The ladies of Rainbow BLAXX turn up the heat this winter with their debut album.  They are the new subunit of Rainbow, a band started back in 2009. DSP has stated that they want a sexy, elegant, and mature image for Rainbow BLAXX. This is supposed to be a "special album," but I'm not entirely sure what that means.

The shots for the photoshoot were nice, and showed off the girls' more obvious charms. The only problem I have is that the background was white, and not as welcoming as I would like, there was almost a sterile feel to it, despite the loveliness of the girls. I feel that warm colors or at least a soft light filter would have cranked this up to 11.

Rainbow Blaxx

Tracklisting:

1. Cha Cha
2. One Word
3. Silhouette
4. Cha Cha (Original) (Inst.)

The songs are laced throughout with bells, the  kind of sound effect one associates with faeries, or sparkling dust floating and moving through the air in a film, like one of the many versions of "Peter Pan", for instance. Not distracting in and of itself, merely an observation.

1. Cha Cha
The first track is very disco. According to Naver, apparently that was intentional. Beginning with a staccatto "cha-cha," it launches into a beat that makes you want to get up and dance. Word has it that Woori wrote the rap part for this herself, and its nice to see a girl group have some input in what they sing. Very well performed, and sexy without being blatant. 

2. One Word
Starts out with an epic synth-symphonic melody line, then transitions into acoustic guitar riffs. This is more of the Rainbow I've grown accustomed to, the songstress sirens we heard on both parts of Rainbow Syndrome. It's about a breakup and the lyrics are done quite well. A beautiful track overall.  

3. Silhouette
HyunA once said that she preferred writing lyrics in Korean instead of English because she felt that it was more poetic. After hearing Silhouette I have to agree. Lines like "your breath that touches me," and "your sighs that embrace me" are what make me think this, as well as the singers likening themselves to a silhouette that wants "to shed that light so only you can see me." The song is a lush and full ballad.

The other two tracks are a bit of a mystery. There was supposed to be an "original" version of Cha Cha, perhaps without the rap part, and the final song is an instrumental version of Cha Cha. However, the original full cut is not available. The instrumental sounds no different to my ears, so I'm somewhat confused.

There are no prominent Engrish English fails on this album, which is refreshing. I haven't seen much of that in 2014, and that is a good thing. A good omen for the coming year. 

---

Overall this is a very strong mini-album. The songs are never obvious, and you really have to listen to them to understand them fully. Did they succeed at a more mature concept? I think so. The only quarrel I have with this album is that it's far too short. Rainbow has had consistent quality output since their debut, and this album is no exception.  I didn't want to stop listening.  A worthy addition to any playlist, fans of angelic voices will not be disappointed.