Amazingly, I like a BYD song! Had to happen some time. Nice lyrical take on the title, though it needs a bit more oomph in the chorus. But that is only an arrangement issue so no biggie. Again, i am not hearing any recognition of the challenge being met. But that's because I'm the idiot who came up with it, so will consider those who i've called out on it later, when I haven't had a glass of wine. Potentially very good, is the takeaway.

Your songs sound cleaner every time I listen. Your harmonies are working well here, but your lyrics scan poorly. "You SHINE like A dark JOO-ell, danger-OUS but still subLIME." You've got to hear how awkward that is when you're singing it, right? I apprecaite the creativity of taking the "semi" part of "Semiprecious" literally with "Half of what you say," "half the time," etc. The call-and-response harmonies fulfill the challenge, more or less, but I don't know that it adds much to the song that isn't already there. They remind me a little of XTC, which I know you'll take for the compliment it is.

this really reminds me of Belle & Sebastian, particularly the songs Stevie sings (e.g. Jonathan David). I really like the use of the backing vocals to fulfil the challenge, and it's a different take on the title - I really liked this one. Some of the vocals are a little shaky in terms of tuning but I think this is the right kind of song to get away with some of that wobbliness.