De Profundis

fionmul: Timeless story, timeless music. Zimmer is a GOAT.

• Edward James +2 — This is probably the most perfect read of the category. Brad said last night that I dreamed a dream would be the best choice. I think it would tie this one, but not surpass it. I don’t think there is any song that better captures the biblical sense of longing and unanswered deliverance. Everything about this movie is a miracle, and nothing like it will probably ever be made again. I can’t listen to this without being deeply and viscerally moved.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Absolutely incredible. Perfect submission.
• ared56 +1
• Sam Ary +1 — goated
• judd.baker +1 — My read of this category was heavily informed by the title being a Psalm, and in that vein, I think this submission is perfect.
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — I just found that there is a solemnity to the way the title of the round is phrased. I respect alternative takes but feel my own is valid as well.
• SamRobertsND 0 — A great choice.
• Claire 0 — It’s an epic song. Didn’t make the podium for me, though, I think in part because it’s almost too literal? As in, it’s a literal plea to God in the context of a biblical story whereas I feel like what I was looking for was something more poetic and/or figurative. But I recognize that these are not necessarily the only criteria one could judge by
• shea nowicki -1 — I 1000% know I'm in the minority on this-- it fits the category in every possible way on paper, but just didn't quite get me lamenting. Maybe just because I'm not listening in the context of the movie itself? Maybe because the beat isn't the sound I'd gravitate toward during personal moments of lamenting? I don't really know

• fionmul +1 — I am torn because this feels like a meme but it is really good for this round. Mama Mulholland liked it.
• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — Wow, check out the legendary fridge pull *reveals promotional Spider-Man Green Goblin flavored Pepsi* They're not Three Doors Down, but Creed is my Kryptonite
• Sam Ary +1 — 1 time for Creed
• Edward James 0 — This is a great choice, and one that I figured someone would make lol. I know this might be hypocritical, but I’ve just heard Sammy play this so much over the last three months that I can’t vote for it.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Can’t take this seriously as a cry from the depths with that singing
• judd.baker 0 — This song just goes so hard. Beat out slightly by a few others in terms of lyrical content/matching of the theme, but credit must be given

Joseph Harvey: Any Sufjan hate will be met with swift and exacting retribution.

• shea nowicki +1 — Sufjan never misses. Slow, contemplative, pained.... this has it all. Very slay pick.
• Sam Ary +1
• Claire +1 — At this point I feel like a broken record but Sufjan really is just a master songwriter and this is one of his best. In the midst of grief and utter desolation and self destruction he still can’t escape the specter of the cross.
• judd.baker +1 — This whole album is very crying out from the depths, and this is an excellent pick from it.
• fionmul 0 — Come at me then; I actually do not like his voice here and do not like the song.
• Edward James 0 — I like this a lot, but again it seems to be a bit of a sad story song more so than a despair song to me.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Meh

Edward James: I do it for my daddy and I do it for Dale

• fionmul +2 — I really liked this take: the nihilistic American teen cries out, esp. considering the real life of the artist.
• shea nowicki +1 — Surprised me, but I really really liked the American teenage angst of this pick.
• Claire +1 — Ethel Cain I was not familiar with your game. I keep coming back to listen to this song. I think the ambient vibe/instrumentation/sonic landscape do a really excellent job of capturing the desperation we hear about lyrically. I really want to listen to the whole album now
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Vocals were drowned out by reverb so I can’t tell what she was saying
• SamRobertsND 0 — I liked this one well enough.

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Great choice Sammy. This is beautiful and poetic
• Claire +1 — Just devastating. This song breaks my heart every time I listen to it. Assuming this is a Sammy pick. Well played
• judd.baker +1 — Lyrically this is perfect, I think this is a bullseye for the theme. It’s not just sad, it’s devastated
• fionmul 0 — Almost there for me, maybe a 5th or 4th vote. I listened and heard mainly a story but wanted to hear him cry out more explicitly.
• Edward James 0 — Fantastic song, but I agree with Fiona again here that this is more a story and not a cry from the depths, which is what I was looking for
• SamRobertsND 0 — My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
• Regina Scime -1

Sam Ary: Long live the Queen

• Regina Scime +2 — Only the cultured know why this piece is so sad
• fionmul 0 — Stop don’t make me cry. ILY Princess Di.
• Edward James 0 — I feel like this is actually more of a hopeful song. It fits in terms of how it sounds, but when you look at the words, I don’t think if fits the category.
• SamRobertsND 0 — The other classical piece on here was better.
• Claire 0 — This song is so beautiful. And it’s definitely mournful, but to me it feels mournful in a way that’s more hopeful and restful? Respect the read of the theme but it’s just not what I was looking for

• Joseph Harvey +1 — WHAT!? That was insane. Incredibly progressive, the build in the second half is totally out of nowhere and awesome. Love the screams. I think connection to the theme could be slightly stronger, but the song is interesting enough to win my vote anyways and I’ll contend it’s still a valid read on the theme. I know people will take issue however.
• ared56 +1
• fionmul 0 — The lyrics evaded me but by the end I think I saw the desperation there. Just didn’t like it that much.
• Edward James 0 — I really liked this song. I totally get why phoebe is so popular but it’s just not my thing, until this song. However, I really don’t see this as desperation/lamentation. It seems vaguely hopeful to me, more about starting over and fearing the next steps than a cry from the very bottom.
• shea nowicki 0 — Phoebe just hits a really vulnerable deep part of my heart!!!
• Claire 0 — When I first saw this song I thought “OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS PERFECT FOR THE THEME.” After all, it does have the most excellent “cry” of any of the submissions. But after listening through the playlist a couple times I felt like this song wasn’t quite capturing grief or despair so much as existential malaise and perhaps apocalyptic chaos. Slightly different vibe. A fantastic song nonetheless
• judd.baker 0 — This was phenomenal. Musically my favorite submission here
• SamRobertsND -1 — It's a no from me, dawg. I really liked the change in instrumentation toward the end, though. The gasping noises at the end were weird, but I liked the coughing noises in Cocoa Butter Kisses, so go figure.
• Sam Ary -1

judd.baker: To the Operator, a psalm of Jim

• Edward James +1 — This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted from this category. We lost Jim Croce Way too soon my best old ex friend Ray is one of the best lines ever. This do be how it is, any capture in perfect poetry.
• SamRobertsND +1 — I really liked this choice! Thought it was out of pocket in the best way.
• fionmul 0 — Cute idea but not it for me
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Eh
• Sam Ary 0 — Great song
• ared56 -1
• Claire -1 — Again, I guess it’s just not desperate enough for me? Yes, Jim, your heart is broken and I’m very sorry. I love the song but it doesn’t get a vote

• shea nowicki +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — I stand by my discount Train comment from the last round, but I really liked the lyrics on this one.
• fionmul 0 — This was a great idea but I do not like the execution, a bit too corny/Christian rock for me. Neither up nor down. Perhaps a 5th place vibe.
• Claire 0 — Maybe this is my emo phase talking (still in that phase, never left) but this seems…too hopeful? Yes we all desire to be loved and that’s painful sometimes. But I wasn’t getting desperation from this one
• Edward James -1 — This is where I take a stance alongside Fiona. This is more a song about a sad situation, not specifically a cry of despair. It also ends up a vaguely hopeful note. There were a couple songs I felt this way about, but this was the one that I enjoyed the least, therefore it gets the down vote.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — I do not like this band
• judd.baker -1 — This left the least impression on me of the pack, I think. It is a little bit too generically emotional/sad and not really “out of the depths,” imo.

Regina Scime: I don’t care if you think it’s too long, listen to the whole thing

• Edward James 0 — I really enjoyed this and it’s great for the theme but I just don’t feel like it’s what I wanted. I would rather give my votes elsewhere, but want to be clear it was a great addition.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I liked the bit where they said “my son”
• shea nowicki 0 — My MDiv classmate said "OMG THE ERIC WHITACRE, best song on there" when I showed her the playlist. I felt like whoever posted this should know
• Claire 0 — I did listen to the whole thing, a few times, and it’s really beautiful. What a lovely setting of this text. I do really think though that scale plays an essential role in an artwork’s ability to make an aesthetic impact, and I do feel like ultimately the length does detract from the impact in this particular case. Maybe this is just me trying to justify my poor attention span…but I do believe this to be true philosophically
• judd.baker 0 — I understand the idea behind submitting a massive sweeping choral piece, especially one that is literally about David, but I think you gotta know your audience and your context. I have to listen to these songs in the form of a Spotify playlist. When your song alone takes up almost 30% of the listening, that’s a massive debt of good will that the song has to make up for.
• fionmul -1 — It is too long and I refuse. I am so sorry but there has to be a line. It feels wrong to downvote in a sense due to the text but I feel quite strongly about this. This is like a family praying a 15 decade rosary as the add-on to their blessing before meals. Too much is too much.