DAL SHABET - 'JOKER IS ALIVE'

Track List:

01. To.Darling
02. Bewitched
03. Joker
04. I'm Not
05. OK Boy

It's been about 15 months since 'B.B.B,' Dal Shabet's last mini-album.  Since that time, various injuries put a halt to their activities. Now, presumably hale and healthy, the girls are back with their new album 'Joker is Alive!' the title and the track inspired by DC Comics character Harley Quinn, the Joker's main squeeze. Member Subin participated in composing, arranging, and writing the lyrics to all 5 songs on the album. The title track has already been deemed unfit for broadcast by KBS, so already we're off to a good start. :)



"To.Darling" is a very short track, clocking at just under 2 minutes. It's brief, simple, and sweet, characterized by silky harmonies, and reminded me *a lot* of an A Pink melody, which isn't a bad thing. It ends abruptly, which is a pity because it's very soothing, and the sudden ending is a little jarring. Don't ask me what the dot in the title's all about.

"Bewitched" ratchets up the tempo some and has some nice imagery of snow fields and the stars going dark.  It has sort of a pop-funk feel to it, not quite hitting club-banger status. I like the attitude in the verses and the way the pre-chorus accelerates the beat. There's a touch of impertinence in here that had me liking it as soon as I heard it.



Next up is "Joker," the title track. As a card-carrying comic book geek, I was excited about the concept. Ironically, there's little here to suggest anything other than a standard why-don't-you-notice-me love song with the name Joker tacked onto it. It's not a bad song, but it seems to have not really explored its concept. "We were trying to portray the love story between Joker and Harley Quinn," said Happy Face Entertainment. Not quite. I like the jazz-inspired music and Woohee's chesty belts. It's a fun song, just not what I expected.


The only person crazy enough to be in love with "Mr. J."

"I'm Not" is little piece of EDM, and I think it works well. It starts with an insistent piano and ends up with a pulsing, marching beat. With some hip-hop chanting giving way to more traditional sung verses, this hybrid pops. I found myself singing along: "I don't wanna be your bad girl." It dives into bendy synth-riffs and staccato vocals at the end, down-pitching to a nice finish.

The last track, "OK Boy," is a sweet pop-dance banger. The girls have very pretty voices, and this song puts them to good use.  It's fluffy and light, but a good party song. Sweet and danceable, singable hooks, what's not to like?



This is a pretty soothing piece of pop. It never strays from its roots -- there are the standard hooks and there are few standout vocals or anything risky, but the girls sound good together. What it does, it does well.  It's very listenable; there are some really catchy choruses and overall sweep pop confections. The grooves are largely laid-back and not-in-your-face. The album is saturated with bubblegum hooks and earworms galore. I have to salute Subin for this. She reportedly has regrets. I'd love to tell her it's an album to be proud of.

MV REVIEW

Now this is where the Joker shows up, despite his conspicuous absence from the song. Alabaster face, blood-red lips, rictus grin -- that's him. The girls dance about in revealing outfits that give a nod to the subject matter. This is Harley Quinn as you've probably never seen her before.

There's some plot, though hardly what you'd call fleshed out, where toasts are made during a wedding party. There are bridal attire and sequences where one of the girls dances with the Joker.



In a couple sequences, male backup dancers dressed up like the titular character appear, which is a nice touch. But largely, the MV was designed for us to ogle the girls of Dal Shabet.

As a comics fan, I wanted more. Maybe the mystery and danger of Trouble Maker's eponymous song, or the pseudo-gothic feel of Hyosung's "Goodnight Kiss" MV. There's a lot of latitude for creativity here. And to have them squaring off against each other even as they're in love would be iconic. Instead we have a couple scenes with the Joker, and a lot of dancing around without him. He's a dark character, girls. Give us at least a touch of darkness.



Overall, it's highly watchable, but lacking in what I was hoping for. The lighting, scene and costume changes are well done, and it seemed fairly high-quality, even if the dance moves are nothing to write home about. I certainly didn't hate watching it, but I think they could have given us tons more atmosphere.  

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