MP3: Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom
The difference between the "Reader's companion" version of the Moonbabies track "At the ballroom" and the final album version are very subtle. It gives you a good idea of the kind of studio wizardry that Ola Frick is capable of, but it's not the full story. Prior to receiving the approved song that ended up on my comp, I was sent two other mixes, the first being drastically different from either of the ones made public. It's still very much the same song, but the arrangement is much more sparse and heavy on the snare backbeat. It makes me hopeful that someday they will put out a collection of demos and outtakes because I'm sure it would be fascinating. As for my favorite pick of the litter, I must bow to the band's sensibilities and agree that the newest, full-album version is by far the best. It's such a lush and gorgeous piece of pop beauty. I daresay it's almost perfect, but I suspect that Ola could still whip up an even better take that would blow me away.
Moonbabies - Take me to the ballroom