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General Comments
Lately is a catchy tune that is very well put together. The vocals and guitars are somewhat reminiscent of CSNY circa the Deja Vu album. This is a good thing. The vocals are strong in terms of pitch, delivery, and the mix of lead and background vocals. The opening of the song jumps right into the groove in a decidedly exciting way. The arrangement is really nice. It repeats enough for familiarity, but has enough variation to hold your interest. The arrangement adds sophistication to the cut. There are two things that bother me about this cut, though. One is the drums, which I wanted to feel a bit more on top of the beat. They feel like they drag the song a little. The other issue is the overall sound. Perhaps it is because the song was compressed at too low a bitrate, but there is a lack of definition and clarity, and the high end sounds sort of distorted (which is probably one of the primary reasons for the lack of clarity). I could hear the vocals, but the lyrics weren't always clear, I could hear that there were keyboards, but they seemed very mushy. To me, this mushiness and high end distortion immediately sound like a project studio production. Overall, the song is well written, the performances are tight, and the arrangement is excellent. I think tighter drums would make everything groove together more solidly, but the biggest issue to my ears is that, while the mix seems well-balanced and the sounds are good, the lack of clarity really takes away some punch.
Artist's Submitted Question:
What potential use does this song have?
The strong feel of the song (drums notwithstanding) and arrangement are what might make this usable for a film or TV soundtrack. The arrangement and instrumental textures are strong enough that it could even work as an instrumental version for soundtrack use. (It would be a shame to lose those lovely vocals, but instrumental beds are often needed for soundtracks. It does not have a strongly visual feel, though, so it would fit more under a transportation scene, for instance, than a dramatic one. I don't really hear this as working as well in a game soundtrack, though that obviously depends on the nature of the game. It could be good in an ad, though, because it is driving and has a familiar rock feel, but is not generic in style. It mostly sounds like an album cut, which is a fine thing.
Quote From Pro
"Lately" is an energetic rocker that makes its entrance by bursting out of the speakers into the room, then maintains its cruising altitude without break for the duration of the song. Smooth vocals, fine guitar work, and a highly crafted arrangement give "Lately" a sound that is easy to like, but never strays into feeling like generic corporate rock. A powerful foot-tapper made for a sunny day drive in a convertible with the top down.
Toys In the Attic principal Larry the O has been one of the leading pro audio and electronic music writers for decades, serving for a quarter-century on the mastheads of Mix and Electronic Musician …