The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Out Of Bodies get praised and slammed by a jury of their peers

Reviews compiled July/August 2005
garageband.com

Hey Mister Sunshine

Groovy Baby!!

Bigtime 60's feel. Acoustic guitar, tamborine, bass line, vocals, harmonies, and hand claps! What a groovy mix! This tune strikes such a sixties, hippie, Beatles sort of sound! ... with a Beach Boys party setting. The band has captured a distict sound, and made it appear completely authentic. Even if you don't like/or know of the genre from which this music came, you have to give this group credit for "keepin' it real", because they sound "real". Well done production, excellent job with vocal harmony parts. Simple, but very cool acoustic guitar ... it takes me back to sitting around listening to my Dad play folk tunes in the late 60's.

- GirlFridayMusic from Columbia, Maryland


The Monkees would be proud

Very alert, catchy melody. This is well thought out and captures a live, spontaneous feel from the ad hoc count in to the slappy tamborine. Very ecclectic arrangement for guitar driven pop. The bridge is campy Beatleophony repleate with the "aahs', a great touch. You guys are good.

- familypeople from Cumberland, Maryland


very beatles-y!!

the intro cracks me up!
i love how it brings the song in.
it reminds me right off the bat of something that is supposed to be a 'feel good' vibe, and a 'party', and it sounds like it's supposed to be an uplifting song, so it fits!

I had a difficult time really hearing the bass, but caught some of the runs, and they sounded great. they really fit the ambience of the song. I would push the bass up in the mix, so that it is more visible in the song, like the other instruments. I love the voice, and I love that this song is very beatle-esqe ... you guys did a great job of capturing that style, without going overboard, and overdoing it! kudos!

- donnyanderson from Lindsay, Ontario, Canada


poor production

very beatlesque, but very muddy sounding, like phil specter on quaaludes...
i like the lyrics, and the simple tune can be quite catchy
i love the beatlesque background vocals
- interdon from Florence, Massachusetts


beck

This reminds me alot of early beck.
at least the begining of it does.
And thats a good thing!
The lead guitar line is really cool. MY GOD.. This vocal and the melody is awesome.
I totally love this track. The production method of making the recording sound crappy is awesome. It totally compliments the song.
It reminds me of the beatles, or something george harrison would do.
a job well done

- vosper


Straddles the dated / retro line.

Beck goes back to the '60s and drops acid, turning him into Donovan with more modern sensibilities. McCartney-esque bass on bridge. Nice textures. Nothing particularly unique but could be a nice album track with the right surroundings.

- ChrisMcKay from Athens, Georgia


Details

I wouldn't slate the song ... "Take number 15; 'Mr. Sunshine'" ... because it seems careless or unprofessional. Plus which, admitting it's the fifteenth attempt opens a question of competence. Your true intro is at fifteen seconds (coincidental number). Song, itself, is sort of a sixties thing, and good enough. But your lyrics reveal that you've fallen into the trap of your own metaphor. You spend three whole verses about the sun, how you'd like sunshine in your life again, presumably because of the understood "dark cloud" you've been under. We want details of the dark cloud, but not in "cloud" metaphor, of course -- we want to know what the problem is. The chorus keeps up the metaphor, and boy are we sick of that metaphor by now: "I know it will be a lot ... to have the sun instead of not." Very weak writing. Guitars are ine, bass is too high, "Claps" are too low, BG vocals too low, too. But the lyrics, even without the metaphor fixation, are simply too amateurish. Fix all that, then we'll talk.

- ybrsongs from Los Angeles


A+++, Great Sound

Like the acoustic rhythum and the lead guitar. Great vocals, Very beatles like. The lyrics are great, Mr. Sun Shine. I will add your song to my playlist. The background vocals are perfect for your style of music. I would purchase your music. God you sound like a newer version on the beatles and I mean in a great way. This kind of music needs to be the main stream sound. Instead of this boy band crap we see today. Keep it going guys. I would love to here some more songs

- Sunnysidesounds from San Francisco, California


Anti-production

This sounds like a home recording on an old tape recorder. Sometimes that can work.
And I do actually like the cheap sounds created here, anti-production if you like. Reminds me of one of John Lennon's unreleased Dakota demos. This is certainly is characterised by a 70's feel.
The intro is studio waffle at it's best and conveys a relaxed, slap-dash mood which works.
The tune rings out true with a strong melody and able prominent bass. Rustling acoustic sounds good and the riff is perfect. I would have preferred stronger harmonies on the final strait. The fade out is well judged.
This would not be out of place on Wings "Wild Life" album from 1971. So a strong Beatles connection here then?
A refreshingly honest track I enjoyed immensely.

- Wilberforce from London, United Kingdom


what a day for a day dream

this is simple instrumentation and works well. it reminds me of an oldies song, not beatles, but like... lovin' spoonful influenced by monkees. yeeaaaaaaahh... it's very relaxing. I love the background harmonies.

- escapevelocity from Timberlake, Virginia


good old hippie-feeling:)

great with the messy start and then further on with the good old hippie-feeling! Nice vocals, funny production, chilled! Great!

- mariadam from Denmark


God Bless Brit-Pop

At first, I was thinking it was going to be kind of a fun Beck type song, then the vocals kicked in and it immediately made me think of Brit-pop, which I'm a fan of. You took some cool elements of the Kinks and early Blur and turned it into a very hummable song. The background vocals definitely enhance the melody, which was well written.

- Angus10 from Norman, Oklahoma


Crazy :)

Weird but GOOD.
Beck, beatles...something like that. Who cares what it sounds like! I really like it :)
Keep being original guys. Good stuff.

ilang - 2ndStreet


Intro?

The beginning of the song got me a little confused. All I can say is i like the melody. The "Brady bunch" sound is working for me though. I feel this can be more alive. Maybe make it more energetic vocally. Musically go crazy on it. Overall C+
~morgo music group.

- Doni64 from Bronx, New York


happy go unlucky

nice lyrics. thin production but a pleasant melody and feel good chord changes. needs a better recording and a real drum kit. very circa 1968-1970 sounding and british. the background vocals and hand claps could have happened sooner. a fun song. thanks

- PlusUltraGroup from Phoenix, Arizona


Dylan-like.

This track is almost Dylan-like. I also say this, because the sound quality is so poor. It's a nice decent track, in a sort of 70's mood. And it almost sounds as if it was recorded in the 70's.
I'm not sure if this is intentional - it could be.. You know, going retro. And in fact I like that idea. It's cool and sort of original. But still, you need way better sound quality. Going back and using old analog equipment, old mics, playing a beat up guitar that still has it's original strings, doesn't mean that it has to sound bad.
The bass-sound is actually quite good. Also lots of cool lines in there. But otherwise you are a little untight in places. It's mostly the acoustic guitar that is a bit off in places.
Otherwise it's a good pop song. I would love to hear it recorded a little better, but still with that cool old sound. You could still keep that yelling intro. Nice touch by the way. Also the fact that this is played live, as a group. Good luck. Keep up the good work.

- StigC from Copenhagen, Denmark


happy

Overall, I really enjoyed this song. I could do without the introductory noises at the beginning; I'd rather just hear the song. As a bassist myself, I like this bass part very much. It is simple and compliments the song, yet it is still interesting. Towards the end, when the handclaps come in, the bass part gets especially nice. The handclaps are a little sloppy, but I always enjoy handclaps, and I am glad that you included them in this song. The guitar part is also nice, and the vocalist did a wonderful job.

- katherinenerys


60's mood

The intro is weird for this kind of music but it fits in a strange way.I think it's good.
The bass keeps not only the rhythm,but also the melody of the song.That's why it's a bit higher in the mix.
It has a 60's mood and arrangement.As i hear the song,it brings in my mind bands like "Belle & Sebastian" and "Olivia Tremor Control".
If they work-out a little more the vocal parts it could be very nice.

- kostaspanagioti from Greece


psychedelic sunshine

lovin the intro.draws me into your headspace and the song right away.kind of beatlesque,grateful dead

- jzro from Toronto, Ontario, Canada


popmusic

good pop with a driving-ahead bass track. This is fun feelin' good music great for radio.

- randallcousins from Canada

The Unicorn Song 

Acoustic sounds!!!

I like this. Its quirky and english. sounds like a donovan demo. The lyrics are trippy and pictoral and I really like the simplicity of it all. The melody is classic. I think you may have smoked a little too much chemically enhanced skunk dudes. like the backwards keyboard bit too. really 60's. Nice one. When you are recording acoustic guitars see if you can get your hands on a couple of compressor mikes and try different positions around the body of the guitar to try and get a crisper sound.

- Neilsimpson from United Kingdom


Patchouli and Patchwork

Great stuff! We're all hippys really and having listened to Jethro Tull already today I'm well placed to enjoy a little sub-Syd Barrett pre-raphaelite meandering. Good job guys. I didn't know anyone was peddling this kind of thing anymore but I'm glad you are!

The melody is sweet as...gentle and meditative. It goes down as easy as a bottle of wine. I can smell the jossticks. It makes me nostalgic for marijuana. The instrumental break, well its not out of place, all that backward guitar is a little too forward in the mix for my liking. There's a nice little tune behind it but it's fighting a losing battle!! There are a million different ways of envoking the time of King Arthur what with strange squeaky wind instruments and funny primitive sounding drums, but it depends how far you're prepared to go. This song does kind of suggest you'd go quite far though!

- Canning from London, United Kingdom


good parts and bad parts

I'm not sure sure what the mood is of this song. The lyrics are almost so over the top that it spoils the lifting sensation of the music and the upbeat mood. I like the melody, that's the strong point of this song. I also like your reverse effects, but they should be used sparingly. Also one of your vocals is in one ear and the other in the other ear. Mix these together. I like the high vocals with the almost spoken vocals, that's another good part.

- Andrew1982 from Astoria, Oregon


It's me and my boyfriend's new song!

I love the lyrics. Right when you think it's going to be one of the generic love songs...they sing would you like to ride on a unicorn...I love it! I like how the instrumental breaks weren't just the standard issue. Good work. The mood is low key for sure. A song to listen to right before you go to sleep!

- cheese poof from Arco, Idaho


Lopsided

The recording was quite uneven; lead vocals in one ear, backup and music in the other.

- HeathJones from Madisonville, Kentucky


cool sound

fist thing really good acoustic sound. the vocals and lyrics area little cliche...not really a bad thing depends on the crowd your steering towards. the song could be a lot better with a whole band. i feel like the song is repeating itself and goes really no where. needs some work but some good stuff...keep working

- lukefrutig from Ann Arbor, Michigan


cool backward intro

This song has a very mellow mood.
One for a long drive to the beach or winding highway.
The vocalist has a clear voice.
I like the reverb added after the 1st verse.
very roman candle-esk..
they are a group fronted by vocalist Matt Hopper. The melody is pretty good, the words and the voice makes it more intersting.
I like the guitar break.. looped.. cool and spacey.
overall nice tune

- AcousticMinds from Portland, Oregon


Na na na hey hey

Blatant plagiarization of the Beatles' Octupus' Garden - not a good way to send your opening line out there. This is a real hippy sounding tune that Reminds you of Donavan without the humor or hooks. The lyrical images are all your left with because the melody and chord progressions are stale. And the lyrics can't deleiver enough punch to keep you tuned in.

- familypeople from Cumberland, Maryland


Quietly Powerful

I like how the whole thing sounds like it was recorded live in a small room. It sets a nice, intimate mood. I really like the bass licks. Punctuates the melody well. The instrumental break pretty much keeps the status quo, but the more it does add is just the right amount.

- TheSpectacles from Los Angeles, California


Fetching

it's a sad day when i have to look to the pop category for some creativity. the genre is so poorly defined, you see, whereas every band in hardcore metal sounds identical. are you irish? you have a bit of an accent. it might just be the romantic lyrics getting to me. the production isn't superb. the mood is very relaxed, soothing, etc, without being aimless. the background vocals are kind of funny, but that's ok. it adds charm. i like the background sounds in the beginning, and the solo in the middle. not original, but still fetching.

- RandomVox from San Jose, California


pink floyd

Instr.-Really really out there. It fits the song. How about some effects on the guitar.
Melody-soft, melodic, It makes me feel like I'm on a ballon going up and down.
mood-It sounds like pink floyd. people will get high to this song.

- stefankirin from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


Mood gets ya straight away

it's certainly open about what it intends to be. i liked the dreamy intro but so far it hasn't actually gone anywhere. also the lyrical imagery isn't to my taste. the melody and lyrics together are pretty tame. that said, i do like the instrumental- truely and pleasantly injects a strain of weirdness.

- RobStowell from Chch, Vermont, New Zealand on 31Jul2005


Foggy mood

unexpected song in the pop department, I would have put this in alternative or acoustic. The mood and the backward guitar break gave me a - well - foggy feeling with a 70ies touch. I liked the unusual chorus with the low backing. I would have let the song get started with some laid back drums and some crash test dummies type ahhs. Now, its a little to slow for me.

- jonas_br from Stockholm, Sweden


fairytale song

the instrumental break is a good idea, but it's too upfront with back-ward-sound, the song is chilled and the lyrics are like a fairytale: fine,fine. Have you tried to put some strings on this song? I think it might support the whole track great and make it even more dreamish!

- mariadam from Denmark


love the solo..

This song is an interesting accoustic singer songwriter kinda deal but i dont know how well it fits into the pop genre. the backwards guitar solo is awesome but really "left field" for a pop song.

As an accoustic folky tune i like it alot. The chorus is nice and hooky and the vocal delivery is very moody and cool. The "dark" production style also pulls the tune out of the pop genre for me as well.

- lasttroubadore


yo

ok man so first off this doesnt really strikje me as pop but more soft rock in the intro but this may do well in an underground seen...keep it up i liked this track

- robkoch30 from Canada


Nice production...

When first pressing play I noticed the mood and atmosphere of this song.
I think this band intentionally made this a low-fi kinda vibe, and I must say it really works in this context. The melody is a bit trivial and could use a bit of work, if catchyness is something which is wanted.
The guitar sounds great and suits the mood very well, a mood which is really filled with nerve.

- JannieLund from Waterbury, Connecticut


Nice Little ditty

A little similar to Elliot Smith. The Harmony is good even though it is a lower harmony but it is interesting. I like the strange backwards guitar solo. Different. But when mixing that part put a piano behind and mix them together. A piano would add a great dynamic throughout the tune. The song is very marketable and could even be used in a film. The vocals are good but I think the lyrics are typical. Sean Lennon came to mind too.
Keep making music

- SamePage


First thoughts...

...for the first minute or so of this tune - banal safe cutesy pie-lyrics and a pared-down rhythm section which could've been bigger. Not a lot changed a minute or so later, but the vocal harmonies saved it somewhat. Just after 2 minutes came the backward guitar sounds. Interesting - but still not enough to rescue the song as a whole. Actually liked the 2 octave-vocal treatment and the overall feel. Tiny tip-of-the-hat for the backward lyrical ending but guys, must try harder...

- TallStories from Bristol Uk/Perth Australia


I am in a fairy land taken there by this song.

This is a real acoustic demo. I like the lyrics a lot and they are very dreamy. The back up vocals don't really work really, and I think a chic should sing that part thinking of the lyrics. Nice harmony guitar lines in the chorus. Nice melody and dreamy bass line the floats along with the vocal. Great!

- Realtheband from Calgary, Alberta, Canada


Ride the Unicorn

That little pre-intro swirl is completely superfluous and just keeps us from getting to your content at 0.06. And then, your main intro goes on for three times as long as it should. Take us to the content! And having little vocals drowned out by the track is fine, if that's the effect you want. I'd raise them.

- ybrsongs from Los Angeles, California

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