{"title":"2:15 AM Toast","style":"indie folk rock, warm acoustic guitar, live drum feel, warm upright bass, raw male vocal, natural room ambience, unpolished human performance, conversational delivery, studio quality, 84 bpm, deadpan storytelling, dry vocal mix, un-quantized groove, subtle pitch imperfections, loose rhythm"} [Vocal Profile: warm conversational baritone, dry vocal recording, natural breathing, subtle pitch imperfections, quiet nighttime delivery, off-mic mumbles] [Intro: { voice: "soft male", delivery: "whispered sigh into quiet acoustic strumming", instruments: "isolated fingerpicked acoustic guitar with loud fret squeaks" }] {"bpm": 84} (Soft, quiet sigh off-mic) (Simple, slightly un-quantized acoustic strumming pattern in C major) Quiet, quiet... don't touch the floorboard. [Verse 1: { voice: "male", delivery: "hushed, conversational, lazy flow", instruments: "acoustic guitar + quiet bass thumps" }] The second floorboard from the fridge always groans, Sounds like a bag of broken old bones. I tried to step over it onto the rug, But I stubbed my small toe on your favorite coffee mug. Left it on the floor again by the cabinet door. I didn't yell out... just stood there sore. [Verse 2: { voice: "male", delivery: "dry, observational, casual slant-rhymes", instruments: "soft brushed snare + light kick drum enter" }] The toaster dial is stuck on number four, Which burns the edges right down to the core. I tried to push the lever down as quiet as I could, Like a guy breaking into a house in the woods. Now I'm staring at the little red glowing coils inside, Counting down the seconds where the shadows hide. (Acoustic guitar pauses for half a beat, slightly off-grid) Waiting for the pop. [Pre-Chorus: { voice: "male", delivery: "rising dynamic, hushed tension", instruments: "light piano notes enter + soft tambourine tap" }] If that spring hits the metal with a sharp loud sound, The dog's gonna bark and start jumping around. Then you'll come down the stairs in your oversized shirt, Asking why I'm eating bread in my socks in the dirt. And I won't have a good reason at all. [Chorus: { voice: "male soaring but hushed", delivery: "unpolished belt, controlled quiet register", instruments: "full acoustic band, loose live feel" }] And the world is asleep while the heating vent humming, Waiting on a piece of sourdough coming. Nothing deep, nothing heavy or strange, Just a guy in a kitchen looking for a little change. Yeah, two minutes of quiet in the dark. [Verse 3: { voice: "male", delivery: "quiet, reflective", instruments: "stripped back to acoustic guitar + sparse piano" }] I scraped the burnt crust off into the sink, Using the butter knife... trying not to clink. There's a butter stain melting right through the paper towel, And the neighbor's porch light just turned on now. I wonder if he's standing in his kitchen too, Doing the exact same thing I'm trying to do. [Bridge: { voice: "male", delivery: "muttered over gentle acoustic strumming", instruments: "soft brush drum roll, loose acoustic strum" }] I could fix that floorboard with a couple of screws, Or I could just remember which tile not to use. One takes an hour and a trip to the store, The other just means watching where I tread on the floor. (Short pause, acoustic string noise) I'll probably just keep stepping over it. [Final Chorus: { voice: "male", delivery: "full chest voice, hushed but warm", instruments: "full band, warm bass, ringing acoustic chords" }] And the world is asleep while the heating vent humming, Waiting on a piece of sourdough coming. Nothing deep, nothing heavy or strange, Just a guy in a kitchen looking for a little change. Yeah, chewing on the crust by the microwave light, Hoping tomorrow goes a little bit right. [Outro: { voice: "male", delivery: "fading, quiet mumble", instruments: "acoustic guitar trailing off, soft refrigerator hum" }] (Toaster lever clicks quietly) Made it. (Single acoustic chord rings out, fret squeak at the end) Don't wake the dog.
