I love the softer vocal approach on this one and the subtle, unusual instrumentation - the bassline carries the song beautifully and the banjo and piano give this a really unusual feel, along with that swelling atmospheric sound that occasionally comes in to add an element of tension. Lyrics are sad and beautiful and I enjoyed the take on the challenge. The vocal layering is frequently lovely but there are a number of moments that feel light they really need tightening - words starting and ending at slightly different times, minor tuning issues in some of the busier sections. Minor distractions to me but I know some of these judges are sticklers for vocal tunining!

great vox, Magnetic Fields-ish? real good

I really like the uke/banjo stuff and wish it wasn’t so drowned out by the layers of vocals later--I think it would be cool if this sounded more live and stripped-back, like you were all performing this together on a porch. A bit folkier, less operatic. The steps go on too long for me--I think you could have gotten this done in about ⅔ of the actual length of the song--but I really liked some of your lyrics, in particular the “wander out into the sea” verses, which I think are wonderful at getting that overwhelming grief across, more so than steps 4-6. Beautiful melody on “I just try to survive.” The harmonies are sometimes just beautiful (“and grieve”) and sometimes something sounds distractingly flat (step six, some of those aaaahs, particularly towards the end).

Oh, Mandibles, why do you do this to me? Every song I've ever heard of yours, I either gush over and love head-over-heels or fly into a blind rage because of one stylist choice that prevents me from gushing over it. In this case, that banjo intro kills me, because I expected a fun bluegrass song and instead got a good Mandibles tune. You break my heart with expectations! Give me a banjo song! Or heavy metal. Either would suffice.

Otherwise, I like it. I always love the operatic vocals, and the instrumentation is great. Just don't be Britney and quit playing with my heart.

Us! Estaphonia sounds great on the lead vocal. I came up with the first verse and half the chorus in a ten minute sitting, and we built the rest around it. Estaphonia and truth play tenor uke and banjo respectively, and I really like what they did. I wish I had thought to distort the vocals in the bridge! That would have been cool.