BASTARZ - WELCOME 2 BASTARZ
Tracklist:
1. Selfish & Beautiful Girl
2. Make It Rain
3. That's Right
4. Tightly
5. Find The Hidden Picture
Block B's subunit BASTARZ has dropped their new EP, 'Welcome 2 BASTARZ.' In case you haven't been welcomed to BASTARZ yet, the subunit consists of members P.O., B-Bomb, and U-Kwon, and their last hit was the intense "Conduct Zero." This time around, they drafted R&B singer Dean for production, as well as member P.O., who co-wrote all the tracks.
I thought Zico's absence would leave a creative hole -- I was mistaken. "Selfish & Beautiful Girl" kicks off the EP, and while it starts with a jazz-inspired intro, P.O. kicks it into high gear. It's every bit the club-banger, only with a jazz influence and entirely different instruments. But it is the vocals that make this tune pop. B-Bomb handles the falsetto-tinged main verses, P.O. growls some sick raps, and U-Kwon grabs the chorus. It all ties together for an amazing track.
They crank it up even more on "Make It Rain." It has some similarities to "Conduct Zero," but is in a class all its own. And that's where the wild, break all the rules vocals are. This is the track that Dean produced, but the smooth vox he's known for is absent, and this track definitely has an edge to it. It's even naughtier than "Selfish & Beautiful Girl," and that just makes it even better.
"That's Right" is probably one of the more standard songs on the album, but it still has BASTARZ's signature sound. It's a feel-good tune, more laid-back than the previous tunes, but no less kicking. Just when I think it seems more like traditional pop, P.O. comes in and raps. He sounds anything but P.O.'d, laughing like he's having a great time. It's a fun tune, and a nice way to come down from the highs of the first two tracks.
Starting with the third track, the EP progressively slows down, culminating in a ballad at the end. Those last two tracks are where the smoother R&B rhythms come in, with the traditional crooning. There's still almost some mockery to it, and P.O. never sounds like he's totally serious, having written himself significantly larger parts on this EP.
I like this collection. It's got a different feel than the first album, but I think it's more focused overall, not so concerned with trying to get their feet wet in different genres, but instead diving in head first and cranking out the sounds they do best. If you're looking for a cure for the fall doldrums, look no further than this EP.
To go along with the theme, the MV sets up this pretty girl playing a "Just Dance"-style video game, complete with BASTARZ dancing and her cavorting along. Of course this results on knocks on the door, and the poor guy downstairs tries to drown out the sound with pillows, to no avail. To anyone who's dying to know what he says at the end: "Everyone, isn't this music video annoying?"
My answer is "not really," as the boys of BASTARZ change costumes so many times it makes your head spin, including the crazy fashions that quite literally are more appropriate for a video game than real life. I like the song, which helps a lot, as does the annoyance of the poor neighbor just trying to catch some zzzzs (been there).
The CGI here is quite good, as are the dance moves. The acting is okay, though it's the situation that makes this funny. The girl is a model, Alexa O'Brien (aka pixiee on Instagram). Almost didn't recognize her without the chains. :) This was fun to watch, and I'd definitely give it another go just to snicker at the fashion.
Trading off their bad boy image, this MV casts them in the role of hustlers, who apparently have made a ton of cash gambling, and run afoul of thugs who apparently aren't happy with having their money taken. They are beaten, tortured, and abducted, and their fate is not known.
There are plenty of surprises here, like when it pans out and it shows them digging a large grave. I also love the CGI, where a cornucopia of imagery parades before your eyes. It appears to be told out of chronological order, but I love the way this MV looks. It's got just enough edge to be awesome.
It's all drama, and it's all noir. There's destruction and violence, but a lot of it's implied rather than shown. It's still rather dark, but you're having such a good time listening to the music you probably won't care.
(MV scores are averaged)
MV Relevance..........8
MV Production.........8
MV Concept.............8
Album Production...8
Album Concept........7
Tracklisting..............8
"That's Right" is probably one of the more standard songs on the album, but it still has BASTARZ's signature sound. It's a feel-good tune, more laid-back than the previous tunes, but no less kicking. Just when I think it seems more like traditional pop, P.O. comes in and raps. He sounds anything but P.O.'d, laughing like he's having a great time. It's a fun tune, and a nice way to come down from the highs of the first two tracks.
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Starting with the third track, the EP progressively slows down, culminating in a ballad at the end. Those last two tracks are where the smoother R&B rhythms come in, with the traditional crooning. There's still almost some mockery to it, and P.O. never sounds like he's totally serious, having written himself significantly larger parts on this EP.
I like this collection. It's got a different feel than the first album, but I think it's more focused overall, not so concerned with trying to get their feet wet in different genres, but instead diving in head first and cranking out the sounds they do best. If you're looking for a cure for the fall doldrums, look no further than this EP.
MV REVIEW - "SELFISH & BEAUTIFUL GIRL"
To go along with the theme, the MV sets up this pretty girl playing a "Just Dance"-style video game, complete with BASTARZ dancing and her cavorting along. Of course this results on knocks on the door, and the poor guy downstairs tries to drown out the sound with pillows, to no avail. To anyone who's dying to know what he says at the end: "Everyone, isn't this music video annoying?"
My answer is "not really," as the boys of BASTARZ change costumes so many times it makes your head spin, including the crazy fashions that quite literally are more appropriate for a video game than real life. I like the song, which helps a lot, as does the annoyance of the poor neighbor just trying to catch some zzzzs (been there).
The CGI here is quite good, as are the dance moves. The acting is okay, though it's the situation that makes this funny. The girl is a model, Alexa O'Brien (aka pixiee on Instagram). Almost didn't recognize her without the chains. :) This was fun to watch, and I'd definitely give it another go just to snicker at the fashion.
MV REVIEW - "MAKE IT RAIN"
Trading off their bad boy image, this MV casts them in the role of hustlers, who apparently have made a ton of cash gambling, and run afoul of thugs who apparently aren't happy with having their money taken. They are beaten, tortured, and abducted, and their fate is not known.
There are plenty of surprises here, like when it pans out and it shows them digging a large grave. I also love the CGI, where a cornucopia of imagery parades before your eyes. It appears to be told out of chronological order, but I love the way this MV looks. It's got just enough edge to be awesome.
It's all drama, and it's all noir. There's destruction and violence, but a lot of it's implied rather than shown. It's still rather dark, but you're having such a good time listening to the music you probably won't care.
Score
MV Relevance..........8
MV Production.........8
MV Concept.............8
Album Production...8
Album Concept........7
Tracklisting..............8
OVERALL...............7.8
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