Listening Day Eight

The handful of avid Redline Project blog readers know that I made zero progress yesterday. I didn't even have a few moments to scrap together some scant paragraphs regarding the standstill.

Fear not. To make up for the dearth of Redline action, I have accomplished thorough listening and editing reviews of two different tracks, which means that all the final album cuts have now officially been through the ringer.

The first song to squeeze through the meat grinder tonight is called Sing Silently. I have discussed this track many times during the course of the project's duration. It is the second song written for the Redline Project final album, and I think it may just be the best. Though my wife seldom plays her cello anymore, she is still a magnificent musician with the ability to coax tears from the toughest listeners. I am blessed by her willingness to cameo on this track. Her dark, delicate lines definitely class up the operation. You are going to love this song; little if any thanks to me.

The second piece on tonight's agenda is titled Thursday. Telling the complex tale of Maundy Thursday, this song is a gargantuan work with over fifty tracks and ten minutes of playing time. The length may seem ridiculous, but the music presents itself more as two tracks than one. The first portion is instrumental, based on a scratch recording called Rain. The second half completely new material that shifts through a melange of textures, from delicate and pretty to cacophonous and obnoxous.

Song Report Number Eight: Sing Silently
This track needed a touch of polish, though not nearly as much as most others. As is my custom, I de-esed and compressed the vocals, tweaked the overall EQ, and added automated gain in spots to make an even carpet of sound. The track sounded a little flat and dry, so I selected a medium reverb and applied it to the vocals, guitar tracks, and the cello.

Song Report Number Nine: Thursday
Thursday needed more work than any of the other cuts (probably combined). The track is long and its varied parts present a daunting mixing challenge. In addition to the usual EQ adjustments, compressing/limiting, and de-essing, I had to rework almost everything, adding new instruments, deleting unwanted ones, shortening certain sections, lengthening others. When I opened the file, the song started and ended with a thunderstorm that I recorded through my screen window. The track now ends with heavily effected solo vocals. Hallelujah for the Melodyne plug-in, which has made the impossible possible.

Tomorrow night I am hosting a listening party at my house. A select handful of friends with good ears are coming to listen to these nine tracks and supply honest feedback. This will be the first time that they are heard by anyone other than my wife or me. I selected this quorum of friends not only because of their musical skills, but also because they have unfettered honesty and assertiveness. This gathering promises to be a monumental event in the process of this project that will either leave me bouncing off the walls or tucking my tail between my legs. Though there are still mountainous hurdles between the album release and its current stance, I am starting to carry a sense of accomplishment in my back pocket that lends a little lilt to my step.