Notes: I was kind of disappointed in the MV. I was hoping for something more suit-porn related. Sure I know they were going for gangster, but you don't have to be a street thug to be a gangster. I was hopping for something like Mob Boss, top dog in high fashion with the tats of earlier days... They gave us a taste of it with the little bursts of story, but not enough.

Overall, the album is great, easily marketable to fan both inside and outside Korea, and it proves that Henry does have what it takes to go solo. I'll forever think of him as part of Super Junior, but still, he can go far on his own.

Also, I think this is one of SM's best releases this year so far. I'm not sure if I'm happy about that, or sad that it's taken them so long to gear up for 2013.

Trap started out beautifully. Right from the get-go, I was happy with it. The classical instrumentation and the street-wise beat go fabulously together. It's a pretty low-key track it doesn't build tension through pacing, but rather through raising the pitch as the song progresses. I like the bridge very much; it's a nice classical overlay that still feels very street-stuck. I even like Taemin and Kyuhyun's brief appearances, their voices wrok very well with Henry's I very much approve of it. I would have liked it better if the MV had told a more complex story. It's a great story telling song. The MV's story was a very basic love-lost thing. I was hoping for something like I Remember (Bang YongGuk & Yang Yoseb).

Ah well, I give it a 6/10: Good Job.

1-4-3 has a nice bounce to it. The build up is also really well done, the melodic line is balanced and cleanly shaped.The song itself is also really cute. 1-4-3 as the number of letters in I-LOVE-YOU and then 4-8-6 as the strokes in 사랑해. It's a good lesson in Korean slang, and an adorable ode to a love with an outsider which definitely appeals to non-Korean fans (like moi). Overall it's a nice upbeat song that isn't upbeat simply because it's fast. I like it.
My Everything is a nice chill, almost campfire sounding song. I love the relaxed vibe of the guitar in contrast to the beat. It builds nicely and balances all the parts, the chorus doesn't explode but instead washes nicely over the listener, especially with the violins and the piano in the background. The English is an interesting add, I've got no complaints with it. All of the transitions have a nice lean-in pick-up of at least two beats and still the transitions are dramatic enough to create solid movement. The bridge is lovely and amps up the tension while taking away instrumentation and distraction (something too rarely done these days). The ending comes up suddenly but in a way that leaves you nicely breathless rather than lost. It's a good solid track.
Ready 2 Love starts with subdued tension that continues to build throughout the piece. It's well spatialized and really makes a listener move. Again it's a low-ish key song, not really all that fast, I'm guessing around 120 bpm, but it feels like it's going way faster than that, which give it this wonderfully dizzying feel of tension and mental release when tied to Henry's high-line vocals. Very nicely done, and again the ending comes up quick but not in a bad way.
Holiday screams vacation in every way most delightfully. It's very fun and light, even with the heavy beat. It's loose and freeing, a great summertime track. The claps and the rapid, loose-toned vocals give it a very organic feel. It speeds up slightly in the choruses and, uniquely, it makes the listener very aware of that fact with short vamps just beforehand. The double-bridge sort of thing is very nice, and quite unique. And the song calls to what everyone is thinking about, their stresses and how they need to just get away. It's a good track and very easy to relate to.
I Would shows off Henry's piano and violin skills beautifully, both playing and composition. It also brings out the unique smokiness  of his voice, it's not quite rough, but it's on the tight and definitely not the typical solo-ballad-singer voice. It is very nice to listen to though. The English is a nice touch too, this whole album has been very cleverly geared towards international fans.This song is well structured and well balanced, and just nice to listen to.

Overall, I give these tracks an 8/10: Fabulous!

Be My Shine is synth heavy, it really doesn't need as much as it has the ostinato pattern either fades away into the backdrop or just gets annoying depending on how you listen. It doesn't change position, it doesn't spatialize, it's just there. Other than that the song is lovely and bright, it has a nice energy from the Melody alone and the beat lends it a feel of urgency. The synths are great in the bridge, but only if you haven't grown to hate them by then.
Dance Dance Dance, as I've said before, is one of the few fusions of cute energy and vibrant power that Boyfriend is likely capable of putting out. There's only a very fine line to walk between the two concepts and they've tried and failed a few times, but they've also hit it right on the mark a few times too. This leans a bit towards using the dance-y synths to push an infusion of energy, but still.
My Lady is sweet and energetic, very suitable for a drama OST or general BGM. It has good shape, but no spark to keep me listening as it progresses.
Hitomi no Melody is a sweet, soft-toned song, even with the introduction of heavy bass. Prototypical of boyfriend, and nothing unique in the world of cutesy boybands.

I give them a 4/10: Meh, Not Bad

Code Name; Spy Get Love is a cool intro song, very dramatic. Totally misleading though, there's nothing in the rest of the album to justify it being the 1st track. Even Dangerous & Supernatrual are nothing like it. I LOVE it and there SHOULD be many more tracks like this on future Boyfriend releases. It's still a bit rough, because they've never done anything like it before, but it still has solid energy and melodic movement. A little too much autotune, and a little too much synth overlay, but still pretty good.
First Kiss starts off cool and quirky. It jumps pretty quickly into fairly typical cute-group music and the vamp it samples is a) way over used, and b) totally not suitable for this song. The chorus is lovely and light, but without the rest of the song pulling it's own weight, it falls fairly flat.
Party Plane is nice and bright. It's elegantly built, the transitions are lovely, and it's fabulously catchy. As a whole it has a great energy and it moves well. The bridge seems pretty unnecessary, but it's a cute bit of Engrish. The last few choruses build nicely and the ending comes up with expectations, but it ends on an upbeat, not a downbeat, so it only gets half points.
Supernatural is what I've wanted ever since their water floor teaser way back when. Boyfriend, their cute concept aside, are really good at this sort of aggressive thing. I'd love it if more 'flowerboy' groups went for an aggressive angle. You don't have to be stereotypically manly to have some powerful moves. The song itself is only okay, it's not very well balanced, but I like it conceptually.
Dangerous has some more dramatic elements in it. This is the sort of song I want to hear more of from Boyfriend, they're good at it. There's still the higher pitched aspect that trends towards cutesy, but there's an undercurrent of anxiety and energy that they could really utilize more.
My I is cute, very energetic. Catchy and melodically vibrant, it moves very well.The transitions float lightly together and the piano gives it a chipper and elegant vibe. It's definitely a great song.
Waikiki sounds like a wintertime beach vacation, it has elements of Christmas music and elements of beach-y fluff. It seems like its trying to be too many different things at once, because there's also elements of summer-time relaxation jam and summer-time party-anthem. I like the pitch-bending in the bass, but it doesn't actually feel necessary, it's just a bit neat.

I give them a 4/10: Meh, Not Bad.

SIDE NOTES: I just LOVE the album art and all the promotional pics that came with this release, the concepts were a little disparate in a way that I don't think made much sense, and the MV was an epileptic's nightmare, but they all looked so good I didn't really care . . . I mean really, Joon and that hat, sweet shisus, it was glorious.

Smoky Girl is spatialized beautifully, that wandering sawtooth bass synth and the urgency of it all adds tension and a feeling of space. It's very subdued though, even the releases don't let you drop far they've established a static level of tension and move you though versions of it without really letting you breathe. It's usually not a pleasant thing, a feeling of being yanked around, but the way this track does it makes you feel like you're being led by the hand through the best adventures . . . It's smoothe and gorgeous as a unique but still a chaotically complied entity. The one thing I really don't like is that the ending comes at you like a bus though, or rather like an alarm clock yanking you out of a really good dream. I don't like it, but I like the idea behind it.

I give it an easy 9/10!

Sexy Beat sets the album's tone very well, a quirky and intriguing interpretation of Lounge that mixes dance track synths and complex beats with a variety of strange, enticing, dream-scape, flavors.
R U OK . . . I'm not clear on the motivation MBLAQ has for song titles made of capital letters instead of words, but at least this one has discernible meaning. This is another very classy and jazzy lounge-like track that is laid back enough to be BGM, but interesting enough to an independent treat.
Celebrate is light and fluid ballad. It's not as intense as some of MBLAQ's other ballad tracks, but it still has this undercurrent of energy that gives the song life. The end-chorus is my favorite section, and I love the way it ends in a whoosh as if none of it matters or even really happened.
Girl is not my favorite track on this release, but one it really gets started it's lovely. The wait for that first chorus drags a bit too long for me, but once it does get here the rest of the song falls neatly together. It's a very casual and relaxed coffee shop soundtrack
Dress Up is a very interesting track. It's title seems innocent and the light, playful sounds keep that vibe going. But the "dress up" notion does not refer to a childhood game, and the deep bass and sultry vocals convey that very well. It's a clever mix and I like it.

Over all, they're worth a 7/10: Me Gusta!

I was introduced to this track by a friend that called it 'oddly catchy' and I couldn't agree more. It starts off with a synth orchestra and a heavy beat and cute little vocals and then there's some acoustic guitar in there too and they all somehow manage to fit neatly together in a highly energized and organized manner. The song is simple and seems like it should feel horribly disorganized, and yet for some reason it doesn't. The bridge breaks it down with some sassy sweet attitude and then it goes right back into the over the top adorable flawlessly.

I give it a 7/10: Me Gusta.

Kiss Me has a nice carefree sass to it. It also carries over the lovely melodic catchiness of Sunshine. It has a unique flavor to it because of the interesting mix of synth and organic instruments. This whole release seems to have it and I really like that they've taken to a rather risky sound and are pushing it for all it's worth. That sort of gumption is a very good thing to see in any group but a girl group especially. The song isn't lyrically sophisticated or deep, but musically it's quite wonderful.
Don't Touch keeps the unique flavor of the other tracks but throws in a more distinctly retro vibe. Melodically, it's another very catchy song, and again not the deepest track in history, but still, it's meant to be a fun summer song and that is exactly what it is.
Let's Dance feels more classically Rainbow to me than the other tracks on this release, but it still has this album's flair in it. The synth strong attitude, bright and powerful vocal melody is fabulous, but it softens too much in the chorus for my tastes. The rap section makes up for it and the pause before it dives back into the soft chorus makes perfect sense and redeems the chorus for me.
I'll Wait For You is fantastic. It has a supercharged energy that is also laid-back and confident. The high synths are so perfect, I can't even . . . wistful and keening and yet fully assured and satisfied. The bridge transition is beautiful, from full on synths to beautiful piano and then right back, and the final series of ever more intense build-ups and each almost release is so elegant. Then ending comes up incredibly quick, but rather than feeling sudden, it's a nice breath of air and a smoothe release of all the tension.
EENIE MEENIE MINIE MOE is a very cool sounding song. Jazzy bassline, 80's movie musical melodic structure, very conversationally and soundtracky in just the coolest way. Another fantastic bridge with attitude  and then another gorgeous transition to piano, and then right back . . . cute voices and yet also powerful vocal lines and very strong,very impressive, high notes.
Chewing Time is yet another track with a unique sound. It's not really my style, but I'm a huge fan of how they interspersed the rap and melodic elements, and the spatialization of the various instrumental elements makes it feel like you're really in a fun modernized jazz or swing club.

Over all I give them a 9/10!

Bass heavy in the best way! It's still soft and summery, very sweet and a safe release for a girl group on the newer side of the scale. Melodically, it has a nice flow, it's relaxed and nice to listen too. There's nothing especially unique about it, but over all it's lovely.

5/10: Pretty Good.

ByeByeBye is a lovely little acoustic ballad. It's crafted very well, the transitions between sections come quick enough to keep me interested, but are smoothe enough not to disrupt the fact that this is a slower song. The element of the electric guitar makes it feel keening and energized, which I really liked. The ending came up a bit suddenly, but not to whiplash degrees.
Anymore is another song with a sort of soft summer feel. This one's more emotionally charged than Luv Virus, more rebellious certainly. The bridge in this one felt out of place. Yes, this is a sort of self confidence revolution, but the rest of the song is just too summer-soft to suit the electric guitar breakdown. Also it seems like it was included only because the song required a bridge, not that the bridge flowed naturally into place. Still very nicely done over all.
Sunny Day goes back to slow and soft acoustic. The mix of genres confuses me, it's like they're trying to be the safe and sweet girl group but also want to break out of that mold, but don't have the confidence to really commit. This whole release is lovely coffee shop music, even with Anymore & Luv Virus's heavy bass. Sunny Day is especially demonstrative of the coffee shop atmosphere, with the deep thrum of the bass during the chorus. It's a nice song, lovely, but it just doesn't stand out to me much. I liked the ending though, that was quite cute and I like the irony of it.
My Turn . . . I HATE how it opens. Honestly I'm sort of hoping that my copy just has a bug and the jerking cut offs are an error. As someone used to having to notice, assess, and correct audio playback for a living, it freaks me out when a song is SUPPOSED to sound like a skipping record. Other than that it's another safe song, sweet and soft, and on the slower side of things. Nothing special and nothing offensive.

5/10: Pretty Good.

It's good, nice and smooth and full of the classy glamor of Jazzy Lounge music. It moves really well, the balance between sections is good. It really is a solid track. The ostinato . . . everything bothered me. All of the instrumental elements have extraordinarily little variation. It's not just the underlying beat, that continually repeats, it's everything. They make it work pretty well, but still.

I give it a 5/10.

Hell Yeah is great. It's got a unique flair to it, and I really like it's style. Again, the ostinato elements are a little tiring, but in this they're not overwhelming. It's a great intro and shows off their skills well.
Go Away is another very solid song. This whole release from C-Clown has this great energy like the classic Jazz Lounge has been updated for modern media.The melodic curves of the track are really lovely. The apparently chronic issue C-Clown has with ostinato elements is still there, but only barely. The ending comes up all of a sudden, but it's not too ridiculous.
It Was Like That Then starts off as my easy favorite, with that nice high energy synth. It then settles into this chill semi-acoustic sounding thing that I quite enjoy. ALi's voice fits in nicely too. It just rolls along pleasantly.
So Pretty sounds very nighttime cafe BGM. The piano and the guitar underneath the vocals is quite lovely, there's one part that feels a bit weird (around 2:24) but other than that it evolves beautifully. The ending just appears and drops you, which does bother me, but over all I like it.

I give them a 7/10.

Really, this is absolutely GORGEOUS. This is the sort of song that gives me a little bit of faith back in the American Music Industry. So beautiful; I had to listen to it for a few days before I could stop rocking out long enough to review it. Lyrically, it's not terribly complicated, but it does evolve subtly throughout and it the evolution is greatly meaningful. Beyond that, the vocal harmonic doubling is gorgeous, breathtaking. The Sampling is superb, used for both rhythmic and harmonic purposes. The guitar lines cross with the vocals' overtones with this beautiful echo effect that strengthens both lines perfectly. The guitars' upbeats land perfectly on the drums' downbeats and the baseline pushes a fabulously energetic rhythm (the high tones overlay against it perfectly creating this sense of stretch and distance within the piece itself).
It's absolutely fantastically done, and I adore it.

I am very excited for June and the Album's release!

And as an added bonus, the PV is pretty spectacular too. Simple, clean, & elegant, it moves with the song, gives out every possible bit of information one could reasonably ask for, and it's perfectly timed. I have serious tech-envy for the program that was used to create it!

Meh, it's a decent track. It's far overshadowed by the MV, but it's an okay start to their career. The structure's pretty simple, very much the industry standard. It's catchy and has a nice beat, but it's nothing spectacular or attention grabbing. Ga-In's feature in the bridge felt entirely unnecessary, thrown in simply to have a BEG girl feature in the debut track of the "BEG Boys".

I give it a 4/10: energetic BGM.

Skirmish is solid, very edgy yet nice and smoothe. It's got a pretty simple structure, but that's all it needs. The almost-minimalist feel is actually pretty cool for a rap song. The bridge has this little sitting-on-a-beach bit in one of the backing synths that confused me, but hey, still a good track.
Hold On is great. The Engrish is interesting, but it's good enough to not be too distracting. It has great build and spatialization. The arpeggio motif transfers between instruments very well, building up the tension with ease. The ending's a bit too sudden, but still good.
Ready Set Go is fabulous. It's got a great pulse. It builds up and then drops out from under you, not to the point that you flounder, just enough to wake you up. The chorus is a bit meh, lyrically, but structurally it works perfectly. All of these track feel like they're going somewhere, but this is the only one that actually feels like it gets there.

I give them a 6/10: playlist material.