Bolbbalgan4 – 'Two Five'

Track List:

1. Workaholic

2. 25

3. XX

4. Taste

5. Day Off

6. XX (Acoustic Ver.)

Bolbbalgan4 (aka BOL4) has just dropped their newest EP, 'Two Five.' The album has five tracks and an acoustic version of "XX." The album gives you a look into the life of a couple of twenty-somethings, from working all the time to theorizing about whether they're ready for a real, mature relationship.

The whole EP tends to hew towards this theme. "Workaholic" tells the story from the perspective of someone who's fallen into the trap of eat-sleep-work without any work-life balance. "25" looks a couple of years into the future for these girls, ruminating about what comes next. 

"XX" is the relationship song (cleverly avoiding the trope of a breakup tune). "Taste" is a strange duck, with Jiyoung singing about how she hates sweet things, even the sweet words of love. "Day Off" kind of turns "Workaholic" on its ear, complaining of having nothing to do.

The affair is punctuated by the wonderful chords of these two remarkable women. These girls really know how to play. Every song on here is solid and done in their inimitable pop-folk style. And while "Travel" had a rather insistent melody, these are a bit looser, and you can hear some masterful flourishes in some of Jiyoung's piano playing. I also like the particular way the two blend their instruments. They both get a chance to shine on this EP, and that is a great thing.

MV REVIEW

It's not easy being green – or at least green-haired – in the MV for "Workaholic."

And this is when we see Jiyoung doing the 9-5 thing. Waking up, looking in the fridge for something to put in her belly, struggling to be on time for the train, etc. Her troubles don't end once she goes to work, as she has to squeeze in a crowded elevator, sneak in late, gets yelled at by a boss, has piles of work put on her desk, and has to stay late when everyone else leaves. She barely has time to take a breath, coming home exhausted and then turning around the next morning and doing it all again.

Definitely not fun.

However, she turns the tables, and that's where the MV gets fun. She gets driven to work by the other half of this duo, Jiyoon, and rushes into the office. From there, she definitely turns things upside down and makes work a lot more fun. Her co-workers get bowled over by everything, but, like all good things, this must come to an end. And wait till you see how. Unequivocally awesome.

In "25," that's where things get more fun and colorful. And playful, too. From setting up a tent to vacationing in a desert (complete with cacti), to metronomes both moving and frozen, and dancing with crazy inflatable characters. Even talking on the phone with each other and going dancing. Just random cute stuff like you're used to seeing. It's not particularly amazing, but it is colorful, funny, and eminently watchable. It also helps that I like the song a lot.

Score

MV Relevance...........9

MV Production..........9

MV Concept..............9

MV SCORE: 9.0

Album Production.....9

Album Concept.........9

Tracklisting...............9

ALBUM SCORE: 9.0

OVERALL................9.0