Broadjam Artist: Maxim Senin
Song: Old Shoebox
Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Mitch Goldfarb (Producer)
Pro General Comments: Great Intro. I love the musical line. It has an appealing euro-ethnic quality. Tempo is perfect. You captured a great toe-tapping groove.The sonics & recording are really good. There's a balance of highs & lows. The instruments are crystal clear. The sound of the acoustic guitars, the percussion, the band, and the lead instruments fit like a glove, focusing the listener on the vocals. You've captured the Knopfler quality--just right for storytelling. Your vocals make the track!The first verse pulls the listener in with its stripped down intimate feel. Try holding off on the fills and have the violin's entrance around the turn (My heart sank to the stomach). Let the track build slower. Don't be in a rush to give away all your fun musical flavors right away.The band entrance is in the correct place to build the excitement. Again, try holding off on all the fills. Let the listener enjoy the band establishing itself. Great use of the snare drum to amp up the beat. It adds real character to the track.In general, the fills (the violin, the flute, and the guitar licks) need to be mixed in a way that directs the listener. Instead of going gangbusters, I suggest picking one element at a time and allow that instrument to speak and establish itself in the holes around the vocal statements. Then switch to another instrument and do the same. At times, there is too much to focus on. All the instruments seem to be vying for the same space. Most people can process up to three ideas, but give them a forth and it all goes out the window. Plus, be careful not to let the fills obfuscate your hook line, which is great. This is a good example of where "less is more." By the way, I love your choices of the fill instruments. The colors are perfect for this song.The melody in your Pre-Chorus is a wonderful lift. The Chorus is very good too. The lyrics are just right. The vocal double gives the hook character without going overboard. I love the beat change in the Chorus. It makes it stand out as special. Nice job!The Breakdown Verse after the Solo is perfect. This creates the rollercoaster of ups and downs for the listener, and gives you an opportunity to build the track again. Well done!All the performances are very good. The track keeps chugging right along.The song feels too long. You have two Solos and a one-minute tag. By time we are at the Tag, the listener has heard everything. More licks do not make it better. If the listener isn't sold on the track by the Tag, something is wrong, which is not the case here. I suggest that you focus your creativity on leaving the listener "wanting to hear more" and not satiating them. This way they will play the song again, and again, and hopefully again. Consider dropping one of the Solos, or at least cutting them in half. Fade out much earlier. Play with getting the track down to 3:30 or even just over 3 minutes. You can always save an extended version to use elsewhere. I often create several versions of a key track to give the record company options for marketing.In addition, the Solos and the Tag needs to be focused in the mix. Direct the listener. Actively choose which instrument and which statement you want the listener to hear. Use the best licks and forget the rest. You can even create a call and response theme with trading licks back and forth, giving one part to the violin, then the next to the guitar or flute. Be careful not to have all the lead instruments speak at the same time. If you are going to cut the Solos in half, I suggest using only one instrument to make the statements in that section.One last note, consider changing the title to something more poetic, like The Only One. Even "Shoebox" would be easier for the listener to remember. The lyrics "Old Shoebox" are not in the song, only Shoebox.I've very impressed with your growth as an artist. You are bringing a maturity to your expression.Congrats on your son--a wonderful life changing experience!
Quote From Pro: "Old Shoebox" is a winner. This upbeat track focuses playfully on the age-old story of "what do you tell the new live-in girlfriend about the ex-girlfriend." If that's not enough, Maxim Senin takes the back peddling for an explanation to an art form when what tipped off the new lover is a box of old photographs, only the photos are from years of ex-girlfriends. Just try getting out of that jam with a smile and a song.