Suburbian Child (An Original Tune)

[propman]

Hey, guys. Once again, it's been ages since I've posted any new music. Why? Because it's been ages since I've written any. This particular track was written in pieces; the oldest of which is certainly over a year old. I'm really proud of the way it turned out and I hope you guys like it too. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated.

[MP3]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/65316259/Suburbian%20Child.mp3[/MP3]

Direct download link:

Lyrics:
All I want is the life of a normal suburbian child
takin' out the garbage and ridin' a bicycle home
before I amble on in

All I want is the life of a normal suburbian child
Soapin' the earth off as hands motion closer to bed
Then play a game until they get there

but its becoming impossible as time advances

Now the CD store at the edge of town is closing its doors
and it's possibly the last one

All I want is the life of a normal suburbian child
Walkin' a dog as the hydrant spills out in the street
Aglow with amber again

All I want is the life of a normal suburbian child
Leavin' the lake as symphonic cicadas allay
Along the bleary-eyed horizon

but its becoming impossible as time advances

Now the CD store at the edge of town is closing its doors
and it's possibly the last one

And where did all the arcades go?

 

[rayc]

Sound lovely Adam.
have you replaced your laptop?
My only concern is the word "suburbian".
I can't tell if it's an ironic play on suburban or a new derivative or a mistake.
The feel is late Beatlesque.
Whistful, melodic, melancholic and a bundle of little elements like the backwards guitar licks, the loud snare and shaker thingo really take this to other places.
Lyrically you paint a very nostaligic picture for someone of your years but the image is well done, the language subtly emotive without any cloying sentimentality and just plain terrific.
When may I download it?

 

[propman]

Sound lovely Adam.
have you replaced your laptop?
My only concern is the word "suburbian".
I can't tell if it's an ironic play on suburban or a new derivative or a mistake.
The feel is late Beatlesque.
Whistful, melodic, melancholic and a bundle of little elements like the backwards guitar licks, the loud snare and shaker thingo really take this to other places.
Lyrically you paint a very nostaligic picture for someone of your years but the image is well done, the language subtly emotive without any cloying sentimentality and just plain terrific.
When may I download it?

I haven't "replace" my laptop, per se. I resurrected an old laptop and installed Linux (which I love) on it. It works better than either laptop did when they were new, aside from a few hardware quirks.

"Suburbian" is . . . either not a real word or not used frequently. One of the only instances I can find of the word online is in the "Wiktionary," which defines the word as meaning: a person from the suburbs. I didn't know that when I wrote the song but, in all honesty, I don't think "suburban" would fit. It is what it is and I like it.

Also, thank you so much for your description. "subtly emotive without any cloying sentimentality..." That's really what I was hoping to achieve and I'm so glad that came across. I worked hard on this song and I'm really please that you like it. Really pleased.

Also, I've added a link to download on the original post. Just right-click > save target as.

 

[Pinky]

Was thinking this was very Eagles meets Elton John inspired, but late Beatles works too.

The reverse/volume swell guitar during the first couple "it's possibly the last one" is a little loud, but it may fit even better if you increased the stereo width on it so it came in from both ears instead of being weighed so far left (and would effectively leave a gap in the cetner of the sound field for the vocals to sit and not compete). Just a very minor adjustment in what is otherwise an overall very solid mix and song.

 

[Greg_L]

Nice mix. The vocal effects seem to accentuate sibilance to me, but other than that I think it's pretty good.

 

[propman]

Was thinking this was very Eagles meets Elton John inspired, but late Beatles works too.

The reverse/volume swell guitar during the first couple "it's possibly the last one" is a little loud, but it may fit even better if you increased the stereo width on it so it came in from both ears instead of being weighed so far left (and would effectively leave a gap in the cetner of the sound field for the vocals to sit and not compete). Just a very minor adjustment in what is otherwise an overall very solid mix and song.

Thank you, Pinky! You're not the only one to compare the sound to The Eagles, which is very flattering. I hold that band in very high regard. As for the little guitar part, is it that bad? I like the overwhelming quality it has and didn't think it was too unlistenable/overbearing.

Nice mix. The vocal effects seem to accentuate sibilance to me, but other than that I think it's pretty good.

Thanks, Greg! Strange about the sibilance . . . I tamed it quite a bit with a de-esser on the bus. Also, I noticed you didn't comment on the song itself. Not your cup of tea? (I wouldn't mind, of course.)

 

[Pinky]

Thank you, Pinky! You're not the only one to compare the sound to The Eagles, which is very flattering. I hold that band in very high regard. As for the little guitar part, is it that bad? I like the overwhelming quality it has and didn't think it was too unlistenable/overbearing.

It was worth mentioning. If you describe it as overwhelming then it probably is...

 

[rayc]

Adam,
Interesting re your views on The Eagles.
My generation were fiercely for or against them though no one on the against side doubted the musicianship. A matter of taste & fashion or anti fashion.

 

[Greg_L]

Thanks, Greg! Strange about the sibilance . . . I tamed it quite a bit with a de-esser on the bus. Also, I noticed you didn't comment on the song itself. Not your cup of tea? (I wouldn't mind, of course.)

Haha, no, not my cup of tea. It's not a bad song, it's just not my style. I like to fucking rock.

 

[fritsthegirl]

I like this. Something to be proud of alright, I really like the mood of it. Enjoyed your vocals, and like Ray, I enjoyed the little guitar licks around the place. They're magic. Great percussion too.

 

[Pinky]

My generation were fiercely for or against them though no one on the against side doubted the musicianship. A matter of taste & fashion or anti fashion.

+1

I'm a little later on than ray I think (born 1975) but my parents played the Eagles a lot when I was younger. The Eagles (along with Fleetwood Mac) were always a band I could respect for their approach to pop rock song writing. Their deeper cuts are strong and they rarely added songs just for filler. I will admit that neither band excite me much now, but I don't go out of my way to tune them out either. I have Rumors laying around somewhere...