DAY6 – 'REMEMBER US: YOUTH PART 2'

Track List:

1. Hurt Road

2. Days Gone By

3. Headache

4. 121U

5. So Cool

6. Marathon

7. Beautiful Feeling

8. Days Gone By (Inst.)

Having concluded their Every Day6 project last year, in June they unveiled 'Shoot Me: Youth Part 1.' Now, in December, they've given us the second part of that sequence, 'Remember Us: Youth Part 2.' Their 4th mini album has eight new songs that should warm up your winter some.

The EP kicks off with "Hurt Road." The song is a ballad, and the boys do a great job of sounding like they're in pain. The vocals are far from the measured tenor typical of most K-pop tunes. Instead, there's a raw quality to the voices that gives the song more authenticity. The title track "Days Gone By" leans more heavily on keyboards than previous offerings. That doesn't stop it from being heavier though. There's a particular energy that runs through this track, like more prominent and more powerful beats.

"Headache" is a solid rocker, heavier and edgier than their usual output. I like songs where they cut loose and stop being so restrained. Because that's what rock n roll is all about. "So Cool" is DAY6 being playful. After some of the lovelorn pieces they favor, this is kind of a breath of fresh air. They shouldn't be afraid to be more positive, more upbeat. This song is them throwing caution to the wind. Plus it has those rock and roll elements that I like. "Marathon" is kind of a Stevie Wonder-style R&B, and a very different style for them. Usually, they're more guitar oriented, and this is the second tune that seems to have more of a keyboard influence. Doesn't stop it from being a good jam though.

"Beautiful Feeling" is a power ballad, getting progressively harder as the song goes on. It's not strictly a power ballad in the most classic sense, but the appellation fits overall. Not a big fan of power ballads, but they seem to have the form mastered. "121U" is another heavy offering in the vein of "Headache." It's these kinds of songs that I really love. Because listening to DAY6 they seem to have been holding back. Like I could tell what they were capable of, but they wouldn't go there. With this song, they did.

This EP is a different one than what you might expect from DAY6. As I mentioned in previous reviews, they used to have a more middle of the road style. While that's safe, it gets a bit stale after a while. With this particular mini-album they seem to want to break free, cut loose, an experiment with different styles. They seem to kill it, no matter if the song is a solid rocker or a light R&B tune. Frankly, I think this is their best one yet, and I look forward to hearing what they can come up with in the future.

MV REVIEW

As I view the new music video, it kind of looks like a mess at first. Only it's not.

I have a feeling somebody said, "hey let's do a performance video." And then somebody else said, "this needs some work." Because the boys play their instruments and do it pretty straight. But everything around them is different and a little bit wonky, from having clones if themselves on stage to all the different backgrounds. There are backgrounds that feature the boys in a kind of a kaleidoscope style, to wavy ones that remind you of flags. All done in stunning crystal clear CGI.

And it's all eminently watchable. I didn't feel like I was losing brain cells, nor did I get the idea that it might have been cheap -- which I don't think it was. And of course, all of these visuals were set to a song which is actually pretty catchy and a lot of fun.

Did I like it? Yeah, I think it's safe to say that I did.

Score

MV Relevance...........8
MV Production..........8
MV Concept...............8
MV SCORE:8.0

Album Production......8
Album Concept...........8
Tracklisting.................8
ALBUM SCORE: 8.0

OVERALL.................8.0