pretty okay - some things

​pretty okay

some things
self-released; 2017

​3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Pretty okay is a solo project from an artist located in Pennsylvania. He recently released some things which is a lo-fi album that at its heart revolves around vocals and acoustic guitar.

He has a high pitched almost childlike, calming voice. The lyrics that I could make out were often pretty melancholy. He sings about being alone, not knowing how to cope and not knowing anyone. They're not exactly poetic and feel more like a journal entry.

He opens with “dreaming” which starts with a simple guitar picking as he laments into the microphone. The groove is pretty cool that kicks in after the one-minute-mark but it also gets off time and feels a bit disorganized at times. It’s a good song but there are parts that go on too long and I think the song would have worked better at around four minutes. 

On the track “group chat” he declares “people suck” in a somewhat comedic way while “half hope” is a sparse instrumental track revolving around guitar picking. “half hope” ends but then doesn't end. The last twenty-five seconds of silence seemed unnecessary.

“i'll miss you” is an extremely melancholy sounding song where he mostly repeats the lyric “I’ll miss you.”  “in it/outside” is a highlight because of the vocal melodies. “like always” is probably the most upbeat song on the album with a jazzy organ. He closes with another notable highlight amongst the batch “the cards.”

If this artist is going to continue to self-produce I think it would be advantageous to learn more about engineering and production. There are too many issues to go through but even a twenty- five percent increase by implementing basic EQ and compression techniques and there would be some clarity. I enjoy lo-fi recording but this is a case where it’s too much and affects the potential of the songs. 

As a songwriter I think he has a good amount of talent but I couldn't help but think these songs would be be even better with other members to contribute. I think trimming some of the fat off the songs could help as well if he is looking for a more professional presentation.

Pretty okay has potential and I enjoyed the material. That being said there is still a good amount of things that could easily be improved and I look forward to his evolution. Recommended.

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