Jewelry, Miss $, Hwayoung absent
Jewelry's Look At Me EP is fun all through, surprising me since I'd had an impression of Jewelry as embodying "workmanlike" and not much more. Actually, they'd hit big in 2008 with a terrific remake of In-Grid's "One More Time," producer Shinsadong Tiger taking basic Eurodance and novelty accordion and, without much adjustment beyond extra vocal wisps and a rap, making it warmer. Despite this highlight, that's about all I knew of Jewelry, other than my side impression of mehness, as I've been concentrating on the now, the wave of SNSD and 2NE1 and their bright colors. Half of Jewelry is new since then; I still wouldn't rate the voices as special, except for that of rapper Baby-J. But the workman voices are up for the party.
Single "Look At Me" is built on a basic eight-bar blues with shuffling drums and bargain-counter horns chugging along excellently in the style of half-north half-south off-hand R&B B-sides you'd find on Cincinnati's King Records in the 1950s, K-pop singing and a bits K-pop electro-gloss sitting comfortably atop it. The instrumental version is even better, and better than either is "Rhythm HA!!!" which reminds me of 2NE1's CL in its sense of glee, but in hyper-time, Baby-J whipping her way through curves and turns, then growling and laughing in triumph.
Miss $ are the opposite: petulant and punchy rappers, and singing that tries to lift huge weights of feeling. Going through their two years of back catalog was a bit tiring, but - without anything seeming much different - everything's right on new EP, Miss Us? Emotions heave their way through the night, raps clench their teeth, passion drips like in the barrios and bodegas of New York City in the '80s. Best tracks, "Physical Or Emotional" (or?) ("(몸인지 맘인지") and "He's Not Your Man" ("니 남자가 아니야").
Maybe my ears don't know what they're doing, but it sure doesn't sound like Hwayoung rapping in the Japanese release of T-ara's "Day By Day," though she'd performed it live in Japanese before getting canned, and there's probably a version with her in the can. (And I assume sitting next to it is a version of "Sexy Love" also with Hwayoung.) Anyway, though live she goes short of breath, she still has the presence of a first-rate rapper. And that's missing in the new recording. I'm guessing it's new member Areum. She - or whoever - is clear and gentle, which worked okay on "Sexy Love" but here it's just weak. The vinegar and venom Hwayoung added to "Day By Day" were very necessary. Kept the song from floating away. Miss her.
(With Hwayoung gone, they should have used Eunjung. Areum is a strong singer. Why the need to prove she can also rap? [And yes, I've got speculative answers to that.] And if it does turn out to be Eunjung or Hyomin, or even Hwayoung, then I'm embarrassed.)
Single "Look At Me" is built on a basic eight-bar blues with shuffling drums and bargain-counter horns chugging along excellently in the style of half-north half-south off-hand R&B B-sides you'd find on Cincinnati's King Records in the 1950s, K-pop singing and a bits K-pop electro-gloss sitting comfortably atop it. The instrumental version is even better, and better than either is "Rhythm HA!!!" which reminds me of 2NE1's CL in its sense of glee, but in hyper-time, Baby-J whipping her way through curves and turns, then growling and laughing in triumph.
Click to viewMiss $ are the opposite: petulant and punchy rappers, and singing that tries to lift huge weights of feeling. Going through their two years of back catalog was a bit tiring, but - without anything seeming much different - everything's right on new EP, Miss Us? Emotions heave their way through the night, raps clench their teeth, passion drips like in the barrios and bodegas of New York City in the '80s. Best tracks, "Physical Or Emotional" (or?) ("(몸인지 맘인지") and "He's Not Your Man" ("니 남자가 아니야").
Maybe my ears don't know what they're doing, but it sure doesn't sound like Hwayoung rapping in the Japanese release of T-ara's "Day By Day," though she'd performed it live in Japanese before getting canned, and there's probably a version with her in the can. (And I assume sitting next to it is a version of "Sexy Love" also with Hwayoung.) Anyway, though live she goes short of breath, she still has the presence of a first-rate rapper. And that's missing in the new recording. I'm guessing it's new member Areum. She - or whoever - is clear and gentle, which worked okay on "Sexy Love" but here it's just weak. The vinegar and venom Hwayoung added to "Day By Day" were very necessary. Kept the song from floating away. Miss her.
(With Hwayoung gone, they should have used Eunjung. Areum is a strong singer. Why the need to prove she can also rap? [And yes, I've got speculative answers to that.] And if it does turn out to be Eunjung or Hyomin, or even Hwayoung, then I'm embarrassed.)