In April’s review of ‘Bran New Kiss‘ by U-KISS, I concluded with the following statement:
“The good thing is that U-KISS haven’t completely changed, as I still hear traces of their old selves in this EP, so I’m going to be cautiously optimistic and say that there’s enough room right now for them to inject that good-ole piercing noise from before for their future releases…”
Five months later, and my foresight has done me well. U-KISS’s latest album, ‘Neverland,’ sees the band returning with a sound that is a musical blend; a splash of the old with a little of the new.
It almost felt natural for U-KISS to revisit the electronic tendencies they left behind in ‘Bran New Kiss,’ because in essence, that’s what has always defined them as a pop group. The way in which they did it this time, though, left me pleasantly surprised.
U-KISS have released many EPs over the years, but ‘Neverland’ is the album where they have established their musical identity. On top of that, they chose the perfect song off the record to push this into effect.
“Neverland” is a club-ready single drenched in buzzing synths and glittery digital details that mix well with the pounding beat and that brings us back to the U-KISS of years past. The takeaway from this song is the treatment on the boys’ vocals. U-KISS have been ‘auto-tuned’ to various degrees, but never have they sounded this clean and tasteful. There’s serious depth in this song, and I don’t know how producers created such noisy music before, when “Neverland” is just as loud, but with a seemingly broader spectrum.
Take the first verse: Kevin – who enters singing in a lower register (what!), and later emerges in that higher voice – is vocally processed very differently than Eli, who recites the line “money, love, fashion, fame, and all that’s in between,” with a lot more layers. It’s these subtle tweaks that keep this song interesting, and it’s not just “Neverland.” There are other songs that work in the same way. For instance, there’s “TOP THAT,” which is a complete boy-band anthem that has a grand instrumental with really gorgeous melodies. Personally, I love the verses. They’re full of attitude and I’m all for that right now.
“TOP THAT” would definitely be a contender for favorite up-tempo track, because composition-wise it’s superb, but it comes in a distant second thanks to the nauseating “la-la, la-la” loop. It’s the most distracting thing ever and there’s no way around it, which is a shame, because other than that, this song is a clear keeper in my book.
U-KISS do uptempos so well, that I forget they have the wherewithal to carry through a slow song.
“Take Me Away” in particular is absolutely beautiful, and it’s definitely one of their best ballads ever. It’s a simple song. “Take Me Away” is a piano melody and U-KISS’s vocals, and that’s pretty much it. But boy, do they sound fantastic. I hadn’t noticed, but there’s great rapport among these guys, and it suddenly clicks when their silky, smooth harmonies kick in (Listen: “Take Me Away“).
The best part is that it doesn’t end there. The U-KISS harmonies are also present in the promo track, “Someday,” where even Dongho sings.
“Someday” is driven by a steady piano line that works as a metronome. The instrumental itself is very precise. Which is a contrast to the wispy flow of the melodies. The song reaches a high point about the 2:50 mark, where Kevin carries the climax to a very sweet moment in the song, and it’s in these pieces of work that we see a different side to U-KISS that may not have always been there, but sure is prominent now.
It’s not easy admitting that U-KISS was never on my radar until last year. It was when they began churning out chaotic songs – haphazard music – that somehow they found their way cycling through my music library, and eventually becoming my go-to band for overdone, A.D.D. Kpop pleasures. But this year, something phenomenal happened. Something that scarcely happens, especially in Kpop, but it did – U-KISS matured. Their sound has taken a very obvious leap in a new direction. The production quality has improved tremendously, and the simple fact that their superiors have taken the musicality within the group into consideration and made changes accordingly is commendable.
U-KISS are no longer pushing noise into our ears. They’re showcasing a clear vision in style, and most importantly, that the group has actual talent worth observing.
‘Neverland’ is a nice reflection of where U-KISS stands, musically. Although it’s not a perfect album, because there are times when it drags just a tad, the thing about this album is that it shows promise. There’s still unplowed territory to be discovered, and auto-tune be damned, they’re set on exploring it.
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