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. Top Track: Smoky Girl Final Score: 8/10 | Promotional Track ~ 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! Other ~ 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! |
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