[Album Review] Lim Kim 'Her Voice'

The first time I heard Lim Kim's "All Right", I knew this was a girl I'd be keeping an eye on. I wasn't the only one- the female half of 'Superstar K''s Two Months has managed to stick it out on the charts despite stiff competition from more seasoned performers. "Rain"- the lilting, lightweight ballad of a young woman questioning her emotions- managed to hold it's own on the charts as well, despite being just a pre-release track from 'Her Voice'.

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Lim Kim meanders through 'Her Voice''s seven tracks with ease, half-whispering in a mature, almost detatched tone that any JYP Entertainment�trainee would kill for, talking of the triumphs and tribulations of love in the way that only a twenty year old daydreamer can. From the gentle, acoustic waltz of "Urban Green" (which comes in both a Korean version and an English version) to the bolder, jazzier "Say Love", Lim Kim delivers each line with the same spacey, near-melancholy that's quickly become her signature sound- quiet, but not at all shy.

"Voice" brings a kind of lounginess (exaggerated by Swings's talk-rap feature on the bridge) to the verses, which is broken up by twinkley synths and quirky drum fills on the chorus, decending into a kind of lazy chaos as the song progresses, ending with quiet, hard-to-understand voices filtering in and out of the coda, as if you're listening to random conversations happening around you in a coffee shop. It's a bit of a bold choice for a single as it's the least accessible song on the album, but it's more interesting-weird category than jarring-weird, so it manages to work.

Bossa nova ballads "Drunken Shrimp" and "Truth Never Matters" softly fill out the rest of the album, keeping things light and airy and steering clear of anything darker than a wink. My only concern for Lim Kim is that her lovely voice could ultimately pigeon-hole her as a one-trick-pony, and will likely comparisons between herself and K-Indie darlings J Rabbit. However, the difference between "All Right" and "Voice" indicates that she's got a few tricks up her sleeve yet. Keep watching.