Juxar: CD review

Read my music reviews for:

Tonight by Big Bang
Heartbreaker by G-Dragon
GD and TOP by GD & TOP

Alive
Big Bang
YG Entertainment, February 2012
Buy the album from Amazon.com: Alive

Track List:

1. "Alive" (Intro) 0:48

2. "Blue" 3:53

3. "Love Dust" (????; Sarangmeonji) 3:52

4. "Bad Boy" 3:57

5. "Ain't No Fun" (????; Jaemieobseo) 3:42

6. "Fantastic Baby" 3:51

7. "Wings" (??; Nalgae) (Daesung solo) 3:43

Big Bang is back! Their K-pop comeback is probably the most anticipated of 2012, partly because they have an unearthly huge fanbase and partly because they've been through so many scandals and troubles in the past year. It seemed like everyone was worried about whether they'd be able to overcome the baggage of 2011, but they've returned with as strong a sound as ever. And this album really reflects their personality, too. One of my favorite things about Big Bang is their level of involvement with their own music, which is evident in the credits for the album: G-Dragon wrote lyrics for all seven tracks, Daesung co-wrote his solo song, TOP wrote lyrics for five songs, and G-Dragon co-wrote the music for all seven tracks. You get infinite bonus points for creativity, guys.

Let's take a look at Alive!

"Alive" is an intro, which is usually a throwaway piece of music on any K-pop album, but Big Bang always seems to make their intros count. They toss out snippety intro tracks that make you wish they were full songs. The lovely, quick vocals of "Alive" are engrossing and then they end abruptly, leaving the listening audience going, "What, it's over? No, don't be over!" I like the subject of the song because the EP needed to start on an upnote to let us know that the guys are okay (they've done this type of "reassurance" track before, like on Tonight with "I'm fine, thank you and you"). I like how this intro starts with muffled vocals, like their voices are thawing out and getting warmer, which matches the concept photos for the album.

"Blue" is moody, melodic, and atmospheric, but it's not totally sad until you look up the lyrics. I was pleased by the tune and I felt some of the emotion from "Blue," but when I looked up the ultra-sad translated lyrics, it seemed a hundred times more....well, blue. I love Daesung's lullaby-type voice on this, and TOP is doing just fine with his subdued singing part even though he's a rapper. This song is mellow but it stays with you in a stealthy way. It seems like a basic mid-tempo song until you catch yourself singing it without thinking.

"Love Dust" is a very pleasant electronica pop number. I far prefer the tune of the verses to the tune of the chorus, which falls a little flat, but it has a very peppy beat and even has a couple of Black Eyed Peas "I Got a Feelin'"-style "woo-ooo"s in the background. It's not shattering, but it's a successful track.

Did I say that "Blue" was catchy? Well, the next song, "Bad Boy," is even more infectious. It almost defies your attempts to not sing it, language barrier or no. As a recent article in Gawker puts it, the song is pretty close to pop perfection. It has some swagger, but the song's actually more apologetic than anything. It's not saying "I'm a bad guy, so deal with it!" but "I wish I wasn't a bad guy because it's ruining things between us". It's kind of a complex mental state to convey, which is reflected in a chorus that tells the girl to leave for her own good, then begs her to stay.

"Ain't No Fun" doesn't really work for me. The verses don't have much melodic variety and the chorus is pretty generic. I feel much the same about "Fantastic Baby," though I may be one of the rare people who doesn't enjoy it. It's a fine dance track, but except for G-Dragon and TOP's parts, I feel like it doesn't completely sound like Big Bang and that almost anyone could be singing the song--the beat is a lot like LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem". But the song is probably still worth listening to just to hear TOP saying "Boom shakalaka". It's one of the best phrases ever.

"Wings" really surprised me with its cool arrangement of strings. I don't know what I thought Daesung's solo song would be like, but it wound up sounding powerful and victorious, which is perfect for him after all he has been through.

After listening to their latest EP, Alive, I'm still thrilled with Big Bang's talent and their consistently high-quality music. Not every song on this album is a winner, but there's enough catchiness, variety, and artistry to prove that these five guys still deserve their reputation as one of the biggest acts in K-pop. Check them out if you haven't already.

My Grade: 4 of 5 stars

Must-listens: "Alive," "Blue," "Bad Boy,"

Watchable bonus: Here's the music video for "Blue".

EP Review: Alive by Big Bang Link Free Download

EP Review: Welcome to the Block by Block B

Welcome to the Block
Block B
Brand New Stardom, 2012
Buy it from Amazon.com: Welcome to the Block

Track List:

"LOL"
"??? (Go Crazy) (NalinA)"
"?? ??? (Did You or Did You Not)"
"???? 100% (Synchronization 100%)"
"Action"
"??? (Go Crazy) (Inst.)"

It's Block B's 2nd mini-album! I've heard that Zico and Kyung, who have a history with the Korean underground rap scene, did most of the composing for this EP, and if that's correct, they deserve some recognition because Welcome to the Block sounds great. Let's examine the tracks...

"LOL" has some nice low vocals and a great beat. It's a good bragging song, one that brings the verbal attitude while talking about how the guys in the band are offbeat musical rebels who everyone's talking about. They mention K-pop idols and their glitzy, perfect image, then boldly present themselves in opposition to those picture-perfect ideals. But there's one part of "LOL" that I don't like, and that's a potentially racist line in the first verse. Then again, American rap is a breeding ground of hate and racism, and this particular line is very mild in comparison to American rappers' constant use of abusive language and racial slurs.

"Going Crazy"/"Nalina" (which I've also seen spelled in English, "Narina," "Nanlina," "Nanrina" and even NARNIA, like C.S. Lewis' fantasy world) is a very fun song , and I love how it starts with Zico's dismissive, "Ah, okay, okay, okay," like he's been pestered into singing. It's a perfect dance track, and I really like P.O.'s deep voice on his lines. The chorus is so energetic, and I think I hear some horns in the background, so the sound is very fresh and different from standard K-pop. After just one listen, "Nalina" will get stuck in your head, and you'll be trying to sing it later, even if you don't know the words.

"Did You or Did You Not" doesn't really work for me because it's a softer song with almost an R&B sound. The lyrics are about the speaker asking his girlfriend to stay away from another guy because she's not exactly acting trustworthy. It's a jealous sort of message, but it sounds more hurt and vulnerable than aggressive. "Synchronization 100%" focuses heavily on an acoustic sound, which I totally didn't expect from Block B. The singing and rapping both sound wonderful, and the song reminds me a bit of Geeks' version of "Officially Missing You". This is a slow-it-down song that I don't mind at all--on the contrary, I think it shows the band's versatility. The next track, "Action" is a pleasant kind of retro-80's number and it makes me think of GD and TOP's song "Don't Go Home".

Note on Zico: In general, I like Zico's raps and I pay closer attention to his lines than to any of the other members'. I've always found it interesting that the leader Zico is actually the second-youngest person in this seven-member band. That almost never happens--usually the leader is the oldest member or the next oldest (examples: G-Dragon is the leader of Big Bang, supposedly because he has stronger leadership skills than TOP, then there's the original DBSK where second-oldest Yunho became the leader because Jaejoong declined the offer of leadership). I know that Block B is going through some pretty severe controversy right now, but leaders have to take responsibility and I think Zico is doing the right thing by setting the example of remorse/humility.

Block B is very talented and they have some great rappers. Their English pronunciation is a little off in several places, which can lead to some rather infamous misheard lyrics, but as usual, I'm still proud of them for making the effort to rap in two languages and for writing their own lyrics. Overall, I really enjoyed their 2nd mini-album and I hope they'll be able to keep making cool music in the future.

My grade: 4 of 5 stars

Must-listens: "Nalina," "Synchronization 100%"

Audio bonus: Here's some audio for "Nalina!"

Questions: Are you a Block B fan (BBC)? Do you think their second mini-album is as good as their first? Who's your favorite member?

EP Review: Welcome to the Block by Block B Link Free Download