1. DDD
2. Too Good To Me
3. Dreamer (SOLJI SOLO)
4. ALICE (Feat. PINKMOON) (Junghwa SOLO)
5. Weeknd (LE x Hani )
6. Foolish (Hyerin SOLO)



EXID has dropped their latest addition to the 'Eclipse' cycle, 'Full Moon.' Their fourth mini-album includes six new tracks, along with several solos. Solji participated in the album, but will not be promoting with them due to health issues. I wish her the best and hope she gets better quickly.

"DDD" is the title track. For the record, it does not sound like "Up & Down" to my ears. It is tangentially similar with an easy hook and the sung chorus -- but you can say that about any song. What you can't say about any song is that this song is awesome -- it totally grabs my ear and sticks in my head. The next tune is "Too Good To Me." This has a lot of the classic elements of EXID, LE's rapping, a compelling melody and beat, and the sick harmonies. "Dreamer" is Solji's solo song and is a literal showcase for that beautiful, versatile, full voice. It's an emotional ballad, and she does her best to wring every last tear from your ducts. Ballads may not be my thing, but I can't say this isn't well done.

"ALICE" is Junghwa's solo and manages to sound not much like an EXID single at all. And what I mean is that the classic elements are missing. It does have a nice melody, though, and her voice is nothing if not sugar-sweet. LE and Hani's collab "Weeknd" sounds a little like "Night Rather Than Day," though it lacks many of the hooks. It's not bad, but not amazing either. "Foolish" is another ballad and the final song on the EP. It's Hyerin's solo song. Hyerin's voice is almost as strong as Solji's, and she gives a similar performance. I was a bit underwhelmed, but it might have been because it's the second ballad I've heard on this EP.

Full disclosure: I've been a fan of EXID's since 'Hippity Hop,' (2012) so maybe I'm biased. One good thing I can say is that they stopped remixing songs or re-using "Up & Down." That was getting old, so I'm glad they moved beyond that. That said, I don't think this album was quite as strong as 'Eclipse,' their previous EP. I'm hoping they'll be able to tap into the old magic in future releases. Not really a full moon, more like a gibbous moon.

MV REVIEW

The MV is well...something else. There appear to be some things happening, but not in such a way that there's a story here. Just a collection of random events, such as constricting hallways, a house with glass floors and furniture, and the greenhouse. If there's a point to all this, I missed it.

I'm also not a fan of things being drenched in red. Red is often a poor choice just because it tends to bleed and muddy the scene, even on HD screens. Thankfully, they didn't have too much of that.



There was also very little dancing, and it wasn't terribly skilled either. It's not that they were bad, it's more because the choreo was extremely lacking. So the individual shots were what stole the show. I'm not sure why but I know we're seeing more of that as a trend.

So the MV was okay, but nothing eye-popping, other than the girls themselves -- and Hani's wild hair color! I enjoyed myself simply because I like the song, but the video is nothing to write home about.

Score

MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........8
MV Concept..............7

Album Production.....7
Album Concept.........8
Tracklisting...............8