Recruited by MC Mong several years ago, 2011 marks the year that boy band Dalmatian makes their official foray into the Korean market with their first full-fledged mini-album, titled - what else - "1st Mini Album". The members of Dalmatian were said to have been hand-picked and vigorously trained over the span of three years to sharpen their areas of expertise; singing, rap, and dance.  It sounds like today's typical format for brewing a Korean pop band, but once in a while, the time and effort put into sculpting such a group actually turns out as good as advertised. The big question that remains then, is whether Dalmatian struck gold or struck out. Let's find out, shall we? --- Track List: 01 Lover Cop 02 ? ??? ?? (The Man Opposed) 03 Lost In Love 04 Really Really (Feat. ??) 05 Real Eyes 06 Home Run 07 Round 1 (Bonus Track) --- Dalmatian - Dari, Day Day, Drama/Daniel, Inati, Jisu, and Young Won - actually debuted near the end of last year with "Round 1."  The song was very laid back; there was nothing too serious about it, but the thing Dalmatian established with "Round 1" was that they're out to be the free-spirited guys in K-pop. Dalmatian bring an interesting dynamic to the term boy band.  Looking at them, they appear to be the standard macho group of guys who could knock you to the floor with a simple glare, but once the music starts, they're revealed to be much more than that. "Lover Cop", one of Dalmatian's two lead singles, is exemplary of the trait I just mentioned.  Simply put, Dalmatian are playful with the delivery of their music.  It's not meant to be taken seriously because they're not putting up any kind of front to prevent their audience from enjoying it for what it is: easy listening, mainstream pop goodness. It doesn't require anyone to watch Dalmatian to pick up on the relatively positive atmosphere they create through their music.  You can almost hear the group 'smiling' when "Lover Cop" plays in your ears, so in a way it proves that it's not always necessary to drown a song with glitz and glamor to achieve that kind of happy response through sound.  Don't get me wrong, "Lover Cop" is as average of a K-pop song as they come; I swear I've heard the hook and chorus before, but nevertheless, the method they use to deliver the end product, and the way it builds and plays with the different vocal processing works well in this cheerful little tune. Auto-tune is the last thing anyone wants to hear, especially now that it's been overused and utterly abused.  Generally speaking, auto-tune is not an awful tool, but it can easily make a song sound cheap if it isn't used properly.  Since auto-tune is already an earful, the mistake a lot of producers make is not only to use it, but to layer even MORE processing over it.  In my opinion, that's when things get out of hand and songs start clawing deep into your ears.  Dalmatian's producers, for the most part, made sure to avoid any of those glaring sections throughout this mini album. Although auto-tune is present more times than I'm comfortable with, it's still tastefully done and sparingly used for effect-purposes.  For instance, listen to/watch their second promo track, "The Man Opposed".  It's made obvious that the guy sitting in the car (Day Day) was 'auto tuned' in the first verse, but his vocals are suddenly cleaned up during his rap in the post-chorus.  It's not a big deal, but it is these details that help to differentiate 'using auto-tune for the effect and for the weak singers' from 'using auto-tune just because'. One thing Dalmatian should be acknowledged for is the quality of their music.  It's noticeably K-pop sounding through and through, but they've done a great job in owning their style and delivering it in mint condition.  Many times groups release so-so music only to land in a stack of the same old thing.  But Dalmatian, although bringing a familiar Korean pop sound, have managed to avoid sounding too generic, and have produced a refined and polished piece of work that stands strong among its peers. Dalmatian have three strong vocalists (Jisu, Drama/Daniel, and Young Won) and have fused their strength in the singing department with the bite of their rappers (Dari, Day Day, and Inati), showcasing a sound vaguely familiar to that of the early years of Big Bang.  The nostalgia really kicks in with "Lost In Love", arguably one of the highlights of this entire EP, and quite possibly one of the best rookie songs on a debut mini album to date. "Lost In Love" is everything contemporary in pop music right now.  It features an array of details that you can only pick up the more times you listen.  One thing that has been missing recently are songs that have a good build up and a clear sense of direction - this song kills those two birds with one stone, maybe more.  "Lost In Love" has those subtle electronic nuances that are really hot right now, a decline in heavy vocal-processing, and a really nice blend of rap and vocal delivery that never overshadows one another, nor does one leave the other by the wayside.  What is left is a solid pop song full of punch and gorgeous melodies. Dalmatian's crisp production carries on throughout the rest of this mini album, evenly distributing the spotlight from the rappers to the singers, and transitioning effortlessly from one song to the other (Really, Really). As I mentioned earlier, Dalmatian is the easy-going boy band that has been missing in K-pop.  They're not trying too hard to prove anything mind-blowing.  They know they're talented, and when a group like Dalmatian are comfortable in their own skin, it reflects such in their music in all the right ways (Home Run). --- What many first-timers in K-pop tend to do is focus their effort on one explosive song and beat around the bush for the rest of the time, which isn't the most adequate way of putting together a collection of music that will end up defining an artist later in their career.  Dalmatian have zeroed in on the good old fashioned K-pop sound and have made it their own from one song to the next, making sure each one sounds as refined as it should be.  The production is clean, fresh, and never over done. This is Korean pop music at its finest.  There's not an ounce of pretension or arrogance in Dalmatian's "1st Mini Album", only fun vibes, and music that makes you feel good. I went into this review decidedly on the fence after hearing their "Round 1" debut, but with a strong first mini album and more potential than I had expected, I'm pretty excited to see what Dalmatian will come up with next. --- Overall Rating: 4.6/5 --- What are your thoughts on the album? — Suggestions for a future review?  Hit the author up on Twitter (@rothsresidence) or via e-mail (arnold.arteaga@allkpop.com)! — Note: This article does not reflect the opinions of allkpop, only of the author.