Caught a 96 BPM groove tapping on the bench armrest—syncopated kick on the “&” of 3. Might layer a muted guitar triplet over bars 5–8 to create lift…
Idea to try: short plate reverb on the snare, high-passed at ~600 Hz so it doesn’t cloud the low end. Sidechain the pad to the kick only in the chorus to open the verses.
“In the half-light on Alberta / my shadow learns your name” — keep chorus monosyllabic; verse 2 pivots to call-and-response with harmony thirds…
Test a descending bass walk for the pre-chorus to signal the drop. Consider sparse percussion (claves or rim) to leave space for vocal texture.
Chain rough-in: LA‑2A (2–3 dB GR), Pultec low-shelf dip @ 100 Hz, Neve 33609 bus comp in parallel. Aim for breathy presence without sibilance…
De-ess pre-bus @ ~6.5 kHz, then add a gentle tilt EQ +1.5 dB above 4 kHz. Automate 1 dB lift on the last word of each phrase.