I did this SAB arrangement for Mixtape Chorus in March 2023. We've done quite a few songs by this band (Ball Park Music). What can we say? They write great songs.

My reading of this song: it's about the loss of innocence.

The singers muses:

I'm starting to wonder was it all a lie?

Was there ever a time I had stars in my eyes?

Wrap me in blankets, plan a surprise

Tell me that I've still got stars in my eyes

A great indie-pop bop from 2001. This one was on my Mixtape Chorus to-do list since I started back in 2018. (I have a Spotify playlist called "Mixtape Someday Songs" that will eventually all get arranged)

No one can resist the catchy 'hip hip' vocal hook.

I really enjoy playing synth drums for this one (and blistering synth guitar solo).

The arrangement is pretty simple all round. In the chorus, the Sops and the Boms (baritone part) sing the melody an octave apart, and the altos sing a harmony in the middle (like the filling in a sandwich).

The bridge has some chunky 3-part homophonic chords, and I usually advise the singers to sing smooth wall-to-wall chords here.

A great sea ballad/sea shanty with a rolling 9/8 rhythm. This song was introduced to me by Ewan Lawrie from the Canberra Shanty Club. The version he sent me is the one by The Longest Johns. This song is often sung at the Canberra Shanty Club to close out the night.

I did an arrangement for Strange Weather Choir (based on the Longest Johns version), and taught it at a workshop at Smith's Alternative in Canberra. Video here.

I LOVE this song. Another banger by Alex Lahey - an artist we’ve covered a number of times at Mixtape Chorus. The song is high octane, high energy, full of positivity. A great driving tune.

One of the best uses of the vi chord in any song I've heard.