tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80513981643051212522024-03-19T01:33:27.937-07:00Init_Musicrefresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.comBlogger1287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-19295067207866988062024-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:002024-03-14T00:55:55.164-07:00하현우 - ΙΘάκη (2018)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiuMGm1bdTEASfe3q06bYhkK55BPLF_tTejuPBCrZW-jdD38rT0TPiy1BmBvhURO-0hwa_gtJ_IhcuD7GySGFibbcoTPITy-v-NkB-rvdacwtdI3rbvi96rASaoqIPGXc6dRl-XUgJLBV93L7d9JXbnfYM6wSL2hgLubJhLSbYLmJ8oEQoe227S2kLmc/s500/%ED%95%98%ED%98%84%EC%9A%B0%20-%20%CE%99%CE%98%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B7%202018.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiuMGm1bdTEASfe3q06bYhkK55BPLF_tTejuPBCrZW-jdD38rT0TPiy1BmBvhURO-0hwa_gtJ_IhcuD7GySGFibbcoTPITy-v-NkB-rvdacwtdI3rbvi96rASaoqIPGXc6dRl-XUgJLBV93L7d9JXbnfYM6wSL2hgLubJhLSbYLmJ8oEQoe227S2kLmc/s320/%ED%95%98%ED%98%84%EC%9A%B0%20-%20%CE%99%CE%98%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B7%202018.jpg"/></a></div>Being the most involved with songwriting as well as the frontman of <a>Guckkasten</a>, it's absolutely no surprise that <a title="하현우">Ha Hyun-woo</a> would eventually release a solo project. This particular one comes on the heels of his band's EP, <a href="/2024/03/guckkasten-stranger-2017.html">Stranger</a>, which I found stagnating amidst their mainstream fame. What a solo project does offer Ha is a chance to break free from his band's signature sound, even though he's their main songwriter, and explore some different musical spaces. The EP he produced, <span title="ΙΘάκη">Ithaca</span>, does just that, touching on more traditional rock ballads, differently textured rock songs, and gentle instrumentals. But while they are different from what I'm used to hearing from Ha, I still have to admit that the music on display is merely fine.</p>
<p>The EP opens with one of two variations of its title track, starting with the gentle pop piano of <a>AEV</a>'s take on the instrumental, strings joining in to add some more agency and contrast. It ends with a warmer, drifting guitar arrangement with <a title="정성하">Jung Sung-ha</a> on the guitar--some of the transitional strums being just a little too overhit, but it's just the guitar without the strings this time, appropriately to close the EP.</p>
<p>The strings in the opener also prepare the listener for the EP's single, "Home", which is a rock ballad that's eventually full of dramatic strings. As you might expect from Ha, he gets a moment to blast his voice, this time backed by swelling strings and the song has some light shades of Korean rock from the 1980's in particular with the melodic construction, but it's followed by low pitched talk-singing from Ha. The song is a little predictable within the space of classic Korean rock-influenced ballads, fine for a passing listen, but not the kind of thing that stands toe-to-toe with the greats it stands on the shoulders of.</p>
<p>The same classic Korean rock influence reappears on the chorus of "<span title="Street Song">항가 (巷歌)</span>" with its call and response chorus with group responses. There is some fancier arrangements going on here with some plucked strings and dancing background horns, but despite the little bit of experimentation here, I feel like with the more straightforward composition, a more straightforward arrangement might have had a little more punch, especially considering the climactic climb of the chorus.</p>
<p>The most memorable part of the entire EP is found on "<span title="Rainbow Boy">무지개 소년</span>", which opens with a moody mid-pitched vocal and flush instrumentation. The pre-chorus, like with previous tracks recalls Korean rock of the past and is pretty good, but the transition to the rather weird chorus where Ha winds up and pitches a "Let's go find it OOOUUUUT!" in repetition is a bit choppy and while the English-language is memorable, it's not because I like it and I kind of wish that Ha had found something a little more appropriate to his classic rock pre-chorus rather than this weird spacey baroque call.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, while I think that the EP is interesting at times, the songs just don't come together and feel like some weird pastiche at times. I do appreciate that Ha is exploring musical spaces beyond what he's been doing with Guckkasten so I do want him to encourage doing so further, but Ithaca is probably mostly for adventurous fans of Guckkasten or Ha Hyun-woo curious about his experimentation. I think if the music pushed a little bit more experimental and elided the classic rock elements, or dug deeper into its pastiche, it would have been more compelling, but this compromise just makes it a mildly interesting passing listen that's not asking to be heard again. 5/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li>Ithaca (piano version by <a>AEV</a>)</li>
<li>Home<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CCX_vHBZwDo?si=lFFxbhjqX2muEoii" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Street Song">항가 (巷歌)</span></li>
<li><span title="Rainbow Boy">무지개 소년</span></li>
<li>Ithaca (acoustic guitar version by <a title="Jung Sung-ha">정성하</a>)</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a title="Ha Hyun-woo">하현우</a></li>
<li>Producer: <a title="Ha Hyun-woo">하현우</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/762864">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/d7a3bb99-75d0-479c-895e-8e6f1dd691b1">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JYWZ511">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1440477363">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/ha-hyun-woo-mini-album-ithaca/1069638845-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-44022603522644169192024-03-13T20:00:00.000-07:002024-03-14T00:49:20.949-07:0010cm X CHEN - Bye Babe (2017)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNMeiktwuWZqyT02DRNaOkdWuaZ1qyPv4-Zu2V6huD96mD9xDzwUpVrUJgm_Em970Br6piPoxrqvn6OCswh_rcrGp3ChS256GmdK8fuiMqSvMjlCrPagsG2Ah0BuE2b23M4TQuxpBEf4hyVIJ9fJhFykBSF-aUMNard2hcxdLekOhfzEfH91j-P3DVZg/s4000/10cm%20X%20CHEN%20-%20Bye%20Babe%202017.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNMeiktwuWZqyT02DRNaOkdWuaZ1qyPv4-Zu2V6huD96mD9xDzwUpVrUJgm_Em970Br6piPoxrqvn6OCswh_rcrGp3ChS256GmdK8fuiMqSvMjlCrPagsG2Ah0BuE2b23M4TQuxpBEf4hyVIJ9fJhFykBSF-aUMNard2hcxdLekOhfzEfH91j-P3DVZg/s320/10cm%20X%20CHEN%20-%20Bye%20Babe%202017.jpg"/></a></div>It's been a couple years since I last listened to <a>10cm</a> and since <a title="권정열">Kwon Jung-yeol</a>'s last <a href="/2022/02/10cm-40-2017.html">album</a> was pretty enjoyable, I picked up the first single I saw available that followed it, which was a collaboration between Kwon and <a>EXO</a>'s <a>CHEN</a>. But "Bye Babe" has all the makings of a hit thanks to some great arrangement choices, catchy melodies, and a hook laden chorus, with the collaborative voices blending well, but offering just enough distinctiveness between the pair to make a difference.</p>
<p>Semi-acoustic pop is the name of the game here, as usual for 10cm's work with an acoustic guitar strumming out some bar chords as CHEN opens the first verse sweetly and a warm synth joining alongisde Kwon's more nasal vocals. The melody line really grips with the falsetto rise and waterfall run and the pre-chorus has a wonderfully peppy meter to it. Then there's the chorus with the bright "bye bye bye babe" instantly grabbing the ear, the bass synth coming in with a fat burn adding a serious gripping contrast to the effervescent vocals. In the final bridge there's a nice moment of harmonization between the two singers as the song pulls back just a little.</p>
<p>And the song is done in just a little over three minutes, the keys and drums simply helping to keep the whole thing floating along snappily. It's catchy, it's fun, and the lyrics are flirty. It's everything you want in a single of this sort and absolutely worth adding to your good times playlists. 9/10</p>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artists: <a>10cm</a> & <a title="첸">CHEN</a></li>
<li>Producers: <a>10cm</a>, <a title="Lee Yo-han">이요한</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/790410">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/008a5fc5-f832-4776-b4fa-69f572aa4fa1">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096Y981B3">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1305790413">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-11245694560395897392024-03-06T22:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T22:00:00.145-08:00Guckkasten - Stranger (2017)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfZ057kB_lmDcH30B4GB0QV3AK3W_-L2eyJKtT5jJ0PC4bhUQvCrzj31E8lEEctZzXJVdOWAHPb6Cjy15jVhcsjKx9WDaZSyhztRrOWIUFvpKBpGDYPb0PpvUerWiYbhuF1JH9sLnesR9RZ2g9-9PwkkgRnadSL9fxZNdsDPNyqVHYso7jFWyiELUnZM/s1000/Guckkasten%20-%20Stranger%202017.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfZ057kB_lmDcH30B4GB0QV3AK3W_-L2eyJKtT5jJ0PC4bhUQvCrzj31E8lEEctZzXJVdOWAHPb6Cjy15jVhcsjKx9WDaZSyhztRrOWIUFvpKBpGDYPb0PpvUerWiYbhuF1JH9sLnesR9RZ2g9-9PwkkgRnadSL9fxZNdsDPNyqVHYso7jFWyiELUnZM/s320/Guckkasten%20-%20Stranger%202017.jpg"/></a></div>Three years passed after the release of their second album, <a href="/2018/01/guckkasten-frame-2014.html">Frame</a>, before <a>Guckkasten</a> dropped a release more than a single and that release was Stranger, a short EP featuring three new tracks, two alternate versions, and a couple instrumental tracks. I do hear Guckkasten continuing to experiment a little here, although the core of the music remains right in line with what they've mostly been doing. The resulting is a little bit of a mixed bag as a result, whcih I think will still please core fans.</p>
<p>The opening title track, "<span title="Stranger">이방인</span>", starts like it's trying to do something different with its ambient guitars, distant electronic drums, and low-voiced <a title="하현우">Ha Hyun-woo</a>, but once the band ramps into chorus and Ha brings up his vocals to his usual dramatic range, it's pretty much in line with much of Guckkasten's music and it's fine, but I found just a little disjointed.</p>
<p>I think I like the more straightforward rocker of "<span title="Flare">플레어</span>" a little better, which burns with angular buzzing guitar riffs before its menacing chorus breaking into its more vitriolic chorus. It's still not especially clean a song with the countdown moment of silence transition between pre-chorus and chorus feeling a little choppy, but I really like the fanning electric guitars on this one offering some fiery aggression.</p>
<p>The final new track is the dramatic "<span title="Compass">나침반</span>" which introduces its climbing and descending melody lines through its piano and band start before pulling back a little for Ha's vocals. Unfortunately, the music still feels like its just bouncing around a little without strong cohesion and as it moves into the bridge, I think the song starts feeling a little too formless to retain strong interest.</p>
<p>The last pair of songs are collaborative remakes, with Guckkasten bringing in bassist <a title="김기범">Kim Ki-bum</a>'s side project partner <a title="곰팡이">Mold</a> for an electronification of the title track. I think it's the stronger of the pair of remakes here, pulling out most of the instrumental tracks and replacing them with electronics. It's all right, the fanning electronic instruments and spare mixing giving the track a slightly spacier vibe, but the core identity of song is strong enough that it still sounds like itself. The piano verson of "<span title="Canula">카눌라</span>", originally from Frame, feels particularly re-intrepreted into a more depressed song, alongside <a>AEV</a>'s experimental and slightly jazzy arrangement. It doesn't fare well against Ha's vocals however, seeming like two different songs mashed together.</p>
<p>The music here is fine, but not much more than that. I think it will still be acceptable for Guckkasten fans, but I think the Guckkasten sound is wearing a little thin and the experimentation here isn't busting past the core dynamics often driven by Ha's penchant for dramatics. This one will be mostly for fans, but I'm hoping that Guckkasten finds their way by their next release. 6/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Stranger">이방인</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKOwHO8Uzl0?si=dllF62vYKIG5yRnv" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Flare">플레어</span></li>
<li><span title="Compass">나침반</span></li>
<li><span title="Stranger">이방인</span> (electron version X <a title="Mold">곰팡이</a>)</li>
<li><span title="Canula">카눌라</span> (piano version X <a>AEV</a>)</li>
<li><span title="Heathen">이방인</span> (instrumental)</li>
<li><span title="Flare">플레어</span> (instrumental)</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a>Guckkasten</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Kim Ki-bum">김기범</a>, bass</li>
<li><a title="Lee Jung-gil">이정길</a>, drums</li>
<li><a title="Jeon Kyu-ho">전규호</a>, guitar</li>
<li><a title="Ha Hyun-woo">하현우</a>, vocal</li>
</ul>
<li>Producer: <a>Guckkasten</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/748487">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/6a5ec47c-f6ea-41d3-97ac-bdaa05393e85">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CPW55759">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1720135026">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/guckkasten-ep-album-stranger/1063211456-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-57069228179049549762024-03-06T20:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T22:21:35.650-08:00유근호 feat. 김현아 - 자전거 추격전 (2017)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBSWOd5zcFwp_1TbuAaHjuq7s1Q6cglIyIEfgQKu67PXiwCyTeL1HEbt_Kn1YSsuu1OSP8DBXMoxPY9lGrwtg6rzHatjgf5qPRA5lHkFTnfz1uL5pFadyGYIGISeYyl_-GdylQi4kS4HMYAqbOOpVtLbnUnaG2JprYruhO8PNQR-icFHrzmeXnqsauw4/s1200/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20-%20%EC%9E%90%EC%A0%84%EA%B1%B0%20%EC%B6%94%EA%B2%A9%EC%A0%84%202017.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBSWOd5zcFwp_1TbuAaHjuq7s1Q6cglIyIEfgQKu67PXiwCyTeL1HEbt_Kn1YSsuu1OSP8DBXMoxPY9lGrwtg6rzHatjgf5qPRA5lHkFTnfz1uL5pFadyGYIGISeYyl_-GdylQi4kS4HMYAqbOOpVtLbnUnaG2JprYruhO8PNQR-icFHrzmeXnqsauw4/s320/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20-%20%EC%9E%90%EC%A0%84%EA%B1%B0%20%EC%B6%94%EA%B2%A9%EC%A0%84%202017.jpg"/></a></div>I was expecting that, at some point, <a title="유근호">Yoo Gno</a> would fully embrace his radio-friendly pop sensibilities for a release and while <span title="자전거 추격전">Chasing Bicycle</span> is a single, it doesn't have a B-side that leans into his folk roots and the song is an entirely pleasant work of acoustic pop, boosted by duetting with <a title="김현아">Kim Hyuna</a> of <a>lalasweet</a>.</p>
<p>It opens with a jaunty, playful piano and acoustic guitar before Yoo drops his pop-leaning soft vocals, a xylophone gently tinkling in the background. Kim then presents her duclet vocals on the second part of the verse, the pair of them harmonizing in the pre-chorus, offering just a hint of counter-tone into the chorus. The "ba ba ba" chorus offering some smile-inducing duet timing between the pair, trading off on the "ba ba ba"'s and the harmony as well as unison vocals working smoothly together.</p>
<p>The song doesn't quite offer much contrast in the second half, but the marching drums in the first and second chorus help keep things moving along and the subtle little electric guitar noodling on the high notes is a nice ear grabber too. This isn't quite exemplary pop music, but a cute coffeeshop-friendly tune to add to your casual easygoing pop mix. And that's a perfectly decent place to be. 7/10</p>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a title="Yoo Gno">유근호</a> feat. <a title="Kim Hyuna">김현아</a></li>
<li>Producers: <a title="Kim Sung-yoon">김성윤</a>, <a title="Yoo Gno">유근호</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="http://www.maniadb.com/album/761410">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/fa0bb676-7d43-4f4c-8f60-227f35e1e984">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HW5Z58H">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1255361120">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-58567527629794679682024-02-28T22:00:00.000-08:002024-02-28T23:57:01.948-08:00정재일 - 기생충 (2019)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1MI1YFE-_4rIaAWEUNeoaCNPNdPnU1zqjA9jr0c0Ppas2jyyUCUt0C1ZtWIDi981373cf2bcJyfq-u2mVcwJSHIQJrCJHYEYlOPwZGhecosLbcRw3ruGWu-q6NQObj4MxWK1tlKAXlA7gzwN_i-2Twpoheps_XVC_7Z20oYGpEQSQEJxawio4noKe8U/s500/%EC%A0%95%EC%9E%AC%EC%9D%BC%20-%20%EA%B8%B0%EC%83%9D%EC%B6%A9%202019.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1MI1YFE-_4rIaAWEUNeoaCNPNdPnU1zqjA9jr0c0Ppas2jyyUCUt0C1ZtWIDi981373cf2bcJyfq-u2mVcwJSHIQJrCJHYEYlOPwZGhecosLbcRw3ruGWu-q6NQObj4MxWK1tlKAXlA7gzwN_i-2Twpoheps_XVC_7Z20oYGpEQSQEJxawio4noKe8U/s320/%EC%A0%95%EC%9E%AC%EC%9D%BC%20-%20%EA%B8%B0%EC%83%9D%EC%B6%A9%202019.jpg"/></a></div><a title="기생충" href="/2019/11/parasite-2019.html">Parasite</a> was such an impressive movie when I first watched it in theaters back in 2019 and one of the elements that struck me about the movie was its score. I recently rewatched the movie and decided that I wanted to listen to the score more and upon doing so, I picked out a lot of details, from its strong mix of baroque and classical music influences as well as some particularly quirky choices as well, befitting the movie and making for a pretty enjoyable listen even on its own.</p>
<p>The movie opens with "<span title="Opening">시작</span>", mixing a tiny bit of whimsy in the upper register piano with the more serious lower voice, clearly suggesting that there will be two different things going on in the movie. It doesn't entirely point at to where the movie will go musically, but the stage is reasonably set here. The next track of note is "<span title="On the Way to Rich House">부잣집 가는 길</span>", which offers a bit of suspense, which is unusual for a moment that's supposed to be hopeful to our lead characters, I think doing a good job of subtly hinting at what direction the movie will go long term--the track also includes a little harpichord alongside the piano, indicating future musical direction as well.</p>
<p>"<span title="Mr. Yoon and Park">윤기사와 박사장</span>" offers some marching drums, offering a nice touch of tension to a scene where things are always on the edge of going off the rails but they don't. Then we reach one of the movie's major themes in "<span title="The Belt of Faith">믿음의 벨트</span>", which offers a neoclassical and neobaroque take with its descending rivers of strings and drama, appropriate to the scene as the family plots to complete their plan of fully infiltrating the Park household, with touches of baroque passages. It's a strong, meaningful statement and ends the serious phase of the score as things are about to get weird.</p>
<p>"<span title="Camping">야영</span>" offers a peculiar moment of piece of the family with a vocal chorus "la la la"-ing alongside the orchestra and a solo musical saw from composer/arranger/conductor <a title="정재일">Jung Jaeil</a>. It's peaceful, but the saw cuts right through it all offers a little dissonance and the arrangement is almost so serious that it seems false, which is appropriate to the false peace the Yoons are experiencing.</p>
<p>When everything goes nuts in the movie we get the atmospheric score of "<span title="The Hellgate">지옥의 문</span>" and the following tracks where the family busy themselves trying to save their positions and lives. The curiousness of "<span title="Camping">야영</span>" reappears with "<span title="It Is Sunday Morning">일요일 아침</span>", this time alongside the near final moment of the movie as the Park family prepare their garden party, but this time with even more pomp offered by the horns. As before, this moment of peace belies the madness that will soon ensue.</p>
<p>The rest of the score include small fragments that serve to follow the action, but are memorable enough that they actually do a decent job of recalling scenes from the movie if you've recently watched it. The final track is from the credits I'm guessing and offers a folk-rock song sung by cast member <a title="최우식">Choi Woo-shik</a>, whose vocals almost sound like a Korean <a>Bob Dylan</a> and while it doesn't sound like anything else on the score, it's a surprisingly engaging little song.</p>
<p>I woudln't quite say that the score to Parasite is going to sit next to some of the greatest movie soundtracks ever, but it is memorable, particularly the two quirkier songs featuring the vocal chorus and musical saw and does a great job of both accompanying the movie and adding its own interesting tonal texture that serves it well. And that makes it an excellent score that's entirely listenable on its own for those familiar with the movie. Happy to pop this in my CD player around watchings of the movie. 8/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Opening">시작</span></li>
<li><span title="Conciliation I">첫번째 알선</span></li>
<li><span title="On the Way to Rich House">부잣집 가는 길</span></li>
<li><span title="Conciliation II">두번째 알선</span></li>
<li><span title="Plum Juice">매실청</span></li>
<li><span title="Mr. Yoon and Park">윤기사와 박사장</span></li>
<li><span title="Conciliation III">세번째 알선</span></li>
<li><span title="The Belt of Faith">믿음의 벨트</span></li>
<li><span title="Moon Gwang Left">떠난는 문광</span></li>
<li><span title="Camping">야영</span></li>
<li><span title="The Hellgate">지옥의 문</span></li>
<li><span title="Heartrending Story of Bubu">부부의 사연</span></li>
<li><span title="Zappaguri">짜파구리</span></li>
<li><span title="Ghost">유령</span></li>
<li><span title="The Family Is Busy">첫번째 동분서주</span></li>
<li><span title="Busy to Survive">두번째 동분서주</span></li>
<li><span title="The Frontal Lobe of Ki Taek">기택의 전두엽</span></li>
<li><span title="Water, Ocean">물바다</span></li>
<li><span title="Water, Ocean Again">또 물바다</span></li>
<li><span title="It Is Sunday Morning">일요일 아침</span></li>
<li><span title="Blood and Sword">피와 컬</span></li>
<li><span title="Yasan">야산</span></li>
<li><span title="Moving">이사</span></li>
<li><span title="End">끝</span></li>
<li><span title="Soju One Shot">소주 한 잔</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a title="Jung Jaeil">정재일</a></li>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/1684050">Discogs</a>, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/770253">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/89cee4cb-205e-4b67-a8d0-5aed1f544b84">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite_%28soundtrack%29">en</a>)</li>
<li>Available at <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1482778417">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-54288602845088076712024-02-28T20:00:00.000-08:002024-02-28T20:00:00.250-08:00Guckkasten - Ultimate (2016)<p style="text-align:center"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ib8rM0iqT14?si=nzEfutVVXDsGFzB4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpZ6LM5z8q1DVp3ybf5d_IaYlVF3nKspWeplFduSc8mdqI4BBFpcL9S-Akox3-AKZxyzpeWZdtcG4sycDYcS6ynzeAYKA17zG3WpJ8tgI8p1OGh3vG2YbntVvEWi5OkyRTTkKpJfY88eoa_os9NEFZsgVpGiURuAi06t_INZYq3Z9vg23NF5RwzTnpxk/s640/Guckkasten%20-%20Ultimate%202016.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpZ6LM5z8q1DVp3ybf5d_IaYlVF3nKspWeplFduSc8mdqI4BBFpcL9S-Akox3-AKZxyzpeWZdtcG4sycDYcS6ynzeAYKA17zG3WpJ8tgI8p1OGh3vG2YbntVvEWi5OkyRTTkKpJfY88eoa_os9NEFZsgVpGiURuAi06t_INZYq3Z9vg23NF5RwzTnpxk/s320/Guckkasten%20-%20Ultimate%202016.jpg"/></a></div>I thought that <a>Guckkasten</a>'s "<a href="/2024/02/guckkasten-pulse-2016.html">Pulse</a>" was a decent recovery from the messy <a>League of Legends</a> tournament song, "<a href="/2023/10/guckkasten-challenge-2016.html">Challenge</a>", so I went into listening to their second League of Legends tournament song, "Ultimate" with a bit of hope, but while it is a little more dramatic than its predecessor and carries some sports-like tones, it's a bit forgettable amid their discography.</p>
<p>It opens with a rumbling bass line before some keys and a sport-chant-like "oh oh oh" appears. Then <a title="하현우">Ha Hyun-woo</a> drops his vocals in his lowest register, but stretches out. I think the song starts stumbling as it moves to the prechorus which feels like a bit of an abrupt transition to the march-like chant and then another pushed transition to the operatic rock transition with a faily forgettable melody line. Even the howling of the chorus feels a bit detached from everything else.</p>
<p>The song kind of goes back to the beginning after the chorus and repeats for the second verse through chorus, but no amount of slashing strings or screaming guitar helps make up for the disjointedness of the piece. And as much as I like the band, this is definitely one of their weakest singles, even more so than "Challenge". 5/10</p>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a>Guckkasten</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Kim Ki-bum">김기범</a>, bass</li>
<li><a title="Lee Jung-gil">이정길</a>, drums</li>
<li><a title="Jeon Kyu-ho">전규호</a>, guitar</li>
<li><a title="Ha Hyun-woo">하현우</a>, guitar, vocal</li>
</ul>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/748486">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/b1f52224-c025-47ad-949e-1ae8533c9a95">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Availble at <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1145230723">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-84978394520406793622024-02-21T22:00:00.000-08:002024-02-22T03:08:36.855-08:00Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 (2017)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtlWt3sLwvpz4ZrnJuncY3LGLnovKqJ1U9Kg423ABhsm-GI7hJ3mjoiWXN3G-lRjVnV84r4VsAFzx9BlsijCe1Km8akyfdmyC0sonw6GQCnY8vXZO3mj7voDKQPH-EIpQScYKwEkEzc06ymxq8GP_nOiJN-5ORCwEWL3W9fCCinrJSabi_yjRC6uDPR8/s1080/Guardians%20of%20the%20Galaxy%20Vol%202%202017.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtlWt3sLwvpz4ZrnJuncY3LGLnovKqJ1U9Kg423ABhsm-GI7hJ3mjoiWXN3G-lRjVnV84r4VsAFzx9BlsijCe1Km8akyfdmyC0sonw6GQCnY8vXZO3mj7voDKQPH-EIpQScYKwEkEzc06ymxq8GP_nOiJN-5ORCwEWL3W9fCCinrJSabi_yjRC6uDPR8/s320/Guardians%20of%20the%20Galaxy%20Vol%202%202017.jpg"/></a></div><a href="/2016/05/guardians-of-galaxy-2014.html#AwesomeMixVol1">Awesome Mix, Vol. 1</a> was not only a fun needle drop soundtrack for the excellent <a href="https://init-scenes.blogspot.com/2014/09/guardians-of-galaxy-2014.html">Guardians of the Galaxy</a> but was just a fun mixtape to listen to by itself. Of course, when <a href="https://init-scenes.blogspot.com/2017/05/guardians-of-galaxy-vol-2-2017.html">Volume 2</a> arrived, I had high expectations for its soundtrack. The movie itself stumbled a little, but was still a good time. But the song choices for its soundtrack, Awesome Mix Vol. 2, were consistently strong, making for a treat for the ears.</p>
<p>There is a bit more consistency with this soundtrack this time around, focusing primarily on 1970's rock and folk with a few exceptions. Those exceptions are <a>Sam Cooke</a>'s "Bring It on Home to Me", which is an excellent song, but does feel textually out of place next to the rest of the soundtrack. Similarly, while <a>Jay & the American</a>'s "Come a Little Bit Closer" is wonderfully cheesy, it's 1960's rock sound does stick out a little next to the other selections. Finally, there's "Guardians Inferno", the closing song for the movie that's a take on the theme, featuring <a>David Hasselhoff</a> of all people.</p>
<p>As with Volume 1, the trailer song also manages to make it into the soundtrack (<a>Sweet</a>'s "Fox on the Run") and I like that there's a mix of well known songs that connected to the movies themes, as well as some ones here that I'd never heard of before, which again befits the eclectic taste of a character like Peter's mother. What's absent here is understandable, as <a>Jackson 5</a>'s "I Want You Back" was supposed to be on this mix at the end of the first Guardians, but since it made the first Awesome Mix soundtrack release, it would be redundant to appear here. As such, these Awesome Mixes are obviously more intended to be actual soundtracks to the movie rather than reflecting the actual soundtrack that Peter was listening to, so it's hard to cry foul about any of this.</p>
<p>The opening song, <a>Electric Light Orchestra</a>'s "Mr. Blue Sky" and it's baroque pop-rock sets the energetic tone for the rest of the listen and the movie well. But accordingly with Ego's trip to earth in the 1970's and romance with Peter's mother, there are plenty of appropriate music there as well and the choices also thematically connect with the movie. "The Chain" links with the tensions within the found family of Guardians as well as eventually the broken bonds that exist in Peter's family, which "Father and Son" hits on the nose perhaps a touch too hard. I also appreciate that the album ends on the party-like "Flash Light" from <a>Parliament</a> adding a bit of levity and genre diversity to the soundtrack.</p>
<p>And all together, this makes Awesome Mix 2 even a step more enjoyable than the movie it comes from, both for those interested in music from the 1970's (and a couple from the 1960's) and fans of the movie as well. 9/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><a>Electric Light Orchestra</a> - Mr. Blue Sky<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aQUlA8Hcv4s?si=bkO8goynEIZA0DTt" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Sweet</a> - Fox on the Run<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kRv7EjjwYBI?si=EF08ahpMxWdp10_b" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah</a> - Lake Shore Drive</li>
<li><a>Fleetwood Mac</a> - The Chain</li>
<li><a>Sam Cooke</a> - Bring It on Home to Me</li>
<li><a>Glen Campbell</a> - Southern Nights</li>
<li><a>George Harrison</a> - My Sweet Lord<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/04v-SdKeEpE?si=K60mmlq7-w7_E_ty" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Looking Glass</a> - Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GI1GeauAzcg?si=LywuMl9DA4rvsi0A" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Jay & the Americans</a> - Come a Little Closer<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TmvjboIH17s?si=B868rBtdl-i4vZYP" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Silver</a> - Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang</li>
<li><a>Cheap Trick</a> - Surrender</li>
<li><a>Cat Stevens</a> - Father and Son<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P6zaCV4niKk?si=qblOA9hrJrXsQ12W" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Parliament</a> - Flash Light</li>
<li><a>The Sneepers</a> feat. <a>David Hasselhoff</a> - Guardians Inferno<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3MMMe1drnZY?si=3j3uedAzeZ3jL7wg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/1172509">Discogs</a>, maniadb, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/7e836750-3cd3-4c71-aa9e-b5143bc56a2b">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol._2_(soundtrack)">en</a>)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4NBMJ">(Vinyl)</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XW4SNMD">(CD)</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071Y3BG3W">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1440629897">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-39675734920582720112024-02-21T20:00:00.000-08:002024-02-21T20:00:00.293-08:00Guckkasten - Pulse (2016)<p style="text-align:center"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b971NOZEbgo?si=LsPN1s1RH1os_DK0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfemQ88Ug0kDrTnRkdUco4jhyBiIXWsMdpGHcq4DI9bJcRThYTTf2xrKhCXAUOOFzQS9dLWEyJO5Wql7qmfOahIGK_NQClfjqrV-WKlrmUvsxSbI1FV017jeiEcvDmE7YkDwTIuYDvn91dH6TKg82uMIBZBnrw1zVotcSE13vof8c3nOs2h-khaj1-Z0/s640/Guckkasten%20-%20Pulse%202016.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfemQ88Ug0kDrTnRkdUco4jhyBiIXWsMdpGHcq4DI9bJcRThYTTf2xrKhCXAUOOFzQS9dLWEyJO5Wql7qmfOahIGK_NQClfjqrV-WKlrmUvsxSbI1FV017jeiEcvDmE7YkDwTIuYDvn91dH6TKg82uMIBZBnrw1zVotcSE13vof8c3nOs2h-khaj1-Z0/s320/Guckkasten%20-%20Pulse%202016.jpg"/></a></div>I thought that <a>Guckkasten</a>'s "<a href="/2023/10/guckkasten-challenge-2016.html">Challenge</a>" was merely a listenable single, making me wonder if they are starting to lose their touch or just coast on the kind of sound that they've become popular for. Curious to see if the single was a fluke, I put my ear on their immediately following single, "Pulse", this one not connected to any particular event, and I found that it was an improvement both in terms of overall dynamics and song construction while sticking true to what made this band popular.</p>
<p>The most immediately striking element of the song is the pulsing synthesized beat to which the rhythm section latches onto. <a title="하현우">Ha Hyun-woo</a> glides in with one of his lowest pitched vocals yet, but it adds just enough tension against the pulsing rhythm creating anticipation and when his voice rises in the pre-chorus, increasing the volume and eventually explodes into what's essentially a vocal drop, it's no surprise that he and the band go hard in the chorus and the contrast that it strikes with the verse is ear catching and makes for a good listen.</p>
<p>The second verse foregoes the lower pitch for Ha as the song has already established a frenzy, but he does offer a touch of it in contrast to the more energetic delivery of the second verse and combined with the general increased verse, it makes for a good second verse and transition to the chorus. I also like how the song ends with the synthetic rhythmic pulse it started with.</p>
<p>Good marks for a single. It's not going to be one of Guckkasten's most remembered songs because of its more streamlined straightforward nature, but it's engaging enough to demonstrate that their formula still works if they can find a new angle for it. 7/10</p>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a>Guckkasten</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Kim Ki-bum">김기범</a>, bass</li>
<li><a title="Lee Jung-gil">이정길</a>, drums</li>
<li><a title="Jeon Kyu-ho">전규호</a>, guitar</li>
<li><a title="Ha Hyun-woo">하현우</a>, guitar, vocal</li>
</ul>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/748485">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/821bffe5-ab27-4b2f-876a-110c0ead778e">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CPSN2SQW">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1720139260">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-19881398923538981052024-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T20:00:00.149-08:00Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVV_PW_LvM9Kir9kq0pE7ruz9Lqv7qcbzyXUQrlyvrbpVzDXl2gRJydKcFWLfvqjKR8sQyb06HcBnE8GevM9z2tLtz8uHAi67d5ltje4mDjn0Vl1Doihg58vabxX81AIHEIzL8rlLwyzeJxfBBga_SP0rcyJBpjGaADJJVa-BpuA8qztZYXde0vOD5ho/s1000/Dr%20Dre%20-%20The%20Chronic%201992.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVV_PW_LvM9Kir9kq0pE7ruz9Lqv7qcbzyXUQrlyvrbpVzDXl2gRJydKcFWLfvqjKR8sQyb06HcBnE8GevM9z2tLtz8uHAi67d5ltje4mDjn0Vl1Doihg58vabxX81AIHEIzL8rlLwyzeJxfBBga_SP0rcyJBpjGaADJJVa-BpuA8qztZYXde0vOD5ho/s320/Dr%20Dre%20-%20The%20Chronic%201992.jpg"/></a></div>Although I have to admit that I don't usually connect with street rap particularly well, I clearly remember the dominance of the two coasts of street rap sound in the 1990's and the sounds of <a>N.W.A.</a> and <a>Death Row</a> blasting through the speakers of the radio (at least the clean versions) and on MTV back in the day. And despite my distaste for the lyrical content of much of this music, I have to admit I found the beats rather captivating. One of the most prominent producers of the West Coast style of street rap in those days was <a>Dr. Dre</a> and since beats were what drew me in, I figured I should revisit his debut album, The Chronic. Amidst all the calls to violence, no small amount of rage directed at his former label head <a>Eazy-E</a>, and a worship of marijuana, there's a ton that's impressive about The Chronic that both places the album right in its time of release of 1992 and yet continues to give it a timeless quality that makes it a compelling, even if sometimes disturbing listen.</p>
<p>Plenty of ink has been spilled on The Chronic, so I'm just going to lean into my impressions of the album. First of all, Dre is both producer and rapper and on this album he works with a number of rappers, the most notable being <a>Snoop Dogg</a>, who appears on almost every track and offers his star-level flow to the album. The rest largely carry their weight with the exception of Dre, whose vocal performances are merely serviceable, although also kind of necessary to express himself too.</p>
<p>The album opens both with a celebration of Dre's success and a vindictive against Eazy-E as well as his former remaining labelmates, culminating in "Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)", Snoop Dogg taking plenty of time to call out those targeted with calls to eat dicks, among other expletives. The Chronic, aside from its focus on getting high--noted by its slang-making title, doesn't drift too far from expected street rap themes, like recollections of violence and calls to violence that likely blur the line between actual violence and fever dreams of vengeance and dominance. "A Nigga Witta Gun" and "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" don't waste time pouring out the aggression into musical form.</p>
<p>That said, there is still some social commentary buried here in the descriptions of crime--the album was released in the wake of the riots caused by the police beating of Rodney King and songs like "The Day the Niggaz Took Over", complete with found recordings used to create an audio tapestry that recalls and demonstrates the rage that still simmered in the aftermath of that event. Then there's "Lil’ Ghetto Boy" telling the story of how young men in the hood end up where they do and also lamenting that this is the future for many of the youths in the neighborhoods that these rappers grew up in.</p>
<p>In terms of production one of the most obvious influences on Dr. Dre is P-funk--<a>Funkadelic</a> and <a>Parliament</a>'s funk music of the 1970's, many songs of which are borrowed almost wholesale for multiple parts of the album, including "Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)", "Let Me Ride" and the "The Roach (The Chronic Outro)". That's not the exclusive source of Dre's beats and he takes them to the G-funk level with use of his now signature Moog synths, adding another grippy melody line. In many ways, The Chronic and Dr. Dre's production work really marks some of the most distinct hallmarks of West Coast hip hop that make it particularly distinct from East Coast predecessors and it's hard not to hear the influence of this groundbreaking musical direction without attributing it back to this album and the music Dre worked on in this day.</p>
<p>But all that said, the album is long and at times oppressive because of its decidedly violent and often misogynistic attitude. The music and most of the emcees are strong enough that The Chronic carries through, but sometimes, especially during the skits like "The $20 Sack Pyramid", I admit that the desire to skip the track strikes me pretty hard. And yet, I'd be hard pressed not to admit that The Chronic does live up to its reputation in terms of its music, swagger, style, and influence. I admit that I don't know how frequently I'd want to seek out this album to listen to it, but that might be true of much of this particular subgenre of hip hop and even as I have some qualms with the content of the album I still have to respect what it does well. 8/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li>The Chronic (intro)</li>
<li>Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_bI4HKjKF-E?si=cybasIl5Q8ixTeiH" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>Let Me Ride<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cKu3_3mp1U8?si=iit2tQPE7Rlx-J2m" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>The Day the Niggaz Took Over</li>
<li>Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8GliyDgAGQI?si=qDbsH1j0qU7ggxtF" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>Deeez Nuuuts</li>
<li>Lil’ Ghetto Boy<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3udf34bKdzo?si=Cq1NZzlUkAJU3gUY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>A Nigga Witta Gun</li>
<li>Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat</li>
<li>The $20 Sack Pyramid</li>
<li>Lyrical Gangbang</li>
<li>High Powered</li>
<li>The Doctor’s Office</li>
<li>Stranded on Death Row</li>
<li>The Roach (The Chronic Outro)</li>
<li>Bitches Ain’t Shit</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a>Dr. Dre</a></li>
<li>Producer: <a>Dr. Dre</a></li>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/33951">Discogs</a>, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/123465">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/ad444843-7160-33d7-b0c9-fc99f2c14a99">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronic">en</a>)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTHXJ8ZW">(Vinyl)</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTJ3RYMY">(CD)</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BT4TMZYS">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1668460963">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-18942895064642330432024-02-14T18:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T20:36:58.958-08:00유근호 & Q - 밤의 노래 (2017)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BQwJdCBVhbklLxIatJlUb_D78ryO8sMHq48xfJJbMCYelfLtmVInZNj2xizo9VCNjvJEFYuILd-iLoGZcZJK662DlbXHZ-qiZVvTHLIpOmoFoldZprIjhP8mlaMeQFfiGCufVLCP39zlyI4-yJKmQfGLR7OFxNgY2qTtNLLEZ1FEeeiH7dQP3R5IolI/s1200/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20&%20Q%20-%20%EB%B0%A4%EC%9D%98%20%EB%85%B8%EB%9E%98%202017.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BQwJdCBVhbklLxIatJlUb_D78ryO8sMHq48xfJJbMCYelfLtmVInZNj2xizo9VCNjvJEFYuILd-iLoGZcZJK662DlbXHZ-qiZVvTHLIpOmoFoldZprIjhP8mlaMeQFfiGCufVLCP39zlyI4-yJKmQfGLR7OFxNgY2qTtNLLEZ1FEeeiH7dQP3R5IolI/s320/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20&%20Q%20-%20%EB%B0%A4%EC%9D%98%20%EB%85%B8%EB%9E%98%202017.jpg"/></a></div>The release following <a title="유근호">Yoo Gno</a>'s EP <a title="무지개 뜨기 전에" href="/2024/02/yoo-gno-before-rainbow-2015.html">Before the Rainbow</a> is a collaborative single called <span title="밤의 노래">Song of Night</span>. For this single, Yoo teamed up with <a>Q</a>, a member of the pop music production team <a>Wiidope</a> and drops two songs that lean far more into his pop tendencies and while these songs fall just short of earworms, Q's production skills alongside the pair's songwriting chops results in a step up from Yoo's solo pop-leaning music so far.</p>
<p>The title track opens with soulful warm electric piano before an electronic beat appears and Yoo's vocals, leaning towards his lower register, appear, gently describing a lovely moment between two people, before switching to the pre-chorus which admittedly engenders some head nodding thanks to its bouncy female-vocal backed run. The chorus lifts up into the kind of gentle electro-pop space that recalls the music of units like <a>Clazziquai Project</a> and <a>Casker</a>, but with a lighter tone. The development in the second half of the song is subtle and I do wish that there were some other element to elevate the song just a little more, but it's an entirely pleasant listen that, even if I don't know if I'm led to seek future listens, would be welcome on a larger playlist of music in this space.</p>
<p>The B-side to this single, "All I Do", is a much more somber effort, with Yoo opening the song with downbeat vocals and the music offering gentle, slightly downbeat keys. However, the song breaks open with lifting synths and a rising pitch and matching energy from Yoo pushing a little hope into the song as he declares "all I want, all I want is you". I think the production bits, like the filtered percussive sound effets and the cool groove underlaying the song, as well as the atmosphere provided earlier makes this also a more pleasant listen than you'd expect.</p>
<p>I wouldn't call this electro-pop entirely, but Song of Night fits in a nearby space, not unlike what <a>The Postal Service</a> was doing decades ago or what the aforementioned Korean peers have been producing for almost as long. I do think that there is a bit of lightness to the music that limits it pop-music grip potential, but if any of those comparisons are interesting to you, then I think these singles are certainly worth checking out and perhaps adding to the appropriate playlist. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Song of Night">밤의 노래</span> (feat. <a title="Daram">다람</a>)</li>
<li>All I Do</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artists: <a title="Yoo Gno">유근호</a> & <a>Q</a></li>
<li>Producers: <a title="Yoo Gno">유근호</a> & <a>Q</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/741375">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/b6e59fa8-39ae-44bc-a9d2-61e9eff744ad">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1198933628">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-47139359247810477472024-02-07T20:00:00.000-08:002024-02-08T00:34:58.381-08:00유근호 - 무지개가 뜨기 전에 (2015)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMF8_eqjgUsjBjNTaipm2gQoSHGtv4W2N5-KfxQZM0hcUjsWg_w7i6y5enxLdzhEisxaoFqijlbON75rBq73HERm_ncRK083ZZH3-9NljOLfvNvvzu2W7WHtRIS8nD3FxCG5xPJkVcwqufu_8RTvESwSsuZHIL3NYg37Sbpyx4rlLNQW95DZdUuTEkhyU/s1200/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20-%20%EB%AC%B4%EC%A7%80%EA%B0%9C%EA%B0%80%20%EB%9C%A8%EA%B8%B0%20%EC%A0%84%EC%97%90%202015.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMF8_eqjgUsjBjNTaipm2gQoSHGtv4W2N5-KfxQZM0hcUjsWg_w7i6y5enxLdzhEisxaoFqijlbON75rBq73HERm_ncRK083ZZH3-9NljOLfvNvvzu2W7WHtRIS8nD3FxCG5xPJkVcwqufu_8RTvESwSsuZHIL3NYg37Sbpyx4rlLNQW95DZdUuTEkhyU/s320/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20-%20%EB%AC%B4%EC%A7%80%EA%B0%9C%EA%B0%80%20%EB%9C%A8%EA%B8%B0%20%EC%A0%84%EC%97%90%202015.jpg"/></a></div>I wasn't especially impressed with <a title="유근호">Yoo Gno</a>'s debut album, <a href="/2024/01/yoo-gno-walk-alone-2013.html">Walk Alone</a>, but it was modestly entertaining and I saw some promise in the singer-songwriter, so I decided to give his follow-up EP, <span title="무지개가 뜨기 전에">Before the Rainbow</span>, a listen and see if that potential would get realized. As a short EP, the listen actually doesn't have to live up to the length of an album and that helps its tracks, which lean a little bit more towards pop rock, especially at the top and makes for another pleasant listen, peppered liberally with guest artists. I don't think it entirely overcomes the lack of distinct identity issue that Walk Alone faced, but I do think the songs are tighter here.</p>
<p>The opening title track instantly turns on the pop rock beats, with a driving kick and assisting electric guitar carrying a rhythm lick creating anticipation before Yoo's vocals appear, with well written lyrics using a before and after structure to offer a touch of hope. All throughout the track, I kept expecting it to take off and it doesn't quite do that, despite the louder and more involved finale of the song, which kind of describes how I felt about the EP.</p>
<p>The second track, "<span title="She Is Like a Butterfly">얄미운 나비인가봐</span>" starts with Yoo's vocals in a brighter pop space, recalling "Keep Kissing" from Walk Alone, and the gentle pop guitars keep things running along until the chorus which leaps up into a higher, louder range, offering just enough of a hook to catch your ear. The track develops well enough with more rhythm section prominance in the second half and includes guest singer <a title="오은비">Oh Eun-bi</a> offering a short rendition of the Korean song "<span title="나비야">Butterfly</span>" (itself a version of the German "Hänschen klein"). As the song before, it was pleasant, but the hooks don't quite stick enough for continued resonance.</p>
<p>Yoo brings on country-folk-rock singer-songwriter <a>Big Baby Driver</a> on "<span title="Desert Escape">사막탈출</span>", which offers a bouncy keyboard line and upbeat rhythm section, along with with BBD's gentle harmonic "oo"'s behind Yoo's playful, romantic vocals and lyrics. This song features probably some of Yoo's most fun rhythmic vocal play and the mood is utterly pleasant if just a little ephemeral.</p>
<p>"Let Me In" transitions Yoo into a more folksy song with a bit more serious a tone and this is probably the track that carries the most resonance throughout the listen thanks to Yoo's capacity for balancing both the lightness of his vocals with the weight of his desire in his lyrics and performance. I also really like the echoing drum crashing in the back of the mix and Yoo's transition from his lower register on the prechorus into his upper register offers the kind of dynamics that's kind of memorable, especially along his lifting melody line. The track doesn't quite have the transition or button over the coarse of its run that makes it stick any more than the initial impression, but it's certainly a reason to keep an eye on where Yoo's music might go in the next album.</p>
<p>The listen closes with the warm contemporary folk of "<span title="Two of Us">둘이서</span>", working with veteran singer-songwriter <a title="이규호">Lee Kyu-ho</a>. The short listen offers some close-your-eyes-and-enjoy harmonies and Yoo's vocals at his warmest and most comforting, gentle acoustic guitars undergirding the listen with muted, but punchy drums in the back. This makes for a pleasant drift, although while listening to this while drowsy, I admit I also drifted off to sleep at least once. It closes with a fadeout and like the songs before it, doesn't offer much in the way of dynamism to make it stick, but continues Yoo's penchant for making entirely pleasant, balanced music.</p>
<p>But as you can see, pleasant and balanced, while enjoyable enough to listen to when I chance upon it, might not quite be enough to compel me as a listener to seek it out. Yoo's got a talent for engaging enough songwriting, at least at first, but the tail on this collection of songs isn't long. Still, if you like gentle, pleasant, pop rock and folk music, Before the Rainbow does offer that and Yoo's got enough skill in his songwriting and even demonstrates a little more range in his voice here that still makes me wonder what he'll come up with next. But Before the Rainbow is still moving towards that possible peak, rather than being it. 6/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Before the Rainbow">무지개가 뜨기 전에</span></li>
<li><span title="She Is Like a Butterfly">얄미운 나비인가봐</span> (feat. <a title="Oh Eun-bi">오은비</a>)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fYefg7_Gs9o?si=sKryM-TinOiBsjnx" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Desert Escape">사막탈출</span> (feat. <a>Big Baby Driver</a>)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vA4eNbFinPg?si=aDwj-mQ5e2FqNgEM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>Let Me In</li>
<li><span title="Two of Us">둘이서</span> (feat. <a title="Lee Kyu-ho">이규호</a>)</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a title="You Geun-ho">유그호</a></li>
<li>Producers: <a title="Shin Jae-min">신재민</a>, <a title="You Geun-ho">유그호</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/722841">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/4783abbd-534a-420a-adfb-9df6379b887d">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WHX4CD4">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1553345376">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/you-geun-ho-ep-album/1044487338-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-79341323849353715962024-02-07T18:00:00.000-08:002024-02-07T23:13:39.052-08:00f(x) - All Mine (2016)<p style="text-align:center"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z0S3knWIdrY?si=1mZnctKrNG4a9NuC" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2O93WEIfEarsBBmMGiQGt8pAzEAOR1dodXu7nkE92DMM0t7cyp72zmisvaLIyKLjp0Nx6eTuAHxe-wWAmt6kpyZj5t2Jz1_mzNekwmv_VpLTpyFIYgUdhVChUMw8wUU8JEm14CYBj1veZIc5HBeZHgllAloKEdPq-f86ojXq-FvT1J8Ordf0NakrMetc/s800/fx%20-%20All%20Mine%202016.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2O93WEIfEarsBBmMGiQGt8pAzEAOR1dodXu7nkE92DMM0t7cyp72zmisvaLIyKLjp0Nx6eTuAHxe-wWAmt6kpyZj5t2Jz1_mzNekwmv_VpLTpyFIYgUdhVChUMw8wUU8JEm14CYBj1veZIc5HBeZHgllAloKEdPq-f86ojXq-FvT1J8Ordf0NakrMetc/s320/fx%20-%20All%20Mine%202016.jpg"/></a></div>I'd assumed that <a href="/2022/10/fx-4-walls-2015.html">4 Walls</a> was <a>f(x)</a>'s swan song, but it turns out that the girl group had one more single in them, releasing their final track, "All Mine" in 2016. Fortunately, it's a decent one that's in keeping with the rest of their discography.</p>
<p>It starts with a repeated filtered clip of the title call that rises until the kick-clip electronic beat appears alongside the verse vocals. As usual, the track changes on the pre-chorus with the vocal lines increasing in tensity and the kick dropping out before everything goes four to the floor on the end of it, adding in the title call and then moving to the drop where the song adopts retro house elements and gets an electronica instrumental before the women drop in their voices towards the end.</p>
<p>The transitions don't feel awkward thanks to the inclusion of instrumental elements shared between the parts, although there is still a distinct break that you'll notice ahead of the voice changes and there's a key change up after the rap break. Nothing you wouldn't expect from a contemporary pop song, but it works for this group pretty well, the overall production working with the songrwiting and arrangement to keep the air fresh for the listener.</p>
<p>That said, while it's a decent song and even single, I'm not sure it quite lives up to their best singles, although it had the chops for radio airplay, which I would expect it saw some of. I wouldn't mind hearing it again now and then, even if I'm certainly not apt to loop it now that I'm done listening to it for evaluation purposes. 7/10</p>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a>f(x)</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a>Amber</a></li>
<li><a>Krystal</a></li>
<li><a>Luna</a></li>
<li><a>Victoria</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Producer: <a>LDN Noise</a></li>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/27078015">Discogs</a>, maniadb, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/8f96581a-6d4f-4b1b-a3fc-d626c361c9a7">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Mine_%28f%28x%29_song%29">en</a>|<a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Mine">ko</a>)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094CZPBCY">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id1136507102">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-81680516090356877532024-01-31T18:00:00.000-08:002024-02-01T01:44:25.787-08:00유근호 - Walk Alone (2013)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOG9UOFwjmGupAv3SqZVPXvQaMrUbB-5T0_1z9tm3yKP-L2hDEg-OOr5vruCUru5rs3m9RLsHvfAqOkiqTD6DZ7U3NbmspZif2Dw3rENHmlYgqva3V-VcrYrxG38RHDlfoV5STM49I5pr9sLF6c5K-gqaJEtRTldSn5aUM2ZIoBejKOrwV6Br5CH8o-Gk/s500/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20-%20Walk%20Alone%202013.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOG9UOFwjmGupAv3SqZVPXvQaMrUbB-5T0_1z9tm3yKP-L2hDEg-OOr5vruCUru5rs3m9RLsHvfAqOkiqTD6DZ7U3NbmspZif2Dw3rENHmlYgqva3V-VcrYrxG38RHDlfoV5STM49I5pr9sLF6c5K-gqaJEtRTldSn5aUM2ZIoBejKOrwV6Br5CH8o-Gk/s320/%EC%9C%A0%EA%B7%BC%ED%98%B8%20-%20Walk%20Alone%202013.jpg"/></a></div>Like some of my Korean music explorations, I picked up a copy of <a title="유근호">Yoo Gno</a>'s debut album, Walk Alone, because of his performance on Naver's OnStage live music series. In that set, I got the sense that Yoo was a folk singer-songwriter with a bit of reach into both rock and pop elements and that's certainly a reasonable description of Walk Alone. The music and Yoo's voice are pleasant enough, but after continued listens, I've found that the album falls a bit short of memorable.</p>
<p>The opening title track leans into the folk sound that makes the core of Yoo's music, an acoustic guitar gently opening the track as Yoo's softer end of his open vocals appears, the arrangement eventually turning towards a lightly country shuffle with brushed drums. That said, he quickly moves into acoustic pop rock with the following "<span title="Curtain Call">커튼콜</span>", occupying a similar emotional tenor as "Walk Alone" in his verses, but the guitars getting a bit more of the workout and his voice moving a bit more into <a>Sweetpea</a>-esque during <a>Delispice</a>-era ascent. It's a modestly appreciable that also highlights his frequent use of bits of English in his lyrics.</p>
<p>"Keep Kissing" introduces his more pop-oriented folk rock sound with its lighthearted, acoustic pop sound and the emphasis on sweetness on the chorus, his voice reaching peak softness on the title call. The little bit of rock grit on the electric guitar solo helps keep the whole effort from floating away, but it's probably the most hook you'll find on the entire album and probably one of the reasons I initially picked this album up.</p>
<p>The album features two guest vocalists, the more effective of which is <a title="향니">Hyangni</a>'s appearance on the folk rock duet "Run2", which has the pair harmonizing effectively against the driving jangle rhythms. <a title="아름이">Arumi</a>'s harmony is much more gentle in keeping with the lightly arranged near twee folk of "<span title="Scooter">스쿠터</span>", but does prove that Yoo's vocals do duet well with female vocalists. The second half of the album gets a little more introspective and folksy starting with "<span title="Scooter">스쿠터</span>", but Yoo brings in a loud electric guitar into his instrumental break of "13", probably to herald the return to rock on the fully English-language "We Blu". This highlights that Yoo's grasp of English usage is a little better when used more sparingly like on most of his other tracks as the language use isn't especially natural and I can't help but feel that if this song were more language-blended it would be more successful. Well, that and not sounding like a medium rock track.</p>
<p>Yoo closes Walk Alone back in his more comfortable gentle folk territory with "<span title="Spring">봄</span>", a touch of jazzy piano playing alongside the light arrangement. It's a fitting close for the album, but like a lot of the tracks on Walk Alone, it's merely pleasant and even on its most rocking moments, the album has a hard time leaving an especially lasting impression. The strongest moments are probably the duet with Hyangni on "Run2" and the catchy pop chorus on "Keep Kissing" and those might make for decent enough listening in certain mainstream contexts, these are also the kinds of songs that are a bit too slight to pull those who aren't dedicated fans back to the album for repeated plays, at least on a studio album--I imagine that Yoo probably shines better live in small venues and coffeeshops based on the construction of his songs. But I think those who like singer-songwriter folk that drifts into acoustic and folk rock with a tiny splash of pop sensibilities will certainly find Walk Alone a pleasant listen and worth trying, but maybe even they, like me are more apt to listen to tracks from this album if they pop up on a randomized playlist than going to seek them out intentionally. 6/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li>Walk Alone</li>
<li><span title="Curtain Call">커튼콜</span></li>
<li>Run2</li>
<li>Keep Kissing</li>
<li><span title="Scooter">스쿠터</span></li>
<li>Too Much</li>
<li>Run</li>
<li>13</li>
<li>We Blu</li>
<li><span title="Spring">봄</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a title="Yoo Gno">유근호</a></li>
<li>Producers: <a title="Bae Yeong-gyeong">배영경</a>, <a title="Yoo Gno">유근호</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/716944">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/087f4d2e-2067-476e-a6fb-6e22b04f7c38">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en)</li>
<li>Available at YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/yoo-gno-vol-1-walk-alone/1034504266-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-54177408810350078562024-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:002024-01-24T18:00:00.125-08:00The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts (2002)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8t2Z_CmU7S36rIpwiUCKmwWsn0m1HcF9PWGnXCJ7BrakXF7uEnfopkp9MWXxcDqIiwx9e5hZtHBw7AhM5_av4TJvg4s8KpTX1Me1Dmy02lzi7-vuZOwgQRDgVvfvGIHEIAfOJUvhisKsK_AVKg9V8FRGP7v5pyMMEh52vMwV7C4dzGIkkM-QdU4KCH4/s1000/The%20Decemberists%20-%20Castaways%20and%20Cutouts%202002.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8t2Z_CmU7S36rIpwiUCKmwWsn0m1HcF9PWGnXCJ7BrakXF7uEnfopkp9MWXxcDqIiwx9e5hZtHBw7AhM5_av4TJvg4s8KpTX1Me1Dmy02lzi7-vuZOwgQRDgVvfvGIHEIAfOJUvhisKsK_AVKg9V8FRGP7v5pyMMEh52vMwV7C4dzGIkkM-QdU4KCH4/s320/The%20Decemberists%20-%20Castaways%20and%20Cutouts%202002.jpg"/></a></div>Castawys and Cutouts is <a>The Decemberist</a>'s first album following their debut EP, <a href="/2013/07/the-decemberists-5-songs-2001.html">5 Songs</a>, expanding to a ten track album that continues the directions found on 5 Songs. Like their previous effort, the kind of focus found on later albums isn't quite here yet, but they do mostly find success here, both on their current bread and butter of historically influenced shanties and the contemporary rock they balanced it with on this album.</p>
<p>"Leslie Anne Levine" represents the band's future leanings, a ghost tale set in the 1800's about a baby who died and continues to haunt the area where she died, set to a downbeat rock tale featuring a prominent accordion from <a>Jenny Conlee</a> and some very erudite word choice from bandleader <a>Colin Meloy</a>, who delivers his vocals with a touch of empathy. It's clear that setting their music in particular places and times adds to their music as the following track, "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect", describes a first person narrative of dreams as a soldier, architect, and Spanish scoundrel, Meloy's word choice finding some ear-tickling rhymes with SAT words as the music rumbles forward over a sea of organs.</p>
<p>One of the strongest songs in this mold, which represents most of the tracklist, is "The Legionnaire's Lament", which drives a lengthy narratives over a driving beat, swelling in just the right places to capture the sensation of the war torn regions where Meloy's protagonist travels and fights, the staccato struck guitar jerking the song forward. Of course, there is a darker tone to many of these songs, as evident from the opening song and no more clearly than "A Cautionary Song", which describes a women's nightly profession just explicitly enough to drive a little horror. This is actually preceded by "July, July!", a song that you might think is a joyous romp because of the kicking rock chorus punctuated by the entire band, but the lyrics over the alt rock verses, driven by energetic rhythm sections, have much more violent underpinnings. And it's still a blast to listen to despite this.</p>
<p>Not every track works as well though, like "Odalisque" almost Oasis-like chorus over a lumbering menace that drifts perhaps a little too long, and not every song is as memorable as the ones with the sharper, more descriptive lyrics, including the lengthy closing medley, which probably drifts too long and doesn't entirely land its imagery as well due to its less specific verbiage.</p>
<p>But enough of the album still carries the smart, instantly imaginable lyrics with particularly effective word choice and clever rhymes, matches with Meloy's dry, yet emotive nasal vocals and a band capable of mixing a sense of history with their rock and roll and so it's not a surprise that The Decemberists would take off and develop their memorable brand of rock further. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li>Leslie Anne Levine</li>
<li>Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qkWrnWRKDJQ?si=QdcRY44YGYngcnAE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>July, July!</li>
<li>A Cautionary Song</li>
<li>Odalisque</li>
<li>Cocoon</li>
<li>Grace Cathedral Hill</li>
<li>The Legionnaire's Lament</li>
<li>Clementine</li>
<li>California One / Youth and Beauty Brigade</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a>The Decemberists</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a>Jenny Conlee</a>, accordion, Hammond organ, piano, Rhodes piano</li>
<li><a>Chris Funk</a>, guitar, pedal steel, theremin</li>
<li><a>Ezra Holbrook</a>, drums, percussion, vocals</li>
<li><a>Colin Meloy</a>, guitar, percussion, vocals</li>
<li><a>Nate Query</a>, upright bass</li>
</ul>
<li>Producer: <a>The Decemberists</a></li>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/114614">Discogs</a>, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/248405">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/b5d96c60-902b-389e-80eb-79201202184b">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castaways_and_Cutouts">en</a>)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LT9BXBF">(Vinyl)</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008XS4D">(CD)</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UTTDS6">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/313362160">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-52992832777806354392024-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:002024-01-18T02:23:11.639-08:00정우 - 여섯 번째 토요일 (2019)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXK111_xrAnZnEn3MazxrQhtThv9BoZU-GWe6JxwIQRmQ7TnIBcgUkfp8RyaSFxtXrmnykBTb__Dveng6QezbpDzX5wQ3oLCikZxsumVSm-9mG7R4ponq4AUYjQgdWISO6px87d_fwhcfGyS9qhtBxHyaCo01dAqzbwlGdHORHAVsFno8Zr4uR__a840/s500/%EC%A0%95%EC%9A%B0%20-%20%EC%97%AC%EC%84%AF%20%EB%B2%88%EC%A7%B8%20%ED%86%A0%EC%9A%94%EC%9D%BC%202019.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXK111_xrAnZnEn3MazxrQhtThv9BoZU-GWe6JxwIQRmQ7TnIBcgUkfp8RyaSFxtXrmnykBTb__Dveng6QezbpDzX5wQ3oLCikZxsumVSm-9mG7R4ponq4AUYjQgdWISO6px87d_fwhcfGyS9qhtBxHyaCo01dAqzbwlGdHORHAVsFno8Zr4uR__a840/s320/%EC%A0%95%EC%9A%B0%20-%20%EC%97%AC%EC%84%AF%20%EB%B2%88%EC%A7%B8%20%ED%86%A0%EC%9A%94%EC%9D%BC%202019.jpg"/></a></div>I discovered <a title="정우">Jungwoo</a> via her Naver OnStage set a few years back and I liked her singer-songwriter folk sound, so I picked up a copy of her first album, <span title="여섯 번째 토요일">6th Saturday</span>. Most of the included tracks fall within the expected tropes of the folk genre and her soft, playful vocals, but some of her experimentation falls a little flat. Despite the stumbles, 6th Saturday is a pleasant enough album to enjoy the listen, but I do admit that the album isn't compelling enough to demand listening for folk music fans.</p>
<p>The album opens with gentle acoustic guitar strumming on "<span title="Gone Flowers">꽃이 진다면</span>" and once Jungwoo's soft, clean vocals appear, it's obvious where most of this album will be going. Jungwoo offers observational lyrics and strong vocal control, gently vibrato-ing her falsetto range, but singing with a genuine ease, the arrangement lightly filling in as the song goes with more band elements being added to increase sonic texture, but not affecting the song structure much. It's a pleasant start that also points to the overall sound of the album, which is confirmed by the following "<span title="From Me to You">나에게서 단신에게</span>", which is slightly more upbeat and involves the band earlier in its light shuffling rhythms, a banjo appearing alongside the gentle nylon stringed guitar, backing vocals helping giving Jungwoo's sweet vocals a little more depth. While it doesn't disabuse the expected trend of the music on this album, it does offer a little range and variety to the music and it's pleasant enough a listen.</p>
<p>But it's probably for the best that Jungwoo stick to the basics because one of the few times she tries something a little different, it ends up being a touch too kitsch and borders on cloying, which happens on "<span title="Diary">일기장</span>". Build on a tilted repeating piano riff, Jungwoo offers some circus-like melodies that I think are intended to be playful, but end up being a touch annoying especially as the arrangement offers a kind of quiet folk circus vibe with its cupped trumpet, toy piano, and melodeon sounds, and the later added deep drums continue this.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the standard formula does end up working pretty well on many tracks, including the title track, which is curiously sequenced towards the end of the album. This one succeeds also thanks to the building arrangement with the jaunting vocal backing almost recalling some of <a title="이랑">Lang Lee</a>'s earlier work at times and is a better example of her playfulness. She also brings on indie singer-songwriter powerhouse <a title="김사월">Kim Sawol</a> to her more somber waltz, "<span title="Letter">숙희에게</span>", which offers a good example of her quiet melancholy. And even when the song strips away a lot of the extras on the arrangement, like the simple guitar and girl "<span title="Lone">외로움</span>", her performance is still magnetic enough to capture the listen, even if it's not doing anything we haven't heard before in the genre.</p>
<p>This makes 6th Saturday a challenging to recommend to anyone who isn't an ardent fan of the quieter end of folksy singer-songwriter music. If you are, then Jungwoo's album will certainly be a pleasant listen, but that will be the extent of it. I listened to the album multiple times in succession and I wasn't ever bored, although slightly annoyed by the circus-ey song, which is a good sign, but I think it's going to require a special genre-focused occasion for me to dig up this album again for a complete listen or to dig for songs for a mixtape. At least what I've heard is enough to get me to try more of her work in the future. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Gone Flowers">꽃이 진다면</span></li>
<li><span title="From Me to You">나에게서 단신에게</span></li>
<li><span title="Name">이름</span></li>
<li><span title="Diary">일기장</span></li>
<li><span title="Trashed">숙취</span></li>
<li><span title="Wish">뭐든 될 수 있을 거야</span></li>
<li><a title="Letter" href="https://youtu.be/l-nmunAY36A?si=R9bH4jfW57n2e1DY" target="_blank">숙희에게</a> (feat. <a title="Kim Sawol">김사월</a>)</li>
<li><span title="Fall Dance">공중댄스</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MBizjHTs3YQ?si=tvLpvxHXlHT9so0b" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="6th Saturday">여섯 번째 토요일</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tLXTGwYnZQs?si=htjZrps8X9Tpzd20" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Lone">외로움</span></li>
<li><span title="Lullaby">자장가</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Artist: <a title="Jungwoo">정우</a></li>
<li>Producers: <a title="Park Jin-ho">박진호</a>, <a title="Hwang Hyun-woo">황현우</a></li>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/2524363">Discogs</a>, <a href="http://www.maniadb.com/album/778814">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/3e84e1a4-d790-4980-9880-280a11ceaf2c">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098N2S169">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1575156943">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-65793206491487997282024-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:002024-01-03T23:56:04.183-08:00커피향 설레임 Soundtrack From 커피프린스 1호점 (2007)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBdpnTzJxWDXPGvNBfpN29jjLVp9_qvzeRItSnZP8ltzUiLNzI1RlglNPiTMsOEm94DTk0c3dQMMaK0TbrvZbgnm1a61jZUlzBDK7z_Pkaey4mXLcdRPSJGfDE-qw-dn-tliueojNG8pDX7TVTEH1EvgyOQ0G0KjyPW45yp4v20jZLsZN6ffTMzaFGhA/s500/%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%ED%96%A5%20%EC%84%A4%EB%A0%88%EC%9E%84%20Soundtrack%20From%20%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%ED%94%84%EB%A6%B0%EC%8A%A4%201%ED%98%B8%EC%A0%90%202007.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBdpnTzJxWDXPGvNBfpN29jjLVp9_qvzeRItSnZP8ltzUiLNzI1RlglNPiTMsOEm94DTk0c3dQMMaK0TbrvZbgnm1a61jZUlzBDK7z_Pkaey4mXLcdRPSJGfDE-qw-dn-tliueojNG8pDX7TVTEH1EvgyOQ0G0KjyPW45yp4v20jZLsZN6ffTMzaFGhA/s320/%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%ED%96%A5%20%EC%84%A4%EB%A0%88%EC%9E%84%20Soundtrack%20From%20%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%ED%94%84%EB%A6%B0%EC%8A%A4%201%ED%98%B8%EC%A0%90%202007.jpg"/></a></div>While I appreciated <a href="/2023/12/the-1st-shop-of-coffee-prince-2007.html">the soundtrack</a> to <a title="커피프린스 1호전" href="/2011/12/the-1st-shop-of-coffee-prince-2007.html">The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince</a>, I did notice that much of the music featured in the series didn't make the cut for the soundtrack. This isn't really a fault of the soundtrack since it was working with the limited single disc format and the series was filled to the brim with music selected by <a>Tearliner</a>. For fans of the series or of the music of the series, <span href="커피향 설레임 Soundtrack From 커피프린스 1호점">'Coffee Aroma Excitement': Soundtrack From The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince</span> is the companion disc to help rectify that, offering two full discs of music from the series with dialog clips interspersed between it all. While the effect of the clips certainly leans the release a bit more towards fans of the series, but the listen still works really well as a collection of indie music representative of Pastel Music's cadre of artists and imports at the time.</p>
<p>As with the main soundtrack, Tearliner is ever-present on the album, getting the most number of original tracks, either on his own or with his duo, <a>Low-End Project</a>, whose "Love Is Weaken When It Comes Out of Mouth" opens up the CD. A downbeat pop piece, the song features Tearliner's distant, muddy vocals and a sense of longing, with rough vocal performances giving it an almost live performance feel. From there wee get the first piece of dialog, with <a title="이선균">Lee Sun-kyun</a>'s <span title="최한성">Choe Hanseong</span> and <a title="채정안">Chae Jung-an</a>'s <span title="한유주">Han Yuju</span>'s first re-encounter getting a curious first spotlight. This makes a little more sense when you hear the second track, "Goodbye", courtesy of opening theme band <a>The Melody</a>, whose song forms one of the themes for the duo. While the first soundtrack offers a number of pieces that are exclusive to it, this additional soundtrack actually includes several songs that can be found on the respective artists' albums, EPs, or singles, like with this Melody song, which can be found on their <a>eponymous album</a>. This is true of most of the pieces that are not Tearliners, so those collecting works of certain included artists would do well to review tracklists for their other works before purchasing this soundtrack as it might not be exclusive.</p>
<p>That said, in addition to Tearliner, there are a few other exclusives here, like the bouncy pop of <a>Casker</a>'s "<span title="Faded Confession">바랜 고백</span>" and <a>Misty Blue</a>'s comforting "<span title="Comfort">외로</span>", with their characteristic sad girl sound arranged into a piece of lounge pop (and it works). Korean rock legend (and actor in Coffee Prince) also gets one of his original diegetic compositions for the show, "<span title="Ouch">아이쿠</span>" on the second disc here. The selections overall are very much befitting the overall indie aesthetic championed by Pastel Music during this era and consequently there is some kind of unity of overall sound here, despite ranging from rock to lounge pop and the tracklist includes a handful of European artists and bands as well, which were also distributed in Korea by Pastel Music, including German singer-songwriter <a>Maximilian Hecker</a>, British slowcore band <a>Arco</a>, and Norwegian pop group <a>Ephemera</a>, whose sounds also fit in right alongside the Korean artists.</p>
<p>The selected songs are appropriately also from the soundtrack and so it's hard to fault their inclusions here and fans of the show will particularly appreciate the bursts of memorable dialog moments from there show alongside music that was often featured with those characters and during or near those scenes. If you're not especially a fan of any of these bands, this is still a good way to get a snapshot of Pastel's indie sound of the time without committing to their larger <a>5th Anniversary compilation</a>. If you like sadboy rock, you've got <a>Cloud Cuckoo Land</a>'s modern rock "<span title="Again">다시</span>" in acoustic form and Arco's almost <a>Elliott Smith</a>-inspired "Alien" and sad girl fans might like Misty Blue and <a title="어른아이">Adult Child</a>'s inclusions here.</p>
<p>But even if there's a tone of sadness and melancholy that traces along most of the tracks here, there are plenty of tracks with somewhat more complex moods, like the driven "Running" from <a>Donawhale</a>, the jaunty wispy indie pop of Ephemera's "Balloons & Champange", or the breezy, but whispery electronically infused pop of <a>Fanny Fink</a>'s "<span title="November">11월</span>", which is in keeping with the overall tone of the series too. The music is a lot more dramatic than the often comedic series and the dialog clips might make you think that Coffee Prince is just all high drama, but those moments are probably some of the most memorable in the series, so it's not surprising the drift towards that part of the soundtrack with the themes and the inclusions here.</p>
<p>"<span title="커피향 설레임">Coffee Aroma Excitement</span>" might not be a comprehensive companion to the first soundtrack of Coffee Prince, but it's sure close to it over its two discs as it captures all the major musical themes that I can recall. It does really require the first soundtrack in order to fully complete the show's sound, but alongside it, it offers as good a musical impresson of the show, helping fans of it relieve the music of the show and their associated moments and helping fans of Pastel Music sound also get a solid sampler here as well. A good collection in both ways. 8/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p>
<p>Disc 1:</p>
<ol>
<li><a>Low-End Project</a> - Love Is Weaken When It Comes Out of Mouth</li>
<li><span title="Yoojoo, Han-seong">유주, 한성</span> Dialogue "<span title="Two People Meet Again, and Bagel">다시 만난 두 사람, 그리고 베이글</span>"</li>
<li><a>The Melody</a> - Goodbye</li>
<li><a>Belle Epoque</a> - May</li>
<li><a>Cloud Cuckoo Land</a> - <span title="Again">다시</span> (acoustic version)</li>
<li><a>Casker</a> - <span title="Faded Confession">바랜 고백</span></li>
<li><a>Tearliner</a> - Gazer Razer (studio live version)</li>
<li><span title="Eun-chan, Han-kyul">은찬, 한결</span> Dialogue "<span title="Eun-chan and Han-kyul's Reconciliation">은찬과 한결의 화해</span>"</li>
<li><a title="Adult Child">어른아이</a> - Make Up</li>
<li><a>Maximilian Hecker</a> - I'll Be a Virgin, I'll Be a Mountain</li>
<li><a>Fanny Fink</a> - <span title="November">11월</span></li>
<li><span title="Eun-chan">은찬</span> Dialogue "<span title="Eun-chan Crying Out Loud">소리내어 우는 은찬</span>"</li>
<li>Tearliner - Raincoat (A Passing Rain version)</li>
<li><a>Misty Blue</a> - <span title="Comfort">외로</span></li>
<li><span title="Han-sung">한성</span> Dialogue "<span title="It's Not Love, It's Fluttering">사랑이 아니라 흔들린 거야</span>"</li>
<li><a>Arco</a> - Alien</li>
</ol>
<p>Disc 2:</p>
<ol>
<li><span title="Han-kyul">한결</span> Dialogue "<span title="Han-kyul's Confession">한결의 고백</span>"</li>
<li><span title="Adult Child">어른아이</span> - Sad Thing</li>
<li><span title="Han-kyul, Eun-chan">한결, 은찬</span> Dialogue "<span title="Eun-chan and Han-kyul Become Sworn Brothers">의형제 맺기로 한 은찬과 한결</span>"</li>
<li>Low-End Project - <span title="I Realized That the Person Who Ruined the Relationship... Was Me">연애를 망친 건... 바로 나란 걸 알았다</span></li>
<li><a title="Kim Chang-wan">김창완</a> - <span title="Ouch">아이쿠</span></li>
<li>Cloud Cuckoo Land - Coffee Is</li>
<li><a>Donawhale</a> - Running</li>
<li><span title="Eun-chan, Han-kyul">은찬, 한결</span> Dialogue "<span title="Growing Love">성장하는 사랑</span>"</li>
<li>Fanny Fink - <span title="Good Person">좋은 사람</span></li>
<li>Tearliner - Wishy-Washy Boy (Guide version)</li>
<li><a title="Bluedawn">푸른새벽</a> - Last Arpeggios</li>
<li><span title="Han-kyul, Eun-chan">한결, 은찬</span> Dialogue "<span title="Discovery of Love">사랑의 발견</span>"</li>
<li><a>Ephemera</a> - Balloons & Champange</li>
<li>Tearliner - Novaless</li>
<li><span title="Han-kyul">한결</span> Dialogue "<span title="Go Eun-chan Come Quick!! I Miss Go Eun-chan!!">고은찬 빨리 와라!! 고은찬 보고 싶다!!"</span></li>
<li>Arco - Perfect World</li>
<li>Tearliner - Space Island (Moon version)</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Producer: <a>Tearliner</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="http://www.maniadb.com/album/154917">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/091c3aaf-0c53-4fae-b48c-3e01e30ecf1c">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ9DT7WG/">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/may/1477307875">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/soundtrack-from-the-1st-shop-of-coffee-prince-mbc-drama-2cd/1005019989-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-43862074739723864792023-12-27T18:00:00.000-08:002024-01-03T23:56:27.088-08:00커피프린스 1호점 (2007)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAo4iWBdQd_HfmZ4huggQWtiWAZxpA-GAKrzHIvvedW63IpNXJ-96iytEibrRxdtHUmzJW03t2t9ERFJw2Xgc4C_zZUnonDWpAHCj8-V8DzdpYfn_759eef7nb6CoU03C04a4HngodGCAcXTsjS7XusOa1zGHFUdjBa-4J_OEqcdghft8G_lr-5XF2-c/s600/%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%ED%94%84%EB%A6%B0%EC%8A%A4%201%ED%98%B8%EC%A0%90%202007.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAo4iWBdQd_HfmZ4huggQWtiWAZxpA-GAKrzHIvvedW63IpNXJ-96iytEibrRxdtHUmzJW03t2t9ERFJw2Xgc4C_zZUnonDWpAHCj8-V8DzdpYfn_759eef7nb6CoU03C04a4HngodGCAcXTsjS7XusOa1zGHFUdjBa-4J_OEqcdghft8G_lr-5XF2-c/s320/%EC%BB%A4%ED%94%BC%ED%94%84%EB%A6%B0%EC%8A%A4%201%ED%98%B8%EC%A0%90%202007.jpg"/></a></div>Hearing recently of the death of Korean actor <a title="이선균">Lee Sun-kyun</a>, I was reminded of one of his iconic Korean drama roles as <span title="최한성">Choe Hanseong</span> on <a title="커피프린스 1호점" href="https://init-scenes.blogspot.com/2011/12/the-1st-shop-of-coffee-prince-2007.html">The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince</a>. On it, he played the role of a music producer whose life is complicated when the love of his life, his ex-girlfriend <span title="한유주">Han Yuju</span> reappears in his life after leaving him for another man. This drama was exceptional in part thanks to its lovely soundtrack, courtesy of <a>Tearliner</a> and the height-of-its-powers Pastel Music, but Lee, being a music producer, also offers a particularly beautiful rendition of one of the show's main themes in a flashback when he was in love, and that memorable musical performance by Lee is what brought me to revisit this soundtrack, which I initially found amazing, although time has clearly aged it a little.</p>
<p>Sixteen tracks long, the soundtrack doesn't cover <em>every</em> theme track used in the series, but does contain the most prominent ones along with bits of score, fittingly opening with the show opener: "<span title="La La La">랄랄라</span>, It's Love!" by <a>The Melody</a> and closing with the credits closer, "<span title="Go Go Chan!!">고고찬!!</span>" by Tearliner. "<span title="La La La">랄랄라</span>, It's Love!" is a bit a mixed bag. Despite its iconic playful titular "la la la" and some of the fun bright breezy harmonies, some of the funk elements of the song feel grafted and <a>Taru</a>'s performance feels a little uncertain and the following track, "White Love Story" by <a>As One</a> is a little one note with not too much progresion in its second half and the languid pace and flat performance makes for one of As One's weaker songs.</p>
<p>Fortunately, things pick up with <a>Humming Urban Stereo</a>'s "<span title="How About a Cup of Coffee?">커피 한잔 어때?</span>", easygoing samba-influenced lounge pop with <a title="요조">Yozoh</a> offering her cutesy vocals appropriately. We continue with Yozoh on "<span title="Go Go Chan!!">고고찬!!</span>", which is a pleasant enough track with a touch of jangle pop driving the listen and a breezy melody working well with Yozoh's voice.</p>
<p><a>The Melody</a> gets a second song on this soundtrack with "Polly" a little past the midpoint and this one is a little better, a gentle acoustic pop song with Taru's voice working its in sweet spot. Lounge pop duo <a>Casker</a> also get two tracks on the album, the gentle bossa nove of "Mocha" feeling a little cheap on the electronic instruments, but helped by <a title="융진">Yoongjin</a>'s strong voice, and the similarly coffee-themed "Double Shot", which unfortunately leans a little into being annoying with its faux-hip hop sound and over-reliance on programmed keyboard sounds. This sort of instrumentation also weakens Tearliner's score contributions, like the odd synth bass leading the curiously titled "<span title="Lovey Dovey">알콩달콩</span>" and the synthesized trumpet solo of "<span title="Good Memory">좋은 기억</span>" becoming a little grating at times.</p>
<p>In contrast to As One's song, <a title="MNI민재">MNI MinJae</a>'s "For a While" works pretty well as a rhythm and blues inflected bit of pop balled with a pleasant acoustic arrangement and an appreciably immediate performance by MNI MinJae. But the pièce de résistance of the soundtrack is the Lee Sun-kyun performaned version of "<span title="Travel to the Sea">바다여행</span>" right in the middle of the soundtrack. Although Tearliner also contributes his back-mixed fuzzy vocal version of the song towards the end of the soundtrack, it's Lee's generous and warm vocal take on the lyrics, diegetically performed during an episode that really delivers emotional resonance alongside his character's feelings for Yuju. It's a smart choice for Tearliner then, to include the gentle piano version of the song as the penultimate track before exiting on the actual version of "<span title="Go Go Chan!!">고고찬!!</span>" from the end credits sequence.</p>
<p>I think the song selection, even if at times annoying to my ears, is actually fairly representative of the show, at least for a one-disc effort, even as it does feel like it's missing a number of songs and the sequencing of the album works pretty well too. So, I do think that fans of the show will appreciate this album, even if they are missing some of their preferred songs due to the lack of comprehensiveness of the tracklist. But with a little time away from the show causing my memory of some of these songs to weaken, I'm not sure this is as strong a collection of Korean indie songs as I initially recalled from my purchase of this CD after recently watching Coffee Prince over fifteen years ago. I still enjoy it thanks to the parts it gets right, but I'm definitely skipping some of these tracks in future listens. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><a>The Melody</a> - <span title="La La La">랄랄라</span>, It's Love!</li>
<li><a>As One</a> - White Love Story</li>
<li><a>Humming Urban Stereo</a> - <span title="How About a Cup of Coffee?">커피 한잔 어때?</span> (feat. <a title="Yozoh">요조</a>)</li>
<li><a>Tearliner</a> - <span title="Go Go Chan!!">고고찬!!</span> (feat. <span title="Yozoh">요조</span>)</li>
<li>Tearliner - <span title="Coffee Flutters">커피향 설레임</span> (guitar instrumental)</li>
<li><a title="MNI MinJae">MNI민재</a> - For a While</li>
<li><a>Casker</a> - Mocha</li>
<li><a title="Lee Sun-kyun">이선균</a> - <span title="Travel to the Sea">바다여행</span> (<span title="Choi Han-sung">최한성</span> version) (feat. <a title="Han Hee Jung">한희정</a>)</li>
<li>Tearliner - <span title="A Piece of Sunshine">햇살 한 조각</span> (instrumental)</li>
<li>The Melody - Polly</li>
<li>Tearliner - <span title="Lovey Dovey">알콩달콩</span> (instrumental)</li>
<li>Tearliner - <span title="Travel to the Sea">바다여행</span> (feat. <span title="Han Hee Jung">한희정</span>)</li>
<li>Casker - Double Shot</li>
<li>Tearliner - <span title="Good Memory">좋은 기억</span> (instrumental)</li>
<li><a title="Oh Soo Kyung">오수경</a> - <span title="Gently Sitting in the Wind">바람에살며시앉다</span> (<span title="Travel to the Sea">바다여행</span> piano version)</li>
<li>Tearliner - <span title="Go Go Chan!!">고고찬!!</span> (<span title="Drama">방송</span> version) (feat. <span title="Yozoh">요조</span>)</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>At <a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/13372892">Discogs</a>, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/153183">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/61020fe9-7f73-3193-8391-51b289eb97a2">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WWZJCW9/">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/no/album/1477294677">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/the-1st-shop-of-coffee-prince-ost-mbc-tv-drama/1004929886-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-52722655711889317612023-12-13T18:00:00.000-08:002023-12-14T00:43:52.645-08:00가을방학 - 세 번째 계절 (2015)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbb1Suv2v3WfvaLNrU7e76d20PgM5Vf-zalsoBSy8mYDOEG95I4PrfYvy_svbyrUAvGIwxhXHdE-guBeTjMhsB7GeNIuVgj4VlA-3zIkZoSg7n2ulk41LIVGjIvf-hS8aw9Fm94owWUK7PyQXsAlnmnTJQCDtsWvBWgr80HmUPuoUnW-urpwGFXg9GmM/s500/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%84%B8%20%EB%B2%88%EC%A7%B8%20%EA%B3%84%EC%A0%88%202015.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbb1Suv2v3WfvaLNrU7e76d20PgM5Vf-zalsoBSy8mYDOEG95I4PrfYvy_svbyrUAvGIwxhXHdE-guBeTjMhsB7GeNIuVgj4VlA-3zIkZoSg7n2ulk41LIVGjIvf-hS8aw9Fm94owWUK7PyQXsAlnmnTJQCDtsWvBWgr80HmUPuoUnW-urpwGFXg9GmM/s320/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%84%B8%20%EB%B2%88%EC%A7%B8%20%EA%B3%84%EC%A0%88%202015.jpg"/></a></div>Since the release of their pleasant sophomore album, <a title="선명" href="/2023/11/autumn-vacation-clarity-2013.html">Clarity</a>, I've found the duo leaning much more towards being pleasant listens rather than captivating, particularly with the releases of their singles, so I was wondering what their third album might sound like and if they might be able to strike gold again. Their appropriately titled third album, <span title="세 번째 계절">The Third Season</span> does actually expand the duo's sound, with broader arrangements, but despite the development of the music, it feels a bit safe and ends up feeling like it's leaning more into the pleasantness of their more recent releases. This isn't to say that The Third Season isn't an enjoyable album as there are some good moments on it, but it's not the kind of must-listen that their debut was.</p>
<p>The album opens with the bright folksy "<span title="Bird">새</span>", which uses a melody that album like a children's song over a midtempo beat and it's already apparent that Autumn Vacation is leaning a bit more into fully arrangements and production with an entire band present here and piano, drums, guitars, and even recorder floating around in the arrangement. It's a comfortable song and that's really the lane that Autumn Vacation is leaning into this album, so perhaps it's an appropriate starter. Whether it's a brighter entry like, the upbeat "<span title="Sneeze">재채기</span>" or the more classic Autumn Vacation sound in "<span title="Why Are There Always Fallen Leaves in My Bag?">난 왜 가방에서 낙엽이 나올까</span>".</p>
<p>There are some notable departures from what you might expect from Autumn Vacation including a little more energy, leaning into rock on tracks like "<span title="Me in Love">사랑에 빠진 나</span>", offering a light dance beat and upfront electic guitars or the syncopated electric guitar of "<span title="In the Flood of People">사람의 홍수 속에서</span>" rolling along with plenty of energy pulsing along, strings crashing dramatically into the song. This isn't the acoustic duo you'd expect, but even with this development, I don't find these tracks especially compelling--it's nice to hear <a title="계피">Gyepi</a> pushing herself, but her vocals are almost too soft for the material at times.</p>
<p>The best moments of The Third Season are actually probably Autumn Vacation sticking to what they do best, like on "<span title="Sakha">사하</span>", which features a classic melody, tempo, and mood for the duo, punched up a little by some strings and a little organ, but nothing to the point of distraction and keeping the focus on Gyepi's vocals, the crescendic ramp up feeling rather natural. Then there's the traipsing "David", which is sung in English, but to a pentatonic melody--this is entirely playful with its whistling, gentle acoustic guitars, and harmonica. The English lyrics aren't amazing, but they also aren't distracting, which is welcome for a Korean language-first songwriter.</p>
<p>I don't regret listening to The Third Season. In fact, I'd say that I don't really have a problem with anything on the album and mostly enjoyed my listen of the album throughout its many plays, but I will admit that I'm also not likely to revisit regularly the way that I seek out their <a href="/2016/02/autumn-vacation-autumn-vacation-2010.html">eponymous debut</a> either. And I suppose that's still worth praising somewhat, but I do hope that the duo is able to find either a more interesting or more fitting lane in future releases. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Bird">새</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F1IVsobN16s?si=eqPTZR3hZEWS3K62" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="153cm, Flat Shoes">153cm, 플랫슈즈</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e67QS5RY14o?si=5B9X7WbGe1WmCziL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Sakha">사하</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qv0jNiEmBbo?si=ZDs_L12ljqkY6cUd" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Why Are There Always Fallen Leaves in My Bag?">난 왜 가방에서 낙엽이 나올까</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1V-QP91Wglo?si=-uEUL3iqzPStMRkl" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Sneeze">재채기</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bs_g-FqgSDM?si=mSikzM_AblZjJLxV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>David<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CupVQaBDaGI?si=wnjiA28pMzoNAgD3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Me in Love">사랑에 빠진 나</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WmkUI0kfuQQ?si=V-OV711EcoorBdSS" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="To Our End">이별 앞으로</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k8lRgbr4bpg?si=grPKLgWLxe4oDupk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="In the Flood of People">사람의 홍수 속에서</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uCwdnCtxHYU?si=AlfazB8yP9cM1fjW" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="I Don't Buy Greatest Hits">베스트 앨범은 사지 않아</span> (album version)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NidodR_cV9I?si=3ijrBKsHk0bebBp9" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Ivory">아이보리</span> (album version)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iJdsX2tciuE?si=sR_bB6wn3V6RVVKG" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a title="Autumn Vacation">가을방학</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Gyepi">계피</a>, vocals</li>
<li><a title="Bobby Chung">정바비</a>, songwriting</li>
</ul>
<li>Producer: <a title="Lee Byung-hoon">이병훈</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/723692">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/d017bb64-d18d-4c2b-a73b-63e133f55706">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B09C8F2J79">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1580530942">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/fall-vacation-vol-3/1045002368-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-19493978030292226822023-11-15T18:00:00.001-08:002023-11-19T00:55:31.155-08:00Winter Garden (2015)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd7LI5qE_57KqIgyZn1h-87yW7lSVz01XPvV9w_T_5x8Xg28yZCv3xbDSlmJ3O292bs5hEgTlV1ZhoRBLNJG3VHiaqkQ-JeywIQxtuRQzYGH69tr0D4LoW3SOSRmlXH3gaO5iD5ny_uWrlvqbYx5WteRpMPQ6gPR0APQZvMIzvUBiys8wDZIhN85Mvis/s1024/fx%20-%20Winter%20Garden%202015.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd7LI5qE_57KqIgyZn1h-87yW7lSVz01XPvV9w_T_5x8Xg28yZCv3xbDSlmJ3O292bs5hEgTlV1ZhoRBLNJG3VHiaqkQ-JeywIQxtuRQzYGH69tr0D4LoW3SOSRmlXH3gaO5iD5ny_uWrlvqbYx5WteRpMPQ6gPR0APQZvMIzvUBiys8wDZIhN85Mvis/s320/fx%20-%20Winter%20Garden%202015.jpg"/></a></div>SM Entertainment isn't shy of having its artists release holiday specific music and in 2015, they released Winter Garden, an EP released in a series of three singles as a special project to benefit a charity. Given that my wife likes to start listening to Christmas music as early as I'll tolerate it, I've gotten more in the habit of listening to a bit more myself, leading me to grab these singles due to my appreciation of <a>f(x)</a> in particular, but as a Korean pop holiday EP goes, this isn't a bad listen.</p>
<p>As I mentioned, I was drawn by f(x)'s participation in this project and their single, "<span title="12:25">12시 25분</span> (Wish List)" is kind of everything I hoped that it would be. f(x) was particularly enjoyable to me because of the tendency for their music to incorporate electronic dance music elements into their arrangement and compositions and that remains true here. In fact, if it weren't for the constant presence of sleighbells and musical quoting of "<a>Jingle Bells</a>", the actual music might not necesarily scream Christmas, but the lyrics certainly hammer the point home, although the lyrics are also the most predictable part of the song. That said, they do work with the composition in how the group works their vocals into percussive dance elements and the song is chock full of the chromaticism and gliding harmonies, as well fun dance music instrumentation, but bright and fun in accordance with its celebration of the secular Christmas. Certainly worth it for those that like both Christmas music and f(x) or Korean pop on the whole.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0yEDdZ4umO7G9NbvuzLqOf5LOIBPE6KgP_6RPBjpYscJpSdYKSiDDJE7cuELM713GXqyleRy4ddKC8E40FjAKngfmaktWSQ9uo_RuuNlKdTYC2VXh0_D44GVSbBD0TzXtxD0Aynwts668fekA2QCAkJWzqVXLFTm4KdgD_1eOSWoHvBu6yWDqyChOlA/s4000/Red%20Velvet%20-%20Winter%20Garden%202015.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0yEDdZ4umO7G9NbvuzLqOf5LOIBPE6KgP_6RPBjpYscJpSdYKSiDDJE7cuELM713GXqyleRy4ddKC8E40FjAKngfmaktWSQ9uo_RuuNlKdTYC2VXh0_D44GVSbBD0TzXtxD0Aynwts668fekA2QCAkJWzqVXLFTm4KdgD_1eOSWoHvBu6yWDqyChOlA/s320/Red%20Velvet%20-%20Winter%20Garden%202015.jpg"/></a></div><p>The second track released, "<span title="Three Wishes">세가지 소원</span> (Wish Tree)", comes from <a>Red Velvet</a>, a group that was relatively new in comparison to the other artists featured and is also a group I'm not especially familiar with. This one is much more a traditional R&B-influenced pop ballad and this is the most predictable track of the three. Like "<span title="12:25">12시 25분</span> (Wish List)", it also features sleighbells in the arrangement and the composition sounds a lot like what you might expect a Christmas ballad about wishes would sound like. Plenty of horns, strings, and piano to keep the drama present along with the group's high power vocals and bits of harmonization. Honestly, it's a fine composition and performance overall, but at the same time, it doesn't tell me that much about Red Velvet and it's a song that I won't remember amidst the endless flood of Christmas pop ballads that appear each year.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4djaz_2zcqShaXndk6gStgdlKjxJ5sUVl2Ly-IYFU4q-twUAeuIEgaz42pL32-1ALcyjRL0pbY-e2fEmdGyeRzE7lnJDHeTHtxj1wwjS9m852XL-Nf-TObG_bIk-OiGtsx0ieLigqtkkqbrQG_ZCG_tNeKc4p7FTGQPAQPlahHn8I7KWGpRhSQ-_kg8/s243/BoA%20-%20Winter%20Garden%202015.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4djaz_2zcqShaXndk6gStgdlKjxJ5sUVl2Ly-IYFU4q-twUAeuIEgaz42pL32-1ALcyjRL0pbY-e2fEmdGyeRzE7lnJDHeTHtxj1wwjS9m852XL-Nf-TObG_bIk-OiGtsx0ieLigqtkkqbrQG_ZCG_tNeKc4p7FTGQPAQPlahHn8I7KWGpRhSQ-_kg8/s320/BoA%20-%20Winter%20Garden%202015.jpg"/></a></div>"Christmas Paradise" is the final track and this one features one of SM's veteran performers in <a>BoA</a>. Sleighbells appear at the top and BoA isn't shy about leaning much more to R&B in her song, with her bubbly voice slinking along the percussive mid-tempo beat. The song gently quotes <a>Donny Hathaway</a>'s "This Christmas", but outside of the opening sleighbells, the quote, and the lyrics, you'd be even more hard-pressed to identify this one as a Christmas song and it just comes across as a fairly standard quality BoA song. Like with Red Velvet, this is still an entirely fine listen, and fans of BoA or Korean pop music who are looking for Christmas album will still want to consider adding it to their Christmastime playlist, but it doesn't stand out that much over everything else that BoA releases.</p>
<p>Fortunately, even if the inclusions here are either not deeply Christmas or lean towards being conventional, the quality of the songwriting, arrangement, and performance is all still pretty high and nothing here is too cloying or annoying as far as Korean pop trends go, making for what's an entirely listenable EP within the context of Christmas music. It's nothing earthshatting, but I wouldn't mind any of these tracks coming up during my Christmas music rotation and I'm definitely making sure that f(x)'s contribution gets some airtime each holiday season. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><a>f(x)</a> - <span title="12:25">12시 25분</span> (Wish List)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k6MQWy7NLU4?si=kur00ZetBFaYEasf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>Red Velvet</a> - <span title="Three Wishes">세가지 소원</span> (Wish Tree)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nTYYYor2Zfw?si=0VJagh8MmsxDAo-z" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><a>BoA</a> - Christmas Paradise<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fKLa5hBPES8?si=gzRmiqZ3Z5TNcRP1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Groups/Artists: <a>f(x)</a>, <a>Red Velvet</a>, <a>BoA</a></li>
<li>At Discogs (f(x)|<a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/2680709">Red Velvet</a>|BoA), maniadb (f(x)|<a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/730056">Red Velvet</a>|<a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/749197">BoA</a>), <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/series/b348c947-7d25-4802-bbd0-4c76cfdee68d">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Garden_%28album%29">en</a>|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon (MP3: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094CY86XS">f(x)</a>|<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096YF9KHJ">Red Velvet</a>|<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096Y9SDQJ">BoA</a>) and iTunes (<a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1067728833">f(x)</a>|<a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1067729602">iTunes</a>|<a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1067730853">BoA</a>)</li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-47686882208780320042023-11-15T18:00:00.000-08:002023-11-18T12:33:48.711-08:00가을방학 - 종이우산 (2014)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwpX8gAbbg7vJTryOp4klNI7y456xQ5Z0q6fi-scjVREn04noMNpMxmpiL6vFymtNQCtpps1lAlcvoVf_xtOnTxQM7_O6CcvfM5iIVDmORm0rdLcuUq2K2zW0i1xeC0rI6D-FitSfofVEM4LOQvEu4uqwlvhKkdl8HsG0BpndOmmy4bEN2N16A3uIQvo/s1200/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%A2%85%EC%9D%B4%EC%9A%B0%EC%82%B0%202014.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPwpX8gAbbg7vJTryOp4klNI7y456xQ5Z0q6fi-scjVREn04noMNpMxmpiL6vFymtNQCtpps1lAlcvoVf_xtOnTxQM7_O6CcvfM5iIVDmORm0rdLcuUq2K2zW0i1xeC0rI6D-FitSfofVEM4LOQvEu4uqwlvhKkdl8HsG0BpndOmmy4bEN2N16A3uIQvo/s320/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%A2%85%EC%9D%B4%EC%9A%B0%EC%82%B0%202014.jpg"/></a></div><a title="가을방학">Autumn Vacation</a>'s sophomore album, <a title="선명" href="/2023/11/autumn-vacation-clarity-2013.html">Clarity</a>, might not have been the shining jewel that their <a href="/2016/02/autumn-vacation-autumn-vacation-2010.html">eponymous debut</a> was, but it was still an entirely pleasant album. This led me to pick up their follow-up single, <a title="첫사랑" href="/2023/11/autumn-vacation-first-love-2013.html">First Love</a> and that was similarly pleasant, but probably too bite-sized to be satisfying beyond a few listens and then cycling into my larger shuffle playlist. But that was enough for me to pick up the next single, <span title="종이우산">Paper Umbrella</span>, which falls into much the same space as its preceding three-track single.</p>
<p>The title track is probably the group at their most wistful, with <a title="계피">Gyepi</a> displaying the most emotion underneath her usually measured vocals, both in the gentle way she extends her notes and lets them fall. The band, especially the strings, highlights the fragility of the lyrics in contrast to Gyepi's vocals well, the guitars particularly adding some warmth as well, giving the whole song a nostalgic feeling that offers a bittersweet look back at what I assume is a love lost. It's a memorable single just for its variation from Autumn Vacation's usual tone.</p>
<p>"<span title="Wisdom">지혜</span>" continues the development, although it's a more measured song, with the rhythm guitar keeping the whole thing on a metered pace. But Gyepi is again more gentle and vulnerable and the strings help convey the emotion behind her still controlled vocals. Still, the softness is there again on the song that reflects on the past again. It's a lovely production as usual with softer keyboards and gentle guitars adding a soft touch to another bittersweet song as the b-side.</p>
<p>The single closes out with the waltz of "<span title="Clover">클로버</span>", which is a little more upbeat, both thanks to the meter, but also to the lighter cast of Gyepi's vocals, the strings taking a more staccato approach on the verses before singing alongside Gyepi on the pre-chorus and chorus. It's a nice conclusion to the single as it adds a little dynamism of the tone and pace of the three songs. The brighter outlook leaving the listen with a little hope after the sadder memories it investigates.</p>
<p>And that's it. A pleasant little listen that I never mind hearing, but, like its predecessor, also doesn't necessarily draw me to seek it out much. As such it's fans of the group and of gentle coffeeshop indie folk pop that will appreciate this the most. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="Paper Umbrella">종이우산</span></li>
<li><span title="Wisdom">지혜</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JJdNH2qFSJY?si=HUULuehx23f8lrJT" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Clover">클로버</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a title="Autumn Vacation">가을방학</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Gyepi">계피</a></li>
<li><a title="Bobby Chung">정바비</a></li>
</ul>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/723694">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/4f0068e2-aa4c-4e85-91e0-472c35218306">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N5D6GZM">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1539662193">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-19711153581186211002023-11-08T20:00:00.158-08:002023-11-08T20:56:32.690-08:00올훈 - Yolhoon (2015)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7fuACgUQqpfardNnaZssHL6_92Er7-dRJIht8aX4wY2hJX3sTQ6dZ6CBjTcJnarfhKMNWzg2T9g_xNyfdD-XkGIxLkBH-TfecXgPaysgDWnXkhithbYH9PTVisKXETFuWXFYZnFQYMPhmp_AILuGUNyrLy4nRvUNC2UR4heit99o_kBjO6z-vlfUiyA/s1200/%EC%9A%9C%ED%9B%88%20-%20Yolhoon%202015.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7fuACgUQqpfardNnaZssHL6_92Er7-dRJIht8aX4wY2hJX3sTQ6dZ6CBjTcJnarfhKMNWzg2T9g_xNyfdD-XkGIxLkBH-TfecXgPaysgDWnXkhithbYH9PTVisKXETFuWXFYZnFQYMPhmp_AILuGUNyrLy4nRvUNC2UR4heit99o_kBjO6z-vlfUiyA/s320/%EC%9A%9C%ED%9B%88%20-%20Yolhoon%202015.jpg"/></a></div>When I heard that Fluxus mainstays, rocker <a title="이승열">Yi Sung Yol</a> and <a>Clazzi</a>, the brainchild of <a>Clazziquai Project</a>, were teaming up for a project EP, I was certainly looking forward hearing it having heard their collaborations before on a couple Clazziquai tracks, but I was a little underwhelmed at first impression with "<span title="NDND">너덜너덜</span>" and that caused me to wait on picking on the CD until recently. Overall, I think my initial impression was close, but repeated listens did eventually help me to appreciate their eponymous EP more, even though I'm not sure it's one that I'll be revisting too frequently.</p>
<p>One thing that I will admit is that their collaboration feels fairly natural. Even though the songwriting credits are split between the two, none of the tracks feel especially out of place next to each other. I think part of that is thanks to Yi's rather distinctive vocal style, but I think they complement each other reasonably well, with Clazzi vanishing behind the boards and production and Yi taking center stage as lead vocal. Of course, the latter aspect and Yi's especially distinctive vocals and musical proclivities does lead this project to feel a little bit more weighted towards being an extension of his sound a bit more than of Clazzi.</p>
<p>"<span title="NDND">너덜너덜</span>" really tries to set the stage of their collaboration with the electronic production matched with Yi's vocals, although the choice to have the falsetto backing and the general oldschool rocker tone does result in this song (and, as any listener might discover, the rest of the EP) displaying a strong influence of mid-'90's to early 2000's <a>U2</a>, this song giving off strong <a>Pop</a> vibes. I think the song is memorable thanks to Yi's staggered vocals, but it's at the same time definitely not an earworm and I'm not sure that I appreciate this anymore than when I first heard it.</p>
<p>The EP picks up a little more with its second single, "<span title="Voyager">보이저</span>", which offers a little funkiness in its guitars as Yi and guest singer <a>Whale</a> complement each other as they drift along the gentle rock song, with little bits of electronics dropping in now and then. It's an understated song and I think the vocal performances are actually quite good, but due to the cooled vibe, I think it resists earworm status as well, despite the generous chorus and the general <a>Achtung Baby</a>-era vibe it gives off. The duo (plus Whale) also don't shake the comparisons to U2 on "Like an Angel", which instead recalls the more aspirational, affirming tone of <a>All That You Can't Leave Behind</a>, the electronics assisting the rock band is soaring into arena rock territory on the chorus. This song is entirely in English and its written with a natural use of the language, even if Whale's pronunciation is a little rough on her solo bridge. I do think the song manages to accomplish its goal of being comforting and affirming and that grew on me over time.</p>
<p>"<span title="Crow">烏 (부제: 아~)</span>" seems to lean a little more towards Clazzi's experimenting with its cacophony of production elements almost leading to avante garde effect in the background as Yi sings in brief bursts for a while on the song before the rhythm section comes in to help glue the song together. But even put together, I'm not sure the song holds together that well as it increases in intensity towards the final climax. The closing track, "Into You", is the opposite, being perhaps entirely too smooth a slow rocker, guest singer <a>Horan</a> performing much the same role that Whale did previously. I do think it feels well placed as a closing track, and it's not unlistenable, but it never feel like it quite makes a lyrical or musical statement, at least not at the level of everything that's come before.</p>
<p>And all this leaves me with a bit of an odd feeling towards this project. I do think the musicianship is quite solid here and it's clear, especially on "<span title="Voyager">보이저</span>" and "Like an Angel", that the pair have tapped into something complementary that also hits on a kind of emotional nerve, but I think the U2 worship of Yi is still a bit too obvious here, especially since their embrace of electronics marked their nineties resurgence and partnering with Clazzi's pop-friendly electronics almost mirrors that. That's not to say that Yi doesn't have his own distinct vocal style--it's actually strikingly distinct--but I also find that it's a little bit of a backslide for Yi, who was able to really lean into making his own unique music on <a href="/2017/08/yi-sung-yol-v-2013.html">V</a> just a couple years earlier. But the music here is comfortable for me, who have enjoyed both Yi and Clazzi for decades now. I think Yolhoon will appeal more to Yi's fanbase and those that like nineties-era U2 (which both describe me), but I'm not sure it extends much beyond that. 6/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="NDND">너덜너덜</span><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OovsSp5I5Cs?si=7B1rakCRhawX-uQN" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li><span title="Voyager">보이저</span> (feat. <a>Whale</a>)<br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DmFqezIKfoo?si=3kK_bc75vbQ92hGW" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></li>
<li>Like an Angel (feat. <a>Whale</a>)</li>
<li><span title="Crow">烏 (부제: 아~)</span></li>
<li>Into You (feat. <a title="호란">Horan</a>)</li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a title="Yolhoon">욜훈</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a>Clazzi</a></li>
<li><a title="Yi Sung Yol">이승열</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Producer: <a title="Yolhoon">욜훈</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/728796">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/aa8e189b-7ab7-4dba-867e-1b25880e3586">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BR3VX88C">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://yolhoon.bandcamp.com/album/yolhoon">bandcamp</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/kr/album/1571063826">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/yolhoon-yolhoon-ep/1047500062-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-26474711601406309652023-11-08T18:00:00.088-08:002023-11-08T20:34:42.165-08:00가을방학 - 첫사랑 (2013)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LdLZ_mSHb0i4YIWOCg7YjOUA0EPcdF_8cWEQQ8-Ly2VcIRkJJm5JhK_1E-i7ZKKY-1MlV0WK-WBEOd8Vk_v9SSYvpJQqfOKLNGU2FGajR0-i5IDmK9s3oNWKXPo8EOgVHBaxZq4hunandNhvRHImKfNUaL0KmnmHSoHdahpVKrUdgOsMOpTNLXZ2nEk/s1200/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%B2%AB%EC%82%AC%EB%9E%91%202013.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LdLZ_mSHb0i4YIWOCg7YjOUA0EPcdF_8cWEQQ8-Ly2VcIRkJJm5JhK_1E-i7ZKKY-1MlV0WK-WBEOd8Vk_v9SSYvpJQqfOKLNGU2FGajR0-i5IDmK9s3oNWKXPo8EOgVHBaxZq4hunandNhvRHImKfNUaL0KmnmHSoHdahpVKrUdgOsMOpTNLXZ2nEk/s320/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%B2%AB%EC%82%AC%EB%9E%91%202013.jpg"/></a></div>Although <a title="가을방학">Autumn Vacation</a>'s sophomore album, <a title="선명" href="/2023/11/autumn-vacation-clarity-2013.html">Clarity</a>, wasn't as impressive as their <a href="/2016/02/autumn-vacation-autumn-vacation-2010.html">eponymous debut</a>, it was still a thoroughly pleasant collection of songs that I was happy to listen to on repeat. This was followed up by a three-track single called <span title="첫사랑">First Love</span>, which continues the duo's trend of pleasant, well written coffeeshop-friendly indie pop-rock songs.</p>
<p>The opening title track, "<span title="First Love">첫사랑</span>", starts with <a title="계피">Gyepi</a>'s bright vocals introducing the chorus melody followed by an instrumental intro and her voice, enunciation, and pacing continues to enchant with a catchy melody and full band arrangement giving a little extra verve to a song that could probably also live well in a simpler folk arrangement. Lyrically, the song described a first love's first meeting, but the energy of the arrangement helps add a little flutter to the present singing of it.</p>
<p>The second track, "<span title="Nap Train">낮잠열차</span>", is a much gentler track with Gyepi again carrying it well on her voice, and that voice and pacing plus the well written melody keeps the song engaging on the memorable chorus melody and includes a couple smart, easygoing high notes which really hits on the comfortable theme of napping in the lyrics. "<span title="I Don't Buy Best Albums">베스트 앨범은 사지 않아</span>" closes out the single with a light arpeggiated piano supporting Gyepi's nostalgic lilt as she recalls past memories in the lyrics. The song doesn't feature a lot of variation in the arrangement, other than a slightly more dynamic piano, and is mostly held by Gyepi's vocals and wistful and complementary lyrics.</p>
<p>I think the listen is certainly enjoyable, especially for those who already like the kind of indie folk-pop-rock that the duo trades in, but I think it does fall short of essential as a single, except for those who are already fans of the group. Yes, I could personally listen to these three songs on repeat, but like with Clarity, the writing and performance isn't so much sharp as it is comfortable, which really does mean it's more for established fans and those who could appreciate the gentle tone of the duo being carried over environmental speakers. And that's still something. 7/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="First Love">첫사랑</span></li>
<li><span title="Nap Train">낮잠열차</span></li>
<li><span title="I Don't Buy Best Albums">베스트 앨범은 사지 않아</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a title="Autumn Vacation">가을방학</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Gyepi">계피</a></li>
<li><a title="Bobby Chung">정바비</a></li>
</ul>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/723695">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/fe183a9b-3027-4395-8856-0bf16855bcde">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N5DX1CN">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1539662779">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-54844133362533703892023-11-01T18:00:00.150-07:002023-11-02T02:55:54.833-07:00가을방학 - 선명 (2013)<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmExUXtFv5uqO7EPQrYLlekP8JnzP1ysob1jXmr1B5jN6PYMobk-8LXTGjj_QtubanSL5n9JsBfk26tbnWpbUxeux8Jrf7X9VReuZPSHWySVvhO-wgV0HZfzdn6QoymzYSue_C0xiEhtq8tkFttUqmSYuLfA6YSn9EWhwTdwtAIRaKopV6pDgS355AHe0/s2000/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%84%A0%EB%AA%85%202013.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmExUXtFv5uqO7EPQrYLlekP8JnzP1ysob1jXmr1B5jN6PYMobk-8LXTGjj_QtubanSL5n9JsBfk26tbnWpbUxeux8Jrf7X9VReuZPSHWySVvhO-wgV0HZfzdn6QoymzYSue_C0xiEhtq8tkFttUqmSYuLfA6YSn9EWhwTdwtAIRaKopV6pDgS355AHe0/s320/%EA%B0%80%EC%9D%84%EB%B0%A9%ED%95%99%20-%20%EC%84%A0%EB%AA%85%202013.jpg"/></a></div>I know I've already stated more than once that <a title="가을방학">Autumn Vacation</a>'s <a href="/2016/02/autumn-vacation-autumn-vacation-2010.html">eponymous debut album</a> easily shot up to one of my favorite albums of its coffeeshop folk-pop-rock genre after listening to it and so my interest in the rest of their discography has always been high, but despite my interest, I simply haven't gotten around to listening to their second album, <span title="선명">Clarity</span>, until now, ten years later. And giving it a proper listen, I do have to admit that it's not quite as striking as its predecessor, although certainly as pleasant with a little bit of musical development as well and that's still plenty enjoyable for me even still.</p>
<p>The album starts with an entirely familiar sound in "<span title="It's a Good Morning, Let's Have Lunch">좋은 아침이야, 점심을 먹자</span>", <a title="계피">Gyepi</a>'s voice pleasantly informing us that it's a good morning before the band jumps in and gently plays alongside her, light pop rock cruising as <a title="정바비">Bobby Chung</a>'s recognizable songwriting generously offers us some light ups and downs while the arangement fills out quite well, making use of the band format for a range of timbre flourishes from the easy acoustic guitar and little bits more energy from the electric guitar and punchy drums.</p>
<p>Gyepi's voice, alongside Chung's songwriting, is the centerpiece of the duo's work and Chung gets to produce a kind of music that doesn't work in his other projects in working with her thanks to her specific pronunciations and warm vocal timbre. While she's usually quite even-tempered, there are times when she pushes the edges of emotion, like on the chorus of "<span title="Favoritism">편애</span>", but holds back well even in those moments, like just only barely breaking her voice on "<span title="Don't Be Well">잘 있지 말아요</span>", hinting at the hurt behind the words and yet carrying an upbeat calm above it all. On "<span title="Three Children One Umbrella">삼아일산 三兒一傘</span>", the most curious track on the album, she converts almost exclusively to spoken narration and still manages to retain her charm.</p>
<p>"<span title="Three Children One Umbrella">삼아일산 三兒一傘</span>" is probably the largest musical outlier on the album, with its spare construction and eccentric synth accompaniment over mandolin and guitar as Gyepi explains what happens when three youths take a walk together in the rain with one umbrella. Outside of that, most of the songs here either have a rock or folk base but with classic pop songwriting sensibilities per Chung's usual flavor. There's the comfortable rock of "<span title="In Vain">헛것</span>" and its gentle, yet slightly plaintive chorus with Gyepi breaking her meter evenly at the end of it memorably. "<span title="Favoritism">편애</span>" opens with a more folksy start, gently accompanying Gyepi with an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar joining in to add a little more depth and hinting at the folk-rock transition that's coming.</p>
<p>Lovely contemporary rock choruses appear throughout the album, like on "<span title="Some Day Because of You">언젠가 너로 인해</span>", which offers a touch of classic rock and even country twang with a pedal steel on the bridge. Meanwhile, the folksier elements aren't quite as prominent except when blended into the larger folk-rock of the album--even mostly spare tracks like "<span title="Pillar of Salt">소금기둥</span>" offer a little edgy electric guitar to give it a little more nerve. A single song, "<span title="Current Status">근황</span>", runs a bit harder towards the classic folk arrangement with a piano and guitar alongside Gyepi's vocal, but Chung's songwriting easily offers the ability to rearrange this one into a more rocking format.</p>
<p>And although Gyepi's even-tempered vocals certainly keep the album from driving into higher highs or lower lows, it also continues carrying her optimistic charm, which suits the generally positive songwriting of the album well, even in its more bittersweet moments and retains the duo's rather unique sound when working together. That said, the lyrics and songwriting in general are even tighter in terms of emotion over the debut and that does mean that the album doesn't offer a strong dynamic sweep over the course of its eleven tracks. It's entirely pleasant to listen to from start to finish and some of the tracks offer a good amount of development and even emotional scope, especially with the backed vocals at times, but there aren't any stunners here and the goodnatured music doesn't manage to move beyond just being pleasant with a hint of underlying emotion. And that's still compelling--just not as striking as what we've seen before with the irony of the words behind Gyepi's vocals striking a little bit harder. But I'd still always be happy to listen to Clarity even still. 8/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="It's a Good Morning, Let's Have Lunch">좋은 아침이야, 점심을 먹자</span></li>
<li><span title="In Vain">헛것</span></li>
<li><span title="Favoritism">편애</span></li>
<li><span title="Dry Sand of March">3월의 마른 모래</span></li>
<li><span title="Some Day Because of You">언젠가 너로 인해</span></li>
<li><span title="Don't Be Well">잘 있지 말아요</span></li>
<li><span title="Hot Blood">더운 피</span></li>
<li><span title="Pillar of Salt">소금기둥</span></li>
<li><span title="Current Status">근황</span> (album version)</li>
<li><span title="Pearl">진주</span></li>
<li><span title="Three Children One Umbrella">삼아일산 三兒一傘</span></li>
<li><span title="Fall Winter Spring Summer">가을 겨울 봄 여름</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a title="Autumn Vacation">가을방학</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Gyepi">계피</a>, vocals</li>
<li><a title="Bobby Chung">정바비</a>, background vocals, guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar, tambourine</li>
</ul>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="http://www.maniadb.com/album/719529">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/9d5e5bbd-784a-4f6e-80d0-22008b3e75fe">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N8SKJ8Z">(MP3)</a> and <a href="https://music.apple.com/kr/album/1539663469">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-37995142382449108082023-10-25T20:00:00.160-07:002023-10-26T11:46:37.826-07:00Misty Blue - 4/4 Sentimental Painkiller - 겨울은 봄의 심장<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCjDsLWN09SxbrtShyHwp7ayffri4FqjfYpJfcoPqvI5GQSCAq0jfJuWMBAL9OcVoFvAYUv1B3SZhpZavCeimKQv6I-3g_sx5RSUNtfSZpe9PSg9JkS3AbCN_9xFJkt48s6HnQttGd4wY7QyXqfF_G1gweNQ3CAvw-w820efamJi1xUwZt9lfPASX0WQ/s500/Misty%20Blue%20-%204-4%20Sentimental%20Painkiller%20-%20%EA%B2%A8%EC%9A%B8%EC%9D%80%20%EB%B4%84%EC%9D%98%20%EC%8B%AC%EC%9E%A5%202010.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCjDsLWN09SxbrtShyHwp7ayffri4FqjfYpJfcoPqvI5GQSCAq0jfJuWMBAL9OcVoFvAYUv1B3SZhpZavCeimKQv6I-3g_sx5RSUNtfSZpe9PSg9JkS3AbCN_9xFJkt48s6HnQttGd4wY7QyXqfF_G1gweNQ3CAvw-w820efamJi1xUwZt9lfPASX0WQ/s320/Misty%20Blue%20-%204-4%20Sentimental%20Painkiller%20-%20%EA%B2%A8%EC%9A%B8%EC%9D%80%20%EB%B4%84%EC%9D%98%20%EC%8B%AC%EC%9E%A5%202010.jpg"/></a></div>I started listening to <a>Misty Blue</a>'s tetralogy of seasonally themed EP's back in 2009 with the then recent <a href="/2009/11/misty-blue-14-sentimental-controller-language-of-spring-2009.html">Language of Spring</a>, but it's only now, fourteen years later that I'm finally getting around to the final EP, 4/4 Sentimental Painkiller - <span title="겨울은 봄의 심장">Winter Is the Heart of Spring</span>. I found that the fall EP, <a href="/2017/09/misty-blue-34-sentimental-steady-seller-autumns-vessel-2009.html">Autumn's Vessel</a> was a remarkable development for Misty Blue and the strongest of the quartet so far, so I was looking forward to the final winter EP and was initially surprised that it marked a return to the classic Misty Blue sound that they were practicing before this tetralogy. But then I realized that coming full circle was a fitting way to both end the experimental series and also the band, since it would be their last release, and fortunately, a solid one too.</p>
<p>The EP opens with the harpsichord and vocal chorus driven "<span title="The Heart of Spring">봄의 심장</span>", which dramatically emotes only a few lines in English before the customary metered and echoed piano appears on "<span title="Oblivion">망각</span>". <a title="정은수">Jung Eun-soo</a>'s vocals tragically whisper-sing before the arrangement opens with with the piano backing off and the rest of the band gently coming is as Jung's voice adds a touch of a warmth, the track gently adding new layers to the arrangement and a synth solo. This is exactly the kind of music you'd have expected out of Misty Blue since their debut <a href="/2017/08/misty-blue-your-star-name-is-sirius-b-2005.html">Your Star Name Is Sirius B</a> all the way down to the lingering electric guitar and melancholy piano.</p>
<p>"<span title="Shoegazer">슈케이저</span>" might be a misnomer, as this alt-rock track fits right into Misty Blue's previous alt-rock work, from its paced rhythms, beeping synths, ringing guitar, and Jung's controlled vocals. It's very pretty work that's given a touch of verb from the rock arrangement and, like the previous track, exactly what you might expect from Misty Blue after their debut. "<span title="Joe and Wool">조와 울</span>" bucks that trend only a little, mostly by providing a more spare song structure, although the production stays true to their muffled melancholy sound.</p>
<p>A bit more angst appears in the screeching electric guitars of "On and On", the most rocking track of Winter, which contrast well against Jung's more controlled vocals. It's a highlight on an EP that has been rather strong up until now. Then there's "<span title="Nap">낮잠</span>", which is the most noticeable divergence with both its more distinctly electronic programmed production and the band's primary instrumentalist <a title="최경훈">Choi Kyung-hoon</a> on the vocals--his vocals aren't quite as strong as Jung's and the production feels just a little overly cheap synth during the exit, but some of the melody does still fit the Misty Blue mode and while I'm not opposed to Choi having solo-ish tracks, this seemed maybe a little too out of place in too many ways.</p>
<p>Winter Is the Heart of Spring closes with the slow rock march of "<span title="Memory Is Colder Than Winter">기억은 겨울보다 차갑다</span>", which takes its time to build gently up before Jung's vocals appears, but once the song gets into the chorus, she and the guitars kick up the dynamics, but in the tempered Misty Blue way. The timbre of the electric guitar loosens up a little more on the verses, giving the arrangement a sense of finality and though Jung's voice tilts towards whisper-singing, it helps highlight the dynamic range between the verses and chorus. I imagine that this song might be the one that gains the most by a live performance.</p>
<p>And with that, Misty Blue fade out and exit their final release. After all the experimentation of the previous seasons, Winter seems like a good return to their foundational roots and while I think Autumn's reach makes it the most interesting EP of the tetralogy, I have to admit I found a lot of comfort in the return to classic form of Winter and I'm glad that I was able to close out the band's journey, even if many years late. Despite the time, the band, even on Winter, remains a mainstay of the best of Korean indie rock music of its time and well worth looking up for fans of pretty, melancholy, alternative rock music, this EP alongside their earlier releases as prime examples. 8/10</p>
<p>Tracklist:</p><ol>
<li><span title="The Heart of Spring">봄의 심장</span></li>
<li><span title="Oblivion">망각</span></li>
<li><span title="Shoegazer">슈케이저</span></li>
<li><span title="Joe and Wool">조와 울</span></li>
<li>On and On</li>
<li><span title="Nap">낮잠</span></li>
<li><span title="Memory Is Colder Than Winter">기억은 겨울보다 차갑다</span></li>
</ol>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a>Misty Blue</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Jung Eun-soo">정은수</a></li>
<li><a title="Choi Kyung-hoon">최경훈</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Producers: <a title="Jung Eun-soo">정은수</a>, <a title="Choi Kyung-hoon">최경훈</a></li>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="http://www.maniadb.com/album/600969">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/7f70f4c7-6760-4df3-bf1c-3ef7347777c5">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia </li>
<li>More Reviews: <a href="https://www.koreanindie.com/2012/04/06/misty-blue-%EB%AF%B8%EC%8A%A4%ED%8B%B0-%EB%B8%94%EB%A3%A8-sentimental-painkiller/">Korean Indie</a></li>
<li>Available at Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q3HF3Y4/">(MP3)</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1453504203">iTunes</a>, and YesAsia <a href="https://www.yesasia.com/us/misty-blue-4-4-sentimental-painkiller/1022395538-0-0-0-en/info.html">(CD)</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051398164305121252.post-14848939561604189992023-10-25T18:00:00.003-07:002023-10-25T18:00:00.175-07:00Guckkasten - Challenge (2016)<p style="text-align:center"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/THSyjgkK52s?si=BC0JTQJXrWH7-JDJ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBT3O4OxufVDeatv8MzHz3g6H14AcgnXTH4FONk6UoC41nyHebkBe6kZ3epat65SSBhlxJE2cDD7VjvJ94zdIpTmOGFPRJ5H5-U2xqHPFwJJ_qd2F6sYs0QErC-D4xOgqx6ZKWSMmSIhFxL1j9-0RxzRYNy5uxL485d2rr1JhcnVr0AnV6k22kBPus7o/s640/Guckkasten%20-%20Challenge%202016.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBT3O4OxufVDeatv8MzHz3g6H14AcgnXTH4FONk6UoC41nyHebkBe6kZ3epat65SSBhlxJE2cDD7VjvJ94zdIpTmOGFPRJ5H5-U2xqHPFwJJ_qd2F6sYs0QErC-D4xOgqx6ZKWSMmSIhFxL1j9-0RxzRYNy5uxL485d2rr1JhcnVr0AnV6k22kBPus7o/s320/Guckkasten%20-%20Challenge%202016.jpg"/></a></div>I'm not sure if <a title="국카스텐">Guckkasten</a>'s <a title="하현우">Ha Hyun-woo</a>'s dominating streak on <a title="미스터리 음악쇼 복면가왕">King of Mask Singer</a> came before, during, or after Guckkasten was picked to write and perform the official songs for <a>League of Legends</a>' 2016 LCK Summer tournament, but it certainly marks a higher profile moment for the rock band that hadn't previously experienced being in the popular zeitgeist. The first of the two songs they made for the championship is "Challenge", which starts off rather promising, but turns out to be a song rather within the predictable direction of the band at the time.</p>
<p>The song opens with ominous war horns before the band jumps in with aggressive guitars, then backs off as Ha comes in with his typically dramatic vocals. Unfortunately the transition from the verses to the chorus is a little rough, the hand-off vocals of "It's my challenge" blending into a drum run that reloads in the one-hundred percent vocals by Ha and eventually then roughly transitioning to some "ooo ooo oh oh yeah"'s that are also not terribly impressive. The rest of the instrumentals feel a little disjointed and by the second verse, it's a little late for Ha to pull back because the song already went full loudness.</p>
<p>That said, it's loudness and aggression makes it appropriate for the championship, so while it might not quite be as fun as I'd hope from Guckkasten, it's also a decent enough listen that I wouldn't skip it if it came up and a more randomized listen. 6/10</p>
<p>Links:</p><ul>
<li>Group: <a title="국카스텐">Guckkasten</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a title="Kim Ki-bum">김기범</a>, bass</li>
<li><a title="Lee Jung-gil">이정길</a>, drums</li>
<li><a title="Jeon Kyu-ho">전규호</a>, guitar</li>
<li><a title="Ha Hyun-woo">하현우</a>, guitar, vocal</li>
</ul>
<li>At Discogs, <a href="https://www.maniadb.com/album/748484">maniadb</a>, <a href="https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/849300f6-411d-418f-90ec-b983985d89e6">MusicBrainz</a>, Wikipedia (en|ko)</li>
<li>Available at <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/1116895958">iTunes</a></li>
</ul>refresh_daemonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14461891308315532959noreply@blogger.com0