That opening acoustic guitar sound is gorgeous, and oddly reminiscent of Sloop John B somehow. In general this is full of good melodic and rhythmic ideas (as I would expect from this artist / challenge combo!) but the mix is a bit muddy and overcompressed (I think? When the full band comes in there's a CRUNCH that doesn't sound great to me), I wish there was a bit more space in there. The good stuff still shines through - those big reverby washed-out chords in the background are lovely (and a perfect use of that shimmery modulated sound that you love, and that I complain about whenever you use it too much). Lyrics are mostly pretty interesting although feel a little crammed into the song at times, particularly the end of the second verse and the bridge. So yeah, mostly enjoyed this a lot but definitely a few issues that stopped me fully going for it.

This is a great weaving tapestry of sounds, very rich tones, lush arrangement. The guitarmonies, yes. I have only two complaints. The first is that, as has probably been mentioned before, the lyrics don't always seem to fit well in their spaces. Maybe that's a writing problem, maybe that's a phrasing problem, but anyway there are a few moments where the lyric feels awkward in a way that takes me out of the song. The second thing is that specifically the key change transition in and out of the solo is a little awkward as well. It's a good idea, going into the solo is just a hiccup, coming out is a little more noticeably jarring. Maybe take a look at if there needs to be an extra bar, or a bar of 2/4 or something just to have a little space for the readjustment. Or maybe it's a sound effect or something, I dunno, but I'd take a look at it. You guys seem to be bringing something a little extra at the right time.

Such a cool intro, I love the combo of that synth with the chiming, interlocking acoustic guitars, and the swing into the mellow groove of the verse. The guitarmonies are cool, although the melody of that lead doesn’t particularly inspire me, and the transition back out of that solo struck me as kind of abrupt. But I do I particularly like the way the outro lead floats over the reappearing acoustics at the end. Great vocals, very expressive and warm. I like the fact that the polyrhythmic elements are completely integrated and all sound natural here (I had my money on you guys as doing a good job with this!), and the melody flows smoothly from section to section. The lyrics are full of a sort of mannered, cerebral wordplay that I appreciate, but am not really engaged by. I get your story and the allusions to the challenge within the lyrics themselves, and I like all your repeating, evolving phrases and rhymes, but I had trouble feeling emotionally connected to the lyrics; my emotional involvement with this really came via the performances instead of the words.