1. Wake Up
2. Tinker Bell
3. M.F.B.F. (For My Future Boyfriend)
4. Open Your Eyes
5. Jelly



It's been 8 months since their debut release 'Dreaming,' and now April is back with 'Tinker Bell.' Their new concept is that they are faeries and spreading love and happiness through their charm and music. Their last EP showed promise as well as their last single, so what of 'Tinker Bell?'

"Wake Up"
The bright, poppy "Wake Up" occasionally drowns in lush production -- it lacks the warmth that the sometimes strained vocals might suggest. At the end it finally abandons the polish and gives you a hint of playfulness and the idiosyncrasy it deserves to elevate it above filler status. Here the girls are telling the guy to wake up to their love.



"Tinker Bell"
The title track has more powerful beats than its predecessor and boasts some nice hooks despite the overly cute delivery. There are some elements of the chorus that work well and deliver an enjoyable listen. The vocals are on the nose too. The lyrics give a hint of what they're singing about:

"High in the sky, to the stars
I'll fly
In order to find you
Where should I go? Will you see me?
Twinkling like that star
I'm Tinkerbell aha aha"

"M.F.B.F. (For My Future Boyfriend)"
This is a little ditty where the cute shtick works well. It's got an interesting retro feel with the instruments, even measuring the vocals to the strum of the guitar. There are some elements that remind me of the Beatles' "Penny Lane." I think the simplicity works in its favor. The takeaway? They want their future boyfriend to confess.



"Open Your Eyes"
This soothing track sails along smoothly. There are some sweet pauses here that make this tune pop. It's mid-tempo, and has some nice hooks with the repeated "Wake ups." Overall it's not bad, if nothing special. They want him to open his eyes and see that they love him.

"Jelly"
This is by far the standout track on this disc, and the one I would have used as the title track. There's a definite tension that builds to the chorus (which is very f(x)-like) and gives this track extra punch. "Jelly" is far removed from the other tracks, breaking the concept of faeries (we won't get into the tales of compelled faerie dances or enslaved mortals here). Still, to my ears, this is the best song on the album. Fierce? Check. Danceable? You bet. She wants to give the guy her love, but he's not ready.



Overall, this a polished pop piece. There's enough heart here to prevent the polish from giving the album a cold sheen, which is what you want to avoid -- too many throwaway tunes. That doesn't happen here, wisely using the mini-album format to avoid filler. I like it -- it's a fun album, which is what pop is all about. And just try to stay in your seat when "Jelly" starts up. A sweet, charming welcome to springtime.

MV REVIEW

Naeun dozes off over a book, and wakes up on a flower, transported to a fairy wonderland. From dancing to tea parties and strange environments, the girls make the most of their fairy adventure.

The wardrobe consists almost entirely of teeny sundresses in various cuts and colors. It seems to be right in line with their concept, and they look adorable in them.



The dancing is pretty sweet, with expansive movements, hops, and a bit of aegyo. At least we get to see the movements, even if the closeups are a bit awkward. Still, it's nice to see good choreo.

Ultimately, the MV is fun. It delivers their fae concept in spades. It's enjoyable to watch the flowing movements, the sense of wonder on their young faces, and the garden like backgrounds. "Tinker Bell"  is probably not the easiest concept, but they pull it off. It's cute and innocent, which we don't see as much of as we should. Thumbs up.

Score

MV Relevance..........9
MV Production.........8
MV Concept.............8
Album Production...9
Album Concept........8
Tracklisting..............9

OVERALL................8.5

SEE ALSO: The reason NewJeans declined to perform with ZEROBASEONE