"Birthday" is where the EP picks up the pace. Sampled scat (the singing, not the substance) and pumping synths bring this song to life. The tune itself is largely EDM-based. The appeal is much more visceral than intellectual; this song really pops and I found myself moving my body to the beat. I'm not going to insult your intelligence and assume you know the point of the tune.

"Would You or Wouldn't You?" has a nice big room synth line going on and is more melodic than "Birthday." And after a short intro sequence it gives way to its hook: "Would you or wouldn't you." It's a nice midway point between EDM and more traditional pop, and the belts were pretty sweet. Amusingly, an autotuned voice was part of the chorus and becomes part of the instrumentation. The point of the song is simple: they're asking the girl whether or not she can give them her heart.



"Come On" comes on (if you'll pardon the pun) slower and more R&B inspired. While it more resembles the title track in its style, there are little bits that make it a more skilled composition. The boys' vocals are showcased here better, as well. It's a pretty effective soft tune. The boys are saying they want to me more than just friends with the girl.

The last track, "Outro," is pure hip-hop. The rapping is pretty well on point and is really the only thing going on in the tune. It's a shout-out to their fans, thanking them and telling them they will be back.



This was a pretty good album, but felt too short. Of course, I usually feel that way when an album gets me pumped. While the title track was a bit lifeless, the rest of the songs on the album were great, danceable tunes. There were some songs that reminded me of Big Bang, which is hardly a bad thing. There's a playfulness running through the EP, too, that endears rather than annoys. Pick this up if you're looking for a good hip-hop fix.
 
MV REVIEW

Watch the boys as they drive around in a hot sports car in "Moonlight Sonata."

It starts (and kind of ends) with a guy driving the girl around. She gets out and storms off near the end, but the plot gets lost in the middle. In between we have all the boys -- Feel Dog, Baram, Raehwan, Sunghak, Jude -- driving around, dancing, and singing.



The costuming was mostly appropriate. I didn't see anything that would have set off the fashion police. They could have walked into any restaurant and bar, and few people would bat an eye. Well, okay, I'm sure they'd get some admiring glances.

They put 'em in a room and in front of the car for the dance sequences. Other than that obvious nod to 90% of the boy band videos out there, the dancing was intense. I liked it, and I could almost feel the burn for the practice sessions they must have endured to pull it off.



The video itself was interesting, even if the song was not as good as I hoped. You get several shots of Seoul at night as they cruise down the highway, and I've always felt it's a beautiful city. Washboard abs will probably rack up some more views for this MV. Probably shouldn't keep track of the plot since it looks like the girl's having a good time, then all of sudden there's a bunch of guys in the car, and the girl is nowhere to be seen. Maybe that's why she stormed off at the end -- there weren't enough seat belts. :)

Overall, not a bad album at all, the MV was just okay.