Pieces of Soul, Shattered Remains
This has been a long time coming as Part 1 was a couple of months ago. Still not done, but I've uploaded lotsa stuff and made this a picture and video filled post with lotsa sample downloads of some music that's been out for a couple of months. Ask and you shall receive if you want full albums. Part 3 will be coming.. sooner I hope, and perhaps in between that I'll post about my life too.. which has been interesting - let me put a note to myself for that entry: creatures of habit. Passed all exams btw. Hi Tara.
***Music Update Part 2***
Biuret - Be Full of Spirit, Beautiful Violet
1 Without U
2 거짓말(Lie)
3 오늘밤은 잠든 후에도 곁에 있어줘
4 Fly My Voice
5 Mama
6 Do You Wanna Get Me?
7 Love and Hate
8 사랑해요 (I Love You)
9 Violet
10 웃지 않는 공주 (Unsmiling Princess)
11 푸른 사막의 끝Ahh.. indie rock at its best. I wish I could get more info on Biuret, from what I know it's a group of 3 (vocalist as one of the two guitarist and a bassist), thought they also seem to have a drummer.. dunno how that works. Anyways, this group has amazed me, giving me revived faith in Korean rock. For a moment there I thought I'd get completely back into the Jrock scene with An Cafe, but Biuret is something different. Their sound is hard guitar, hard bass, hard drumline and a hauntingly strong set of vocals. The lead singer&'s haunting wails are second only to Youjeen's wider range of vocals.
What I love about indie bands is that generally they're willing to give it their all. They're not pressured by the corporates to play it safe.. there's an edge to the music. Rock comes out that way (as too I guess does underground hip-hop) and there is just so much emotion behind some of the music.. it really moves you. Biuret finds a good balance; their sound is amazingly well produced whilst staying very true.. you can feel the message. That's what listening to Korean and Japanese music is all about for me I guess, I can listen hard enough and translate Japanese or look up Korean translations, but when the music speaks to you on the first time around.. that's when you have a winner. Biuret's selection of tracks offer a good range of rock. I love their first song Without U (track 1) as it leads into a very solid album, the song is energetic and at points angry.. it's hectic and yet soft in all the right places. Their second track is much happier, lighter with an accoustic guitar and a good flex of the vocals. I love how the vocalist rolls her Rs.. haha it's awesome. My favourite song has got to be 웃지 않는 공주 (Unsmiling Princess) (track 10).. to describe it I'd have to say it's deliciously dark. The creepy, almost gothic, music box music introduces you to a soft whispery vocals; in a movie it'd be the voice a child would hear beckoning them to come into a dark forest on a winter's evening. Slowly treble piano notes are introduced... and then the bass notes on the piano.. then a slow drum beat, which then breaks out into a wail and awesome crescendo of rock.
An Cafe - Shinkisai Moment
1 Ope.Ning (Shikisai Ver.)
2 Merrymaking
3 Escapism (Shikisai Ver.)
4 一発逆転恋愛ゲーム Ippatsu Gyakuten Renai Game
5 Golden Wing
6 輪廻の罪 Rinne no Tsumi
7 玩具 Omocha
8 テケスタ光線 Tekesuta Kousen
9 Nyappy in the World
10 1/2
11 我侭行進曲 Wagamama Koushinkyoku
12 My Favorite☆BeatAn Cafe.. was like a warm afternoon breeze on a cold winter's day. Fleeting moment of greatness. For me anyways.. I shall explain. The band, otherwise known as Antic Cafe was formed by members Miku (vocal), Kanon (bass), and Bou (guitar) back in 2003. Not long after their debut, Teruki (drums) joined as a permanent, leading to the An Cafe we know (as of 30 April 2007). To this date, they have released 3 albums, of which Shinkisai Moment is their second. I remember back in HS when I use to listen to a lot of Jrock.. l'arc, DEG, bit of Malice Mizer and to some extent Gackt. It was a touch of familiar and touch of new that drew me to An Cafe. In terms of styles An Cafe was different from what I've heard. Genre wise, it was still rock, but the difference was An Cafe's Oshare Kei style was the quintessential opposite of Visual Kei. Where Visual Kei strives on garish make up, vile-disgusting imagery and violent-disturbing lyrics to shock, Oshare Kei goes for the softer image, putting forth cute and silly with lyrics about rainbows, lollypops and love (no not really). They ARE happy though and pretty much as far removed from Visual Kei as Avril Lavigne style rock is to Marilyn Manson.
They're still together, what I meant earlier with the fleeting moment is that one of the founding members left the group. That is, the guitarist Bou.. As of June, An Cafe has added two members a replacement guitarist and a keyboard player. They haven't released anything yet (at time of writing), and so we'll have to see how they fit with the group. Disappointing, as Bou says himself when asked about his cross-dressing, he replied something along the lines of "there aren't enough great female lead guitarists out there" and that it's something he'd like to see. So he dresses up like a girl, shreds like some female guitar goddess all in a day's work. Interesting thing is he's interested in cute girls.. what kinda girl would like a guy that looks girlier than they do? I dunno.. funny tho, cuz seriously.. well you can judge for yourself. He looks girlier (and in as straight a way as possible, prettier) than some girls I've seen.. yes, Baillieu library studying really expands the mind. Hiroi sekai ne - it's a wide world (full of different things), as the saying goes.
Anyways on to the album review. Like I said, it's happy rock! Solid theme through the whole album and the energy is a fun one. Which shows also in ALL their extremely stupid PVs. OPE.NING is an instrumental intro track, a little weird as it starts with traditional Japanese sounds and breaks into techno rock.. which is fairly inconsistent with the rest of the album.. haha but just shows the randomness that is An Cafe. I think the best would be to just have a look at their PVs..
Probably my favourite track on this album, Tekesuta Kousen (Track 8). Miku has decided to run away.. for whatever reason. So the other 3 idiots decide they need to bring him back. How? Catch him with a net. It's just another funny An Cafe vid and they're completely stupid with it. Bou has an awesome solo in the end (he's also dressed in gothic lolita outfit >__<). Miku's vocals are also put to work on this..
テケスタ光線 Tekesuta Kousen
Escapism (track 3) follows Miku being sad, lonely and wanting to meet someone. So to cheer him up, the other three give him a lollipop and feathers - Miku lives in a yellow bin lined with pink fur O_o.. he has a phone and a bowl of milk.. haha it makes no sense but who cares?! None of the aforementioned gifts cheers Miku up, and so Kanon comes up with one last brilliant idea.. a porn mag ^^ Funny video and showcases Kanon's bass playing.Escapism
Another of my favourites from this album is 我侭行進曲 Wagamama Koushinkyoku (track 11). A lot of this was shot together with the photoshoot which would then feature mainly to as the album art.我侭行進曲 Wagamama Koushinkyoku
Merry Making (track 2) is where Teruki shines on his drums. It's a great song with a solid beat and some awesome rifts by Bou as well. The PV is a bit.. uninspired, they just play in front of coloured walls and run around in a field picking up signs O_o but it really shows them having fun as friends so if you're into sentimental goodbyes to Bou, this is a good one to go by.Merry Making
More to come next entry with the review of their latest (and what I feel, their better) album Magnya Carta
Lyn - Have You Ever Had Your Heart Broken
1 Fly High feat. CB Mass
2 New Day feat. CB Mass
3 사랑에 아파 본 적 있나요? Have You Ever Been Lovesick?
4 아직도 사랑하는데 Place to be Loved
5 제발 Please
6 또 다른 시작 Also Different Start
7 이제는 그만 Recently, That Much
8 단 한번 그대를 위한 일 Only One For You
9 Time
10 니가 아니 너 (...Because I Love You)
11 부탁해요 Entrust
12 S.h.a<놈> feat. 허인창
13 First Love
14 데미지 Place UnknownAs joey168 says Lyn is underated. Her vocals are one of the best I've heard from a solo female artist. She had her debut in 2002 and to date has released 4 albums. Strangely, I only have her first and last album. I have to say, I like what I've heard so far. Her first album Have You Ever Had Your Heart Broken is full of emotional R&B ballads, perfectly fits Lyn's rich voice. It's hard finding stuff on her.. Lyn is such a generic name so I'm not too sure how her other songs from this album looks as a PV, but I think 사랑에 아파 본 적 있나요? Have You Ever Been Lovesick (track 3) is a solid example to what to expect from this album. It's a sad PV about a little boy and this girl he likes, but thinks she likes some other kid so he begins to treat her badly.
Have You Ever Been Lovesick (Heartbroken)
There will be much more to go by when I review her latest album The Pride of the Morning, there are a few more PVs and a lot of live performances - once you hear this girl sing live.. O_O I'm loving pretty much every track on this album, especially her first two songs Fly High feat. CB Mass (track 1) and New Day (track 2) features CB Mass rapping. It's a really good sound to contrast Lyn's range of vocals. 제발 Please (track 5), 부탁해요 Entrust (track 11), S.H.A. (track 12) and 데미지Place Unknown (track 14) are also really good. 데미지 Place Unknown is one of those Euro-beat tracks akin to Baby VOX's Na Uttukhae (What Can I Do), ie awesome beat and synth sounds. 니가 아니 너 (...Because I Love You) (track 10) is also a really good R&B track. It's sad I don't have more to say about Lyn, I really just love her rich voice and there is nothing to do but share her greatness.
KARA - The First Blooming
1 못 지킨 말 Broken Promise
2 Break It
3 맘에 들면 If U Wanna
4 Secret World
5 Don't Be Shy
6 The Two of Us
7 I'll Be There
8 눈물 지우개 Erase Your TearsProduced by the same company that brought us one of the most successful girl-groups at the golden age of Kpop, comes Kara as the younger sister group to FinKL. It definitely feels the same as back then with the number of female vocal groups coming out to tear up the Kpop charts now. Kara consists of 4 girls, Park Gyuri (Leader), Han Seung Yeon (Vocal), Kim Sunghee (Lead Vocals), and Jung Nicole (Vocal/Rapper). What's there to say about the group.. well I guess you have to see first; do they live up to the FinKL name? Yes and no. FinKL has a huge following and a lot of history with it; very big shoes to fill. Vocally, does Kara match the skill of FinKL? I guess they do alright for themselves. They definitely have the energy, the vocal skill is quite good though a bit generic. There comes the reason why it may be a no. Kara don't really bring anything new, nor do they excel at what they do (unlike Cheon Sang Ji Hee who, vocally are on another level) compared to others of the genre (they've been also compared to Wonder Girls). In fact, the first listening of the album I was like.. hmmm.. is that it?
At only 8 tracks, it sorta does feel like that, but in a way 8 tracks might have been a good number to go with. Not to say it's so bad that it should only have 8 tracks. The sound is a little generic, they don't offer enough, and why they have an obvious lead vocal is pretty evident; one of them REALLY stands out and Sunghee can REALLY hit those high notes. Unfortunately, not every track shows this which leaves the album rather.. ok.. Which is harsh, but slightly true. To their credit, through a few more listens, some songs have grown on me.
Don't Be Shy (Track 5) is VERY reminscent of FinKL in its sound; very nostalgic. Together (Track 6) is one of the few tracks that stood out. The arrangement is really different with a slightly quirky melody and pretty cute. 7 I'll Be There is a really nice ballad and really sweet as shown by the English portion of their song.
"Close your eyes and lean on me
When you feel afraid,
When you lose your way.
Close your eyes and lean on me,
My love.
I'll be there just for you.
Just try your smile, and dry your eyes
I will bring back the moon into your sky
And ever you will, remember darling
I'll be there just for you"
Break It (Track 2) though is their first single. What's amazing about this is their collaboration with original FinKL member Lee Hyori. Not only is the collab good in the sense that they get to share a stage with the hotness of Hyori, but it shows yeah they can perform live. Sunghee can hit those high notes live too. They also perform Hyori's Toc Toc Toc in cat ears! haha fantastic.
Kara & Lee Hyori, Break It and Toc Toc Toc
One small complaint comes from their actual PVs; they're pretty, but really over done. To their credit though, If U Wanna is a really really cute PV and as plastic as the girls look, till good stuff.
Break It
If U Wanna
Cheon Sang Ji Hee The Grace - One More Time, OK?
1 한번 더, OK? One More Time, OK?
2 女友 (그녀들의 수다) Girlfriends (Chattering of The Girls)
3 女友 (Girlfriends) Interlude
4 Sweet Emotion
5 그 사람... 욕하지 마요 That Person... Don't Curse
6 RENEW
7 월의 첫 날 April Fools' Day
8 Dancer In The Rain
9 아니기를 Not To Be
10 하루만 Just For One Day Feat. Super Junior's Kyuhyun
11 Tonight Is On Me
12 Dancing Queen (Acapella)
13 열정 My Everything
14 Boomerang
15 The Club Feat. RAINNow this is a little different. I LOVE this from the start and have been waiting YEARS for CSJH album. Why it took so long for them to release one is beyond me. I've reviewed them before on their My Everything single and so I won't run through the history again. Since DSP Entertainment came out with Kara, it feels like the fight for top of the charts girl groups battle has begun again. CSJH belongs to SM Entertainment, the ones who previously produced the powerhouse group SES. With DR Entertainment reviving Baby VOX with Baby VOX Re.V it really does feel like the race for the kpop queen crown is on again. Sadly (or maybe not) it looks as though it's a repeat of the race. CSJH - Kara - BBV just as it was 5 years ago with SES - FinKL - BBV.
If Kara is a "getting there FinKL" I have to say that CSJH is a "moving past SES". They're amazing as show cased by their two better singers Lina (my favourite) and Dana in this karaoke. Lina gets SES' I'm Your Girl and sings it perfectly. Lina and Dana Karaoke
I'm not sure what the other two songs are, but it really shows that they can sing live. Amazing stuff.
But anyways, the comparisons and similarities to the past aren't a bad thing, since it's all new music and shows some fantastic stuff. CSJH as I've said can really sing, all of them (maybe exeption of Stephanie but she can dance) and so every track they produce is like a chorus of angels. There really is little to fault on this album, the last three tracks are their 3 singles My Everything, Boomerang and The Club, but all other tracks are new. Their title track 한번 더, OK? One More Time, OK? (Track 1) has the strong club sound reminscent of songs prior to their name change to CSJH The Grace. It, unlike the others, doesn't suck all the melody out and is actually a good dance song, with an awesome PV. Note that Lina still looks good with short hair. hahaha ^___^
One More Time, OK?
My favourite tracks would have to be 월의 첫 날 April Fools' Day (track 7) as a sad ballad that seems to be reflecting on the past - music speaks volumes, as much as lyrics do. 하루만 Just For One Day (track 10) is an awesome collaboration with Super Junior's Kyuhyun. It's a really sad ballad, reminscing about the past. Tonight is On Me (track 11) is a happy track, playful and energetic. The true showcase of their skill though comes from their acappella stuff, as shown by their B-side of My Everything as they sang George Michael's Faith and as you can see they sing Abba's Dancing Queen acapella on this album. They also sang Elvis' Can't Help Falling In Love in an interview which is absolutely amazing
Can't Help Falling In Love
Verdict: I NEED more.
***Music Update Part 2***
Biuret - Be Full of Spirit, Beautiful Violet
1 Without U
2 거짓말(Lie)
3 오늘밤은 잠든 후에도 곁에 있어줘
4 Fly My Voice
5 Mama
6 Do You Wanna Get Me?
7 Love and Hate
8 사랑해요 (I Love You)
9 Violet
10 웃지 않는 공주 (Unsmiling Princess)
11 푸른 사막의 끝Ahh.. indie rock at its best. I wish I could get more info on Biuret, from what I know it's a group of 3 (vocalist as one of the two guitarist and a bassist), thought they also seem to have a drummer.. dunno how that works. Anyways, this group has amazed me, giving me revived faith in Korean rock. For a moment there I thought I'd get completely back into the Jrock scene with An Cafe, but Biuret is something different. Their sound is hard guitar, hard bass, hard drumline and a hauntingly strong set of vocals. The lead singer&'s haunting wails are second only to Youjeen's wider range of vocals.
What I love about indie bands is that generally they're willing to give it their all. They're not pressured by the corporates to play it safe.. there's an edge to the music. Rock comes out that way (as too I guess does underground hip-hop) and there is just so much emotion behind some of the music.. it really moves you. Biuret finds a good balance; their sound is amazingly well produced whilst staying very true.. you can feel the message. That's what listening to Korean and Japanese music is all about for me I guess, I can listen hard enough and translate Japanese or look up Korean translations, but when the music speaks to you on the first time around.. that's when you have a winner. Biuret's selection of tracks offer a good range of rock. I love their first song Without U (track 1) as it leads into a very solid album, the song is energetic and at points angry.. it's hectic and yet soft in all the right places. Their second track is much happier, lighter with an accoustic guitar and a good flex of the vocals. I love how the vocalist rolls her Rs.. haha it's awesome. My favourite song has got to be 웃지 않는 공주 (Unsmiling Princess) (track 10).. to describe it I'd have to say it's deliciously dark. The creepy, almost gothic, music box music introduces you to a soft whispery vocals; in a movie it'd be the voice a child would hear beckoning them to come into a dark forest on a winter's evening. Slowly treble piano notes are introduced... and then the bass notes on the piano.. then a slow drum beat, which then breaks out into a wail and awesome crescendo of rock.
An Cafe - Shinkisai Moment
1 Ope.Ning (Shikisai Ver.)
2 Merrymaking
3 Escapism (Shikisai Ver.)
4 一発逆転恋愛ゲーム Ippatsu Gyakuten Renai Game
5 Golden Wing
6 輪廻の罪 Rinne no Tsumi
7 玩具 Omocha
8 テケスタ光線 Tekesuta Kousen
9 Nyappy in the World
10 1/2
11 我侭行進曲 Wagamama Koushinkyoku
12 My Favorite☆BeatAn Cafe.. was like a warm afternoon breeze on a cold winter's day. Fleeting moment of greatness. For me anyways.. I shall explain. The band, otherwise known as Antic Cafe was formed by members Miku (vocal), Kanon (bass), and Bou (guitar) back in 2003. Not long after their debut, Teruki (drums) joined as a permanent, leading to the An Cafe we know (as of 30 April 2007). To this date, they have released 3 albums, of which Shinkisai Moment is their second. I remember back in HS when I use to listen to a lot of Jrock.. l'arc, DEG, bit of Malice Mizer and to some extent Gackt. It was a touch of familiar and touch of new that drew me to An Cafe. In terms of styles An Cafe was different from what I've heard. Genre wise, it was still rock, but the difference was An Cafe's Oshare Kei style was the quintessential opposite of Visual Kei. Where Visual Kei strives on garish make up, vile-disgusting imagery and violent-disturbing lyrics to shock, Oshare Kei goes for the softer image, putting forth cute and silly with lyrics about rainbows, lollypops and love (no not really). They ARE happy though and pretty much as far removed from Visual Kei as Avril Lavigne style rock is to Marilyn Manson.
They're still together, what I meant earlier with the fleeting moment is that one of the founding members left the group. That is, the guitarist Bou.. As of June, An Cafe has added two members a replacement guitarist and a keyboard player. They haven't released anything yet (at time of writing), and so we'll have to see how they fit with the group. Disappointing, as Bou says himself when asked about his cross-dressing, he replied something along the lines of "there aren't enough great female lead guitarists out there" and that it's something he'd like to see. So he dresses up like a girl, shreds like some female guitar goddess all in a day's work. Interesting thing is he's interested in cute girls.. what kinda girl would like a guy that looks girlier than they do? I dunno.. funny tho, cuz seriously.. well you can judge for yourself. He looks girlier (and in as straight a way as possible, prettier) than some girls I've seen.. yes, Baillieu library studying really expands the mind. Hiroi sekai ne - it's a wide world (full of different things), as the saying goes.
Anyways on to the album review. Like I said, it's happy rock! Solid theme through the whole album and the energy is a fun one. Which shows also in ALL their extremely stupid PVs. OPE.NING is an instrumental intro track, a little weird as it starts with traditional Japanese sounds and breaks into techno rock.. which is fairly inconsistent with the rest of the album.. haha but just shows the randomness that is An Cafe. I think the best would be to just have a look at their PVs..
Probably my favourite track on this album, Tekesuta Kousen (Track 8). Miku has decided to run away.. for whatever reason. So the other 3 idiots decide they need to bring him back. How? Catch him with a net. It's just another funny An Cafe vid and they're completely stupid with it. Bou has an awesome solo in the end (he's also dressed in gothic lolita outfit >__<). Miku's vocals are also put to work on this..
テケスタ光線 Tekesuta Kousen
Escapism (track 3) follows Miku being sad, lonely and wanting to meet someone. So to cheer him up, the other three give him a lollipop and feathers - Miku lives in a yellow bin lined with pink fur O_o.. he has a phone and a bowl of milk.. haha it makes no sense but who cares?! None of the aforementioned gifts cheers Miku up, and so Kanon comes up with one last brilliant idea.. a porn mag ^^ Funny video and showcases Kanon's bass playing.Escapism
Click to viewAnother of my favourites from this album is 我侭行進曲 Wagamama Koushinkyoku (track 11). A lot of this was shot together with the photoshoot which would then feature mainly to as the album art.我侭行進曲 Wagamama Koushinkyoku
Merry Making (track 2) is where Teruki shines on his drums. It's a great song with a solid beat and some awesome rifts by Bou as well. The PV is a bit.. uninspired, they just play in front of coloured walls and run around in a field picking up signs O_o but it really shows them having fun as friends so if you're into sentimental goodbyes to Bou, this is a good one to go by.Merry Making
More to come next entry with the review of their latest (and what I feel, their better) album Magnya Carta
Lyn - Have You Ever Had Your Heart Broken
1 Fly High feat. CB Mass
2 New Day feat. CB Mass
3 사랑에 아파 본 적 있나요? Have You Ever Been Lovesick?
4 아직도 사랑하는데 Place to be Loved
5 제발 Please
6 또 다른 시작 Also Different Start
7 이제는 그만 Recently, That Much
8 단 한번 그대를 위한 일 Only One For You
9 Time
10 니가 아니 너 (...Because I Love You)
11 부탁해요 Entrust
12 S.h.a<놈> feat. 허인창
13 First Love
14 데미지 Place UnknownAs joey168 says Lyn is underated. Her vocals are one of the best I've heard from a solo female artist. She had her debut in 2002 and to date has released 4 albums. Strangely, I only have her first and last album. I have to say, I like what I've heard so far. Her first album Have You Ever Had Your Heart Broken is full of emotional R&B ballads, perfectly fits Lyn's rich voice. It's hard finding stuff on her.. Lyn is such a generic name so I'm not too sure how her other songs from this album looks as a PV, but I think 사랑에 아파 본 적 있나요? Have You Ever Been Lovesick (track 3) is a solid example to what to expect from this album. It's a sad PV about a little boy and this girl he likes, but thinks she likes some other kid so he begins to treat her badly.
Have You Ever Been Lovesick (Heartbroken)
There will be much more to go by when I review her latest album The Pride of the Morning, there are a few more PVs and a lot of live performances - once you hear this girl sing live.. O_O I'm loving pretty much every track on this album, especially her first two songs Fly High feat. CB Mass (track 1) and New Day (track 2) features CB Mass rapping. It's a really good sound to contrast Lyn's range of vocals. 제발 Please (track 5), 부탁해요 Entrust (track 11), S.H.A. (track 12) and 데미지Place Unknown (track 14) are also really good. 데미지 Place Unknown is one of those Euro-beat tracks akin to Baby VOX's Na Uttukhae (What Can I Do), ie awesome beat and synth sounds. 니가 아니 너 (...Because I Love You) (track 10) is also a really good R&B track. It's sad I don't have more to say about Lyn, I really just love her rich voice and there is nothing to do but share her greatness.
KARA - The First Blooming
1 못 지킨 말 Broken Promise
2 Break It
3 맘에 들면 If U Wanna
4 Secret World
5 Don't Be Shy
6 The Two of Us
7 I'll Be There
8 눈물 지우개 Erase Your TearsProduced by the same company that brought us one of the most successful girl-groups at the golden age of Kpop, comes Kara as the younger sister group to FinKL. It definitely feels the same as back then with the number of female vocal groups coming out to tear up the Kpop charts now. Kara consists of 4 girls, Park Gyuri (Leader), Han Seung Yeon (Vocal), Kim Sunghee (Lead Vocals), and Jung Nicole (Vocal/Rapper). What's there to say about the group.. well I guess you have to see first; do they live up to the FinKL name? Yes and no. FinKL has a huge following and a lot of history with it; very big shoes to fill. Vocally, does Kara match the skill of FinKL? I guess they do alright for themselves. They definitely have the energy, the vocal skill is quite good though a bit generic. There comes the reason why it may be a no. Kara don't really bring anything new, nor do they excel at what they do (unlike Cheon Sang Ji Hee who, vocally are on another level) compared to others of the genre (they've been also compared to Wonder Girls). In fact, the first listening of the album I was like.. hmmm.. is that it?
At only 8 tracks, it sorta does feel like that, but in a way 8 tracks might have been a good number to go with. Not to say it's so bad that it should only have 8 tracks. The sound is a little generic, they don't offer enough, and why they have an obvious lead vocal is pretty evident; one of them REALLY stands out and Sunghee can REALLY hit those high notes. Unfortunately, not every track shows this which leaves the album rather.. ok.. Which is harsh, but slightly true. To their credit, through a few more listens, some songs have grown on me.
Don't Be Shy (Track 5) is VERY reminscent of FinKL in its sound; very nostalgic. Together (Track 6) is one of the few tracks that stood out. The arrangement is really different with a slightly quirky melody and pretty cute. 7 I'll Be There is a really nice ballad and really sweet as shown by the English portion of their song.
"Close your eyes and lean on me
When you feel afraid,
When you lose your way.
Close your eyes and lean on me,
My love.
I'll be there just for you.
Just try your smile, and dry your eyes
I will bring back the moon into your sky
And ever you will, remember darling
I'll be there just for you"
Break It (Track 2) though is their first single. What's amazing about this is their collaboration with original FinKL member Lee Hyori. Not only is the collab good in the sense that they get to share a stage with the hotness of Hyori, but it shows yeah they can perform live. Sunghee can hit those high notes live too. They also perform Hyori's Toc Toc Toc in cat ears! haha fantastic.
Kara & Lee Hyori, Break It and Toc Toc Toc
One small complaint comes from their actual PVs; they're pretty, but really over done. To their credit though, If U Wanna is a really really cute PV and as plastic as the girls look, till good stuff.
Break It
If U Wanna
Cheon Sang Ji Hee The Grace - One More Time, OK?
1 한번 더, OK? One More Time, OK?
2 女友 (그녀들의 수다) Girlfriends (Chattering of The Girls)
3 女友 (Girlfriends) Interlude
4 Sweet Emotion
5 그 사람... 욕하지 마요 That Person... Don't Curse
6 RENEW
7 월의 첫 날 April Fools' Day
8 Dancer In The Rain
9 아니기를 Not To Be
10 하루만 Just For One Day Feat. Super Junior's Kyuhyun
11 Tonight Is On Me
12 Dancing Queen (Acapella)
13 열정 My Everything
14 Boomerang
15 The Club Feat. RAINNow this is a little different. I LOVE this from the start and have been waiting YEARS for CSJH album. Why it took so long for them to release one is beyond me. I've reviewed them before on their My Everything single and so I won't run through the history again. Since DSP Entertainment came out with Kara, it feels like the fight for top of the charts girl groups battle has begun again. CSJH belongs to SM Entertainment, the ones who previously produced the powerhouse group SES. With DR Entertainment reviving Baby VOX with Baby VOX Re.V it really does feel like the race for the kpop queen crown is on again. Sadly (or maybe not) it looks as though it's a repeat of the race. CSJH - Kara - BBV just as it was 5 years ago with SES - FinKL - BBV.
If Kara is a "getting there FinKL" I have to say that CSJH is a "moving past SES". They're amazing as show cased by their two better singers Lina (my favourite) and Dana in this karaoke. Lina gets SES' I'm Your Girl and sings it perfectly. Lina and Dana Karaoke
I'm not sure what the other two songs are, but it really shows that they can sing live. Amazing stuff.
But anyways, the comparisons and similarities to the past aren't a bad thing, since it's all new music and shows some fantastic stuff. CSJH as I've said can really sing, all of them (maybe exeption of Stephanie but she can dance) and so every track they produce is like a chorus of angels. There really is little to fault on this album, the last three tracks are their 3 singles My Everything, Boomerang and The Club, but all other tracks are new. Their title track 한번 더, OK? One More Time, OK? (Track 1) has the strong club sound reminscent of songs prior to their name change to CSJH The Grace. It, unlike the others, doesn't suck all the melody out and is actually a good dance song, with an awesome PV. Note that Lina still looks good with short hair. hahaha ^___^
One More Time, OK?
My favourite tracks would have to be 월의 첫 날 April Fools' Day (track 7) as a sad ballad that seems to be reflecting on the past - music speaks volumes, as much as lyrics do. 하루만 Just For One Day (track 10) is an awesome collaboration with Super Junior's Kyuhyun. It's a really sad ballad, reminscing about the past. Tonight is On Me (track 11) is a happy track, playful and energetic. The true showcase of their skill though comes from their acappella stuff, as shown by their B-side of My Everything as they sang George Michael's Faith and as you can see they sing Abba's Dancing Queen acapella on this album. They also sang Elvis' Can't Help Falling In Love in an interview which is absolutely amazing
Can't Help Falling In Love
Verdict: I NEED more.