STRAWBERRY MILK
The twin members of the adorable band Crayon Pop have formed a sub-unit, Strawberry Milk. With Crayon Pop, Choa and Way had released high-energy, feel-good songs such as "Bar Bar Bar" and "Uh-ee." Having toured with Lady Gaga, the girls of Crayon Pop had a taste of international success. Will this album taste as sweet?
We launch into the title song, "OK," and my first thought was that it was light, poppy, and quite frenetic. My second thought was, "I'm going to feel really bad if this song is about something serious." Fortunately, it's about what 99% of all K-pop songs are about. This song fits firmly into the pop realm with horns vocals driving the tune. It's also bouncy enough to count as a dance tune. In addition, there's enough repetition of the title to earn them a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Warts and all, I like it.
Moving on to "Feel So Good," this track starts with an acoustic guitar and then moves onto a horn section. I've heard similar tracks on Korean indie releases. "Feel So Good" made me feel pretty good, and I think it's actually a stronger song than "OK." It's what I would have released as a single.
From here, we change to ballads. "Hello" knocks the tempo down quite a bit with a chugging beat that serves the melody well. We're treated to a piano intro, and then a synth chug that matches the beat well. I love how Way soulfully belts out the title. Definitely a piece for a rainy day.
"Let Me Know" is a ballad written by Way, so you have to give the girls some points there. This track is another piano-based ballad. I searched high and low for an English translation; currently, there is none. Your experience might be different by the time you read this. For what it's worth, from the hangul, it looks like a lovelorn ballad, and it's very pretty.
This is strong debut album for Strawberry Milk. It's definitely something to savor now that the days are shorter and autumn has settled in. I also really like the fact that Way wrote some of the material that ended up on this album. Could have done with more material and less instrumentals, but hey, you can't have everything. Whatever your mood, this album is for you.
Recommended Tracks: Let Me Know, Feel So Good
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