New Scandinavia - Chasing Kites:
A solid opening to the contest! Did a really good job building the tension at the start, and then the main song is an excellent vibe. I don't think it really NEEDED that tension for the opening, but as I said it was well done, and it doesn't really detract from the rest of the song.
Scythia - Time:
I like most of what's going on here, but the main singer's voice is somewhat grating for me. But the instrumental has a good groove going, and like. It's not even that the singing is bad per se, and it conveys the emotions well, just... that sort of half-drawl going on bugs me. I'd probably get used to it with repeated exposure I guess.
France - Light:
When I saw "Ancient Bards" I was expecting something a bit different than generic motivational orchestral-pop. It's fine, all competently done, and the guitar solo was a pleasant, albeit brief, surprise. Just on the whole unremarkable, and I feel a bit let down that this wasn't actually bardcore.
Mount Celeste - Lagtrain:
Easy first so far, it'll be a surprise if anything dethrones it for me. Absolutely love this voice bank, one of the few that can actually compete with Miku imo, and of course the music behind it is fantastic as well. Keeps a strong driving energy, catchy melodies, and enough variation to keep it from getting stale. Special shoutout to the bass work as well. Just an absolute banger overall.
Chile - Aunque No Sea Conmigo:
I did not like this one. The singing was good, but the rest of it felt like they were all playing around each other instead of with each other, if that makes sense? It just felt... messy and unfocused. Which isn't ALWAYS a bad thing in a song, but did not work for me here.
Philippines - Growing Pains:
Another unremarkable entry. There's nothing wrong with it, but nothing really stands out for me to like or explicitly mention here. Everyone did fine on it.
Morgantown - Another Leaf:
I don't typically like country. This is an exception. I like that it leans into the cowboy folk-y vibes, and I have never been more invested in five minutes of a guy asking to fuck before in my life. Though I guess I haven't actually had that experience often. Regardless, this man could likely sing about anything and grab my attention, and the guitar work was impeccable the whole way through, accented very well by the violin.
Sumer - Bike Thief:
I guess Freezepop is getting tossed on the list of artists I occasionally hyperfocus on now. Vibes are absolutely immaculate here. I'm not really sure if the bike thievery is meant to be metaphorical, but I do think there's something profound about the acceptance of the stolen bike one day being stolen in turn. Shows that the motivation isn't greed, but freedom. Or perhaps I'm just reading too much into the silly bike song. Either way, excellent song. Love the artifical almost industrial (as a mood descriptor, not the musical genre) aesthetic it has going, and it kept me staring at the static image the whole time, didn't even tab out.
Slovenia - Arm's Length:
I feel somewhat hypocritical this time, because I can't deny this one's also on the generic side of things... but it's generic in a way I'm nostalgic for, so it gets to be good for it. Also the lyrics kinda hit me a bit close to home, as I often find myself in similar spirals.
Antarctica - Birthday Cake:
I will not blame anyone for rating this low. Many years ago, a young Rat was enchanted by playing Jet Set Radio, and immediately ordered a copy of the sequel off eBay. JSRF never hit the same, and was incredibly disappointing, but at least the soundtrack still slapped... until this song came on. I was incredibly confused and put off by it, but as it continued to crop up in the BGM rotation... eventually, it just kinda clicked. I couldn't tell where the turning point was, but now to this day anytime anyone mentions anything to do with cake my brain is shouting "EXTRA SUGAR! EXTRA SALT! EXTRA OIL AND MSGGG!" I hope one day this song infests all of your brains in a similar way.
Zanarkand - A Tune for Jack:
Ehhh, this one's just not really my thing. It's certainly not actively bad or anything, just... not for me. My ex would have probably liked it a lot, for whatever that's worth, but they're not the ones doing the rating.
Poland - Rivers in the Desert:
I'm sure people much better at this than I am have already spoken at length about why Rivers in the Desert is so good. I am going to be biased due to my inability to separate the song from its place within the game, but that's exactly what a soundtrack song should strive to do. And god damn does this hit hard in context.
Mali - Burning Down the House:
I was not aware Paramore ever covered this song. It's pretty well done, but to be honest doesn't sound much like Paramore. Typically when bands do covers of other songs, I want it to be a more unique spin, y'know? Not that this is a straight copy or anything, but it still doesn't do anything to really stand on its own. Or maybe my memory of the original is just fuzzy enough to adapt. I don't think it really changes placement either way though
