Things you think about while lying awake at 3am.

I'm having a lot of trouble getting the vocal to work.
I use Izotope de-crackle to remove mouth noises which I can't control. It does a good
job but it doesn't get everything and sometimes there are some introduced artifacts.

Thanks for listening.


https://soundcloud.com/orygun/elephant-in-the-room



Elephant in the room
---------------------
We all know
no one's immune
from the elephant
in the room
 
 
It's a fact of life but
we don't think about it
It's just  sort of there
At the edge a bit

Once upon a time  
There was lots of time ahead
I'll write that book   
This year you said

You never got to it
Other things  to do
The time is gone
With nothing to show

Does it really matter
to write a book or song
something to remember me
After I'm gone

Three am
I'm staring at the ceiling
There's a whisper in my ear
The elephant is stirring


break

I think about my life  
Lying there awake
all that I remember
are all of my mistakes

I made a lot of choices
I dwell on them again
Playing back scenarios
Of things I cannot change

I've let some people down
Need to make amends  But
I've burned all my bridges
Never see them again

What's it all about
Something to ponder
Is there any purpose
Or nothing there I wonder

existential musings
in the daylight
sobering  reality in
blackness of night


Three am
I'm staring at the ceiling  
I catch a glimpse of something
The elephant is stirring

break

Gray light of morning
streams thru the blinds
the elephant retreats into
the shadows of my mind

 
Bjorn, to my ears it sounds as if you are too close to the microphone. If you increase the distance to the mic you will reduce mouth noise and the "in your face" feel and probably not need to add Izotope. Add a compressor to even out the dynamics, reduce the reverb and you will be fine.
The guitar playing is nice and ambient. I think we can all relate to the song.
 
Cheers
Wal 

Thanks Wal
I've tried different things to reduce the snap crackle pops that come out of my mouth while singing, including mic placement. Pretty near hopeless. I'll probably need to find a singer or just go back to instrumentals only.

Never shy away from putting your vocals out there Bjorn. It's the individuality of songs that make them interesting, and in the end, classics. You only have to listen to a few Dylan or Waits songs to realise that. Your voice never detracts from the song and in fact seems to suit it well. Just keep working on mic technique and you'll find something your happy with.
This song certainly made me smile.

Hi Bjorn,
 
Great lyrics... Kinda strike a chord...
 
Vocals wise... Not so bad at all... I agree with what Wayne says, 100%
 
Looking at those lyrics again, I reckon they would fit well in some sort of black/death metal track, and I'm not taking the mick here Bjorn
 
 
cheers
 
andy

Bjorn.  Liked the song...and...there are more bridges to cross than just here in PDX.   There's always another bridge to burn if you want to.
 
:D:D

Great lyrics, Bjorn...   I liked the simple vocal + guitar arrangement, works well.  Though I could potentially hear just a little strings + reverb coming in for that last verse...  
 
For the clicks/plosive aspect, you said you've tried mic placement but does that include trying to sing off-axis and with a pop-screen?  I would think that'd cut down those hi-mids a bit. 
 

Wayne
Thanks for the comment and the encouragement!

Andy
Yeah, I can kind of see the lyrics fitting into a black/death metal track, not that I'm going to try it. 
BTW, even tho I watch a lot of BBC programs I had to look up the expression "taking the mick". OK I get it now.

David
Thanks. Burning bridges - I don't mean to do it but after a while it's happened.   

Steve,
Thanks for the mic tips but I've already tried the off-axis thing and I always use a pop filter. Tried different mics too and nothing really helps. Well, stuffing cotton in my mouth does work (yeah, I tried it) but then the words don't come out so well.

Great lyrics Bjorn. I agree with Steve on maybe adding something in the last verse just to add interest.

Great work. I liked the lyrics and all aspects about this song.