If the feel about the recording is not intentional, then it is pure insult to the listeners. The odds and ends (in terms of noise) of recordings audible in headphones (the way I listen to the music here), the pedal noise level, singing into plain performance mike instead of a studio one. Trying to play something one cannot play. There is no such thing as mixing and production in this recording. Poverty is no vice, but... The singing is in style with the music, so is the guitar playing. Bob Dylan's voice is not much more beautiful. But all together this is a home recording attempt with little effort going into it. Probably it is meant to sound like recorded during a protest demonstration. And we are just unprepared. That is why people speak of standards...

"Swim with the Tide" Basic folk style guitar playing with good lyrics and not so good vocals. "Dragging me Down" A moving guitar riff entry gets up and running after a few flaws but it's an awful attempt in most respects. "My Old Friend John" The slightly uptempo rhythm slides to a more downbeat and back again. Vocals are bad and Harmonies not in harmony. "The Dogs of Wednesday" Very good acoustic entry with nicely plucked melodies. This may have been better as an instrumental. The awful guitar break is not in anyway appropriate with the accompanying chords. "CAROLINE _+2_Feb17" A good quality of music with strong lyrics and good backing vocals, but the quality of the main vocals were not up to it. "Don't Let it Get You Down" Guitar playing was a little erratic leading to some musical waywardness. Generally, the acoustic guitar playing is fair to middling with the tracks showing great variations in quality. The vocals though were consistently left wanting. I assume these were a collection of protest songs done in the traditional folk style. This would work if there were a few modifications; better vocals; additional instrument(maybe harmonica); more backing vocals; vocalist avoid getting too close to( or directly in front of) the microphone. A good basics of the folk guitar format and good lyrics are very present, but other areas need attention. With some effort in these areas the next album should be a much improved work.

Some of these songs like "Caroline", and "Swim with the tide,"have great potential. With the right performance and production, these babies would shine! Your lyrics are brilliant.