[Album & MV Review] Woohyun - 'Write..."

AKP STAFF

WOOHYUN -- 'WRITE...'

Track List:

1. Write...
2. Still I Remember
3. That Person
4. Scent
5. Gravity
6. Stand by me
7. Everyday (Hidden track)

It's been six years since INFINITE debuted, and Sunggyu has released a solo album. It's been a long time coming, but now Inspirits can be happy, because Woohyun has finally dropped his 7-track mini-album 'Write...'

There's also a bit of controversy (when is there not?) surrounding the physical packaging of the CD. Apparently, no one can open it. Fear not -- for those still struggling, there is an answer:

On to the actual music. This disc is suffused with big ballads and soothing tunes. The title track "Still I Remember" is the second liveliest song on the album, ambling along at a comfortable pace. We're treated to Woohyun's emotional falsetto early on, but it's about the 3-minute mark that you get chills and the waterworks start.

The songs really show a man in pain, haunted by memories of an ex. There are two tracks here that I particularly enjoyed -- "Gravity" and the hidden track "Everyday." Those songs are smiles amidst the tears; high-powered, upbeat songs that promise everything will be alright. They're also composed and written by Woohyun himself, showing off his strengths as a singer-songwriter. "Gravity" has an intriguing connection to the song that follows it, "Stand By Me," as the latter tune tears down everything promised in "Gravity," giving us a vignette.

The album is nostalgic and wistful, ringed with an aura of regret. The songs, with the exception of two, are all about missed opportunities and wrong turns in relationships. He may be an idol singer, but on 'Write...' Woohyun is the tour guide through the caverns of his broken heart.

MV REVIEW

Woohyun is on a trip through Southeast Asia, as he floats in a gondola through steaming jungles, canvasses the streets in China, and rides the rails in Japan, searching for his lost love. He has a hint of where she went, as he traces her travels on a map...

While the scenery was kind of interesting, and the backstory with the girl and her dad, the scenes with him were overwrought. He cries in almost every scene, drowning not just the props but the entire MV in tears. While that may seem sensitive to some, I say it was overdone here. They also tended to distort the edges with a blurry light, which further served to annoy me. Although the lonely wind chimes at the end were a nice stylistic touch.

All in all, the MV wasn't really my cup of tea. I'm sure fans will flock to it and cry when he does, but it didn't really make an impression on me.

Score

MV Relevance..........7
MV Production.........7
MV Concept.............8
Album Production...8
Album Concept........8
Tracklisting..............8