ReMix:Final Fantasy IV "Don't Leave Me" 2:14

Not to be confused with Chromatic Apparatus, newcomer Chromatic Walnut debuts with what he describes as "a roots rock quartet arrangement of "Theme of Love" sent our way shortly after what I'll playfully infer as a potentially lonely Valentine's Day. :-) In all seriousness though, after an immediately engaging intro, I loved the lower writing introduced at :56 to add a different flavor to the guitar work. Walnut employed solid changeups at 1:13 to the backing textures and got more loose with the lead to offer further melodic interpretation, all creative ideas that justified the shorter runtime by not getting repetitive with the presentation. Judge Chimpazilla thought there was potential for more substance, but felt Walnut cracked the code nonetheless:

"Short and sweet, lovely performances. Definitely a cover, but this is an effective and pleasant genre adaptation. The arrangement is short. I prefer a longer, more realized arrangement than this, but what's here is enough for me. There are variations throughout the piece, the drums change just enough to give a slightly different vibe every few bars. The guitar playing is emotional. I wish there was a proper outro; dropping it off cold like this confirms for me that there hasn't been a lot of thought put into the arrangement, other than doing a soft rock cover version. [...] Although I am somewhat let down by the short length and lack of arrangement creativity, I don't find any issues holding this lovely soft piece from being posted in its current form."

In contrast, fellow panelist Emunator wasn't put off at all by the piece's straightforward concept or brevity:

"It's a jam band roots rock arrangement, a little bit of slop and grit is good for the soul. [...] I didn't even find the ending to be too abrupt - the song has already said what it needs to say by that point. Viewing this through the lens of a jam band playing this at a dive bar or in a garage rehearsal space, this accomplishes what it sets out to achieve just fine in its current state."

Meanwhile, XPRTNovice, as torn as he was with his judgement, saw the FF4 vision so vividly that he shared the love with all of us:

"INTERIOR. DINER. NIGHT. Rosa and Cecil are at the end of a weekend-long Gysahl Green binge, dark circles under their eyes as tired old women in poodle skirts pour coffee for patrons that probably can't even taste it. A Shelby's alternator grinds outside, unable to start.

Okay, so that's the vibe I'm getting from this, which is a fun and original take on this tune. The performance is loose- at some times, too loose, but in a way that kind of ads to its charm. [...]

It's sleepy, and a little sloppy, and the ending sort of just...happens. This feels more like a rehearsal of a garage band than it does a performance.

I really do understand why the judges are split on this one, and to be frank I am too. We're barely eking by the length requirement, and even at that 2:13 mark it doesn't feel like much happens in the tune. I am really torn between saying that the piece just needs more *something* and understanding that the vibe/genre/style might be broken if we added too much to it. [...] I'm erring on the side of YES[...]"

Music critique from an accomplished musician along with fanfic from an accomplished writer all in the same vote! Joe's tightrope-walking sentiment for Chromatic Walnut's approval deservedly won the day, which is awesome for our general aspiration to not make the perfect the enemy of the good. The vibe's mellow and the commitment's minimal, so if you're in the mood for some no-strings-attached dating with a musical track, don't leave me, this one's perfect for you! ;-)