they obviously know that this is a single note melody when they are writing it.
I am a bitter cynic, perhaps, but I find this so monotonous and lacking in melody, it's not an easy listen. Maybe they hear a different thing but this is supposed to be pop music.
I can only hypothesise what decisions and choices led them to these "tunes" for verse and chorus. One of those hypotheses is that one of the writers is a different kind of cynic, and what better way to mock Popular music than by getting a song in to the charts with no tune?
Or maybe they just didn't have any good ideas but knocked one out anyway.... Probably that.
As a technique probably not something you should over do but everything has a place.
Agreed that more complexity doesn't mean better.
I'm also not arguing that isn't by design. A monotone rhythm is in many ways safer and easier on the ears than an unpleasant, predictable or derivative tune, and I can imagine pop song writing is a minefield of plagiarism.
However a repeating single note is objectively less pleasing as a melody, and it's a decision to put such an unmelodic tune in both verse and chorus of a pop song.
I'm also not arguing that isn't by design. A monotone rhythm is in many ways safer and easier on the ears than an unpleasant, predictable or derivative tune, and I can imagine pop song writing is a minefield of plagiarism.
However a repeating single note is objectively less pleasing as a melody, and it's a decision to put such an unmelodic tune in both verse and chorus of a pop song.
One-note chorus melody.
Not unheard of, but is this a pisstake song? Are they seeing what they can get away with?
Discuss.