The Song of the Forest: As a vocalist by training, I really appreciate your use of recorded voice! Vocal parts add an extra element to musicality in that you get to choose the timbre and characteristic of what the sound says. I like your choice of emphasizing the “h” in the syllable you used as it adds an element of wind that might be blowing through the trees of your forest. This is a really cool submission and I also liked the mixing of it all!
Discovery: This track has such a lush sound to it. I love the low drone you have that just echoes throughout. The upper layers are all synergistic and while each is simple, they all come together to create a really cool and unique sound.
The Path Back Home: The plucky synth at the beginning such a fun sound. It reminds me of the various Wii menu themes and gives a sense of calm nostalgia from when I remember spending hours making all my different Miis when I was a kid. Maybe not what you intended, but I certainly appreciated it!
We All Dream: This is some great lyrical work. I think this really captures the theme for the jam from both the word theme and the picture theme. When the drums come in and change the feel to a swung rhythm, I loved that subversion of what I thought I understood about the song. That was such a cool technique to add to the meaning behind the lyrics in that there is more depth in the meaning the further into the song you get.
Day After Day: This one starts off with a strong chord progression vamp and intriguing rhythm. This one built up to something that I think became my favorite track in your OST. I listened to this one on repeat for a while. :)
Everything Must Come to an End: I am a big fan of the middle section in which the piano slows to what sounds like a slow triplet section while the melody stays within the same meter. This is a really cool polymetric effect. I like the somber tone of the harmony that accompanies the lyrical meaning and think this is a great end to the melancholic tale that your OST tells.
Overall: There was a lot of creativity and musicality put into this OST. It was so refreshing to hear something as unique as lyrics in a video game OST competition. I think you’ve set a new standard and I hope to hear more composers using voice recordings in future jams!