RED VELVET - THE RED

Track List:

1. Dumb Dumb
2. Huff n Puff
3. Campfire
4. Red Dress
5. Oh Boy
6. Lady's Room
7. Time Slip
8. Don't U Wait No More
9. Day 1
10. Cool World



SM's rookie girl group Red Velvet is back with their first full album, 'The Red.' They were a hot topic around the time of their debut and have lost none of their momentum this time around, generating both love and hate for their teasers. 'The Red' features 10 brand-new tracks, including the title song "Dumb Dumb" by British composing team LDN Noise, whose other credits include SHINee's "Married to the Music" and "View."

The title track "Dumb Dumb" starts out with a high-energy hook and horn blasts. The main verses are chanted initially, and the chanting eventually gives way to belts. Those girls definitely have lungs! The whole thing comes together to make a pretty sweet dance track. This tune has clever lyrics, as well. In particular a verse references just about every Michael Jackson single.



"Huff n Puff" is introduced by low-pitched synth honks and a big beat style drum beat. All the girls' voices combine to make it sound like a small girl army is singing for you. The lyrics talk of being transported to another world, an Alice in Wonderland locale. I like it better than the first track, to be honest. �

Notably smoother than the previous tracks, "Campfire" has a bit of a retro feel, sort of a mashup of '70s and '50s at the same time. It's a risky endeavor, but is skillfully pulled off here. The powerful vocals here make this a standout track, the best I've heard so far on this LP. The lyrics are about night of love by a campfire.



"Red Dress" takes the high energy and kicks it up with horn blasts and insistent vocals. The chorus slows it down with a hooky refrain and smooth delivery. It's an interesting contrast within the song, and again shows some superior songcraft to pull this off. The song itself is about feeling good and being dressed to kill.

"Oh Boy" begins with the chorus and turns into a swingy, R&B-inspired dance tune. Another smooth chorus lets you know they've moved away from the excesses of "Ice Cream Cake" to a more experimental mode. The second verse turns up the dance elements and makes this an awesome body-moving tracks. �Obviously, the song is an ode to a boy they like.



The playful "Lady's Room" has some synth waves and a smooth refrain. There are some sweet croons, and the tune is simple and accessible. The song is also really catchy. The title made me snicker at first -- the "ladies' room" in my part of the world is a restroom. In this case it appears to be a party room, possibly even a hotel suite for the ladies.

"Time Slip" starts out kind of stripped down with a very basic synth line. It transitions to a chanting, and the synth gets more bass. It's obviously a nod to hip-hop without being strictly hip-hop. The chorus is a silky harmony that you don't want to end. Perfect for the theme about time slipping away.



The next track, "Don't U Wait No More," has a few similarities to the title track, the repeated refrain and the nonstop nature of the vocals. It's still pretty well its own song, and is a fun tune, even if really short. The lyrics indicate the girls are telling the guy not to wait anymore and just ask 'em out.

Reminding me a lot of a diary entry, "Day 1" is a bouncy, playful tune. It chronicles the feelings and thoughts of the first day of officially dating. Defying easy classification, it reminded me a lot of an A Pink tune and, by turns, a retro showtune as well. It's definitely easy on the ears.



"Cool World" is the last song and an absolutely smooth entry with synth waves and pretty harmonies during the bridge and chorus; it has a beat and a hook that'll have you singing along in no time. The song itself is about fantasizing and retreating into yourself.

Interestingly, Red Velvet has taken more of an experimental approach with this LP. There are more nods to synth pop on here, with some EDM elements and other genres. By contrasts there are very few songs on this LP that could be classified as filler. Instead, taken as a whole, the album is a pure aural pleasure, particularly with "Cool World" rounding out this collection of tracks. Kudos to the writers and producers for making a pretty awesome comeback album.

MV REVIEW

Check out Red Velvet doing things both creepy and cute in their new MV.

Watch them as they dance like dolls, don costumes and hairstyles that make them look like clones, play chess, ride on a bus, dance around, and star in a pretty cray cray video.



The costuming was odd, and they change clothes too often to chronicle. There are dance sequences where one leg is covered and the other is bare. There are doll-like frilly costumes, of different cuts and different colors depending on the shot.

The dancing was what we've come to expect. It's high-energy, and they kill the moves they're given. Short shrift is given to the dance sequences. I kind of wanted to see more. Ah well, maybe they'll release a performance version.



And even after viewing it, I'm still not sure what I watched. It's an orgy of bright colors and bright music, a clash between the cute and the weird. I'm not sure if I should be amused or unsettled. It is, however, watchable, if quirky, and it had me watching just to see if I could snatch some order from the chaos. And maybe there is no rhyme or reason. Maybe a brainstorming session went overlong and they just took all the ideas on the clipboard and mashed them together. I can't be certain. It's still fun to watch, though, even just to figure out what the heck you're seeing.�

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