Collegiate recording titles aren’t usually so adroit in expressing exactly what the contents of the recording represent. While not groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, Voices of the Valley is a very pleasant listen. It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to hear what the women of Clemson have been producing. But what's here will surely please fans, friends and family, and that's not too shabby. If the arrangements had more decisively diverged from the originals, if there had been more unexpected twists (like one of the harmonic choices in Telephone), if the backs had phrased with even greater intensity and grace, then the impact of Voices of the Valley would have been more significant and more affecting. The powerful leads of Ordinary People and Love the Way You Lie make a lasting impression, and many moments within other songs are also quite good. This isn't to say that TakeNote doesn't find moments to rise above. Technical though it may be, it's a dominant element in experiencing Voices of the Valley. Clemson's TakeNote, like many a cappella groups, may have had very little to do with these choices, which can involve something as technical and picayune as the number of milliseconds in which a given note is brought to true pitch by a computer program like Auto-Tune or Melodyne. Sometimes it just sounds fake and awkward (duck lips). Sometimes it's the perfect effect, giving an electronic edge to a vocal take of an electronica song ( Telephone). When chords sound robotic, listeners use this as an identifier of style and genre. Where once RARB's category "Tuning/blend" referred simply to how in-tune the singing was, in today's studio reality, the category must now encompass artificiality, and its musical appropriateness. the creativity of unexpected musical choices. It's a similar struggle to the one the ladies face regarding a song's instant recognition vs. TakeNote struggles as the group attempts to strike the right balance between the unamplified collegiate singing style and its computerized, effected, somewhat evil doppleganger (TOS Spock with goatee). Some would argue that the latter works, but most would agree its success is tenuous.
#Takenote studio movie#
A movie star may be given a gently alluring glow, or embarrassingly collagenated duck lips and silicone sweaterbusters. Just as the beauty of an actress relies on make-up and lighting, TakeNote's sound on Voices of the Valley rests similarly on the arrangers, editors, and producers.
Artificially tuned and effected scat is the go-to choice for TakeNote it isn't always what the song and arrangement call for. The backs are neither purely rockin' singers nor purely "instrumental" sounding. Where the group ventures closer to rock, things get weaker. It's best if you don't think about whether this all-female collegiate group actually sounds remotely like this live just dance and enjoy. A strong, sassy lead soars over an ocean of robotic, enhanced voices and thumpy produced beats. Clemson's TakeNote fulfills the promise of its sound best on the pure electronic take of Telephone.
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