ASSIGNMENT #4 - Song Deconstruction

For this assignment, I chose two different songs by the band Russian Circles.

"Fathom"

Listening Phase One: Rhythm

• Tempo: Medium
• Source: Drums
• Groove: Driving, heavy

Listening Phase Two: Arrangement

• Instrumentation: Drums drive the song with strong accompaniment by both guitar and bass.
• Song Structure: There is a recurring guitar theme that acts sort of like a "chorus", while the "verses" are different from each other. However, all these parts seem to flow into one another, making the structure difficult to pinpoint. The structure is basically Intro/Chorus, Verse A, Chorus, Verse B, Chorus, Verse C/Outro. The song remains constantly driving until the heavier, half-time climax at the end.
• Emotional Architecture: The song is constantly driving and heavy. There are points where the guitar cuts out, leaving only drums and a very distorted bass. This puts emphasis on the groove and rhythm of the track. It ends creatively on an uneasy note that doesn't feel like a typical ending, and feels more like the song lacks closure.

Listening Phase Three: Sound Quality

• Height: Low frequencies are provided by the bass, bass drum, and toms. Mid frequencies are provided by guitar, snare drum, and strings. High frequencies are provided by guitar, cymbals, and strings.
• Width: The bass is not panned. The drums, like most modern drum recordings, are panned to imitate an actual drum kit. There are two or more guitar tracks separated widely across the stereo field.
• Depth: The main tracks (guitar, bass, and drums) are all equally distributed. There are some layers of sound (strings and complimentary guitar effects) that are lower in the mix.

"Philos"

Listening Phase One: Rhythm

• Tempo: Slow
• Source: Drums
• Groove: Starts out low-key and calm, then becomes more driving, then goes back to low-key

Listening Phase Two: Arrangement

• Instrumentation: Drums drive the song with strong accompaniment by both guitar and bass. Strings and timpani also play an important role.
• Song Structure: The song is a very gradual build-up. It starts out with a droning guitar effect that fades into a very quiet and smooth "swelling" melody. The drums, bass, and strings are then introduced. As the song keeps building, there is more variety in all of the instruments' parts. The build is especially signified with a busy drum solo. The part comes to a close to another quiet guitar part that builds into the climax. This is also where the timpani is brought in. After the climax, the song goes back into a collected feel similar to the first half of the song. As the song comes to a close, an sort of atmospheric soundscape is introduced until everything fades out.
• Emotional Architecture: This song is all about emotion. Even without vocals, it conveys many emotions that are hard to pinpoint but easy to relate to. It's a long song that basically just includes a build, a drop, and a quicker build into a soaring climax that drops into melancholy.

Listening Phase Three: Sound Quality

• Height: Low frequencies are provided by the bass, bass drum, toms, and timpani. Mid frequencies are provided by guitar, snare drum, and strings. High frequencies are provided by guitar and strings.
• Width: The bass is not panned. The drums, like most modern drum recordings, are panned to imitate an actual drum kit. There are many guitar and string tracks separated widely across the stereo field
• Depth: The main tracks (guitar, bass, drums, strings) are all equally distributed. There are some layers of sound (strings, complimentary guitar effects, and timpani) that are lower in the mix.

While “Fathom” and “Philos” are both by Russian Circles and both songs appear on the same album, they hold more differences than similarities.

Given that the songs are on the same album, the sound quality is very similar. As discussed in the frameworks, the height, width, and depth are nearly identical. The only difference in this area is that “Philos” includes more prominent orchestral strings in addition to an added layer of timpani. Also similar is the instruments that drive the song. Drums that hold a strong relation with guitar and bass drive both songs.

The melodies of the songs are very different. “Fathom” has much heavier melodies that are also much more rhythmic. “Philos”, on the other hand, has melodies that feel more uplifting. They tend to be higher in frequency and seem to “swell” around the beat rather than provide accompanying rhythm to the drums like “Fathom”. This all contributes to the overall difference of the “mood” of the songs. Whereas “Fathom” is a driving rock song, “Philos” is all about creating and releasing tension to create an all-around emotional journey. “Fathom” throws its hard-hitting melodies straight at the listener, while “Philos” lets the melodies gradually build and recede into new melodies.

All this is greatly enhanced by the tunes’ differing musical quality. “Fathom” focuses the heaviness of its content by mirroring it with heaviness in quality. The rhythms are solid and driving. The intensity is consistent and does not let up until the song is over. The pitch of the guitars and bass tend to stay at mid-range and low-range frequencies, respectively. The timbre of both of these instruments is distinct, too--both use heavy distortion. The speed is a medium tempo, and the organization is relatively simple. “Philos” takes a completely different approach. The rhythms are much more “open”, and there’s not much intensity until the climax of the song. The pitch of the guitars and bass make their way into higher frequencies. There’s more variety in timbre, with clean guitars, reverb, and tasteful use of distortion. The speed is much slower, and the organization is much more dramatic.

Overall, I like “Philos” more. While “Fathom” is a solid song, “Philos” truly shows off the brilliant song-writing skills of Russian Circles. To make an instrumental song so beautiful and emotional is not an easy task, but the band pulled it off with flying colors.