Month: December 2019

Broadjam Artist: William Smith
Song: Teach Me How To Love You

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Robert Dellaposta (Writer, A&R, Publisher)

Pro General Comments: Hi William,I'll do my best to make comments that i hope will be helpful to you. It should be every songwriters goal to say something new, unique, fresh and creative that has not been said before in thousands of songs. Using cliche's and common details and actions will not get you noticed as a creative songwriter. Take more chances and don't fall into the cliche trap that a lot of songwriters can never escape from. Cliches are easy to plug in and they work but in 99% of the time they are not the best line...they simply feel right...using cliche's is the same as plagiarism in my opinion...they are some else's original words...my advice is avoid them at all costs...rhyme is important if you want your listener to remember the words and the music. Compare your rhyme scheme in verse 1 with your rhyme scheme in verse 2...they are totally different...commercial guidelines call for rhyme schemes to match from verse to verse...opening lines set the scene...they should paint a picture in the mind of the listener that let's them know where you are...who you're with and what's going on...form is also important...it should not take you seventeen lines before your listener hears the hook. verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus is a very popular commercial form...i'd prefer a four line verse and a two line pre-chorus over an eight line verse...as a rule of thumb get to the hook quicker...always ask yourself as you're writing "is this a new story or has it all been said in other songs" If your answer is it's all been said before then stop and start over...be as original and creative as you can be. A bridge rarely leads to a third verse in fact most country radio hit songs only have two verses. Bridges usually always lead to the last chorus as in Verse/Chorus/verse/chorus/Bridge/chorus

Quote From Pro: William Smith is blending retro rock and Southern Rock with a Contemporary country lyric to create a hybrid genre that is enjoyable and entertaining.

Broadjam Artist: Hank Thomas
Song: I Ain't That Kind Of Girl

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Elizabeth Elkins (Songwriter)

Pro General Comments: Hi Hank! I do think this feels more modern, in a Carrie Underwood pop country way - it's not a pop song for pop radio though. If you listen to current pop radio it's very minimalistic and driven by hip-hop beats, so this falls more in the Music Row pop sound. My main concern with this song is the mix. The drums and percussion sounds are distracting and loud, and don't "sit" right in the song with the vocals, so the mix feels very karaoke and not natural. That's an easy fix though, just a remix or a different (more Nashville) mixing engineer can solve those issues. I also feel like the singer is yelling at me a bit, which, to be fair, is what Carrie Underwood does, so I think a nicer mix would solve that issue. The lyric feels a bit cliche - I worry that women in Nashville have moved past the "ain't that kind of girl" in to more complex relationship and personal issues. Take a deep dive in recent albums from Carly Pearce, Runaway June and Ashley McBryde for examples - or even The Highwomen. You can still sound traditional but the lyric and melody is a bit more modern. I think this song is fun, and could be a nice addition to a live set for the artist, but you will want to stretch topic wise to get competitive with pitches for current pop country artists. If this is co-written with the singer and she feels that really fits her vibe, you're all good (and that's so important, to capture what the artist wants), but as a pitch I feel this one is a outdated on the lyric.

Quote From Pro: High-energy, in-your-face pop country with a beat to get you dancing and a message to keep your hands off the girl!

Broadjam Artist: Alan Lee Carpenter
Song: Mother Love

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Elizabeth Elkins (Songwriter)

Pro General Comments: What a fascinating take on love - I adore the originality and thought in this lyric. I do think this falls more in the pop world, even if it leans Sade / George Michael / Prince, the melody and production do feel more like pop than R&B. I mean that in an accessible way. Super strong lyric, interesting shift melodically into your chorus (that's the part that reminds me of Sade), and your production value is both modern and a nice nod to the past. This is a song that you should consider pitching to current pop artists in Los Angeles, it is definitely compelling enough. And, as always, there is room for sync pitching on this one. Your voice is so strong, I wish you would consider releasing these songs as an artist, it can only help your exposure and luck with sync for film/tv. I don't love the fade out at the end musically, it seems abrupt. Could just be the chord choices. Lyric really stands out to me as one of your top submissions. This is the one to lead with for sure. It's also in a genre and feel that makes the most of your strong voice and production skills. Stay on this path.

Quote From Pro: An incredibly unique take on love - written with a wink at Prince and Sade, but firmly saddled in the modern pop world. Alan's vocals are stellar, both emotive and ear-pleasing. Give this one a whirl for your sync needs - and pop producers, if you need a good tempo song for your artist, dig in!

Broadjam Artist: Hank Thomas
Song: Tell Mama

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Elizabeth Elkins (Songwriter)

Pro General Comments: I love a history / military song that works on all levels. On first lesson, I didn't realize this was a song from a soldier's perspective. It felt very universal, like a love gone wrong where a man feels the need to disappear. The lyric is really strong and sings great. My main concern is that the production feels a little "predictable" and the Spanish flamenco guitar is a little out of place with the lyric and rest of the vibe, unless you intend this for a Texas country artist. That may be your best bet pitch wise, is somebody like Aaron Watson. It's got that Mexican-California vibe which might alienate Nashville pitches. Overall, I do love your melody, and it's sung in a low-key emotive manner that is a perfect match for the darkness of the song. I encourage you to look to Texas artists for pitches, as well as explore film/tv sync opportunities for this one. I enjoyed listening each time, and believe others will as well. Vocals could sit a little better in the mix (turn down the lead guitar parts some), but otherwise all good as far as the recording.

Quote From Pro: Echoes of Dwight Yoakum and Roy Orbison fill this heartbreaking number about a wounded soldier's isolation and death. Sung with a desperation that sounds almost like a tear, this song borders on a The Mavericks-style country replete with baritone guitar and Spanish inflection.