Revision: Shiny Toy Guns' Songs Aren't Good

Shiny Toy Guns

I have twice on this blog featured songs by a group called Shiny Toy Guns, and both times have had to do an about-face when I realized the songs weren't good after all. The first was called "Waiting Alone." When I first heard it, I loved the instrumental production. It was over-the-top, retro ('80s) and exciting. But upon repeated listens, I began to find the song annoying, and I didn't care for it at all.

Then they released "Fading Listening," which is much more subdued, and also retro ('70s). And I thought, OK, this one is good. But after a couple weeks on my high-rotation playlist, I was all, Meh.

This group obviously has some talent and good instincts around arrangement and production, but their songs (or these two, at least) just don't work. Why? Here's my theory. In both of these songs, the vocals alternate between the male and female singer, and think there is too much disparity between these parts. The lyrics are thing and have nothing to do with one another, so the songs overall haev no impact, make no sense, and leave you emotionally unmoved, if not confused. The melody lines also don't relate to one another. Also, the guy is a bad singer. They need to pick one idea per song, build it out to a satisfactory conclusion, and let the woman sing it. Then they might have something. Keep it simple.