GFRIEND – '回:SONG OF THE SIRENS'
Track List:
1. Apple *Title
2. Eye of the Storm
3. Room of Mirrors
4. Tarot Cards
5. Crème Brûlée
6. Stairs in the North
GFriend is back with their all-new mini-album '回:Song of the Sirens.' It's got 6 brand new tracks, including the title track "Apple." This is their 10th EP, and the second in the 回 series.
"Apple" is their title track, but doesn't sound a whole lot like a GFriend song. I have a feeling that's deliberate. It's got less of the wistful sound that they're known for, and a simpler beat structure, and more repetitive lyrics. I have a feeling they were trying to make the song more accessible. It's not bad, but it's not really them. Another atypical song for this band, "Eye of the Storm" gave me serious anime feelz. I could seriously see a suit of high-tech armor shooting into the sky, explosions all around. Not sure if that was the intent or not, but we can't rule that out.
"Room of Mirrors" is more of what I consider a typical b-side for the band. This song shows off their talent more. We get a range of vocal styles rather than just one. "Tarot Cards" is an interesting one. The title is something I'd expect to see on a Dream Catcher tune. It's not as woo-woo as you might think -- they go looking for their own answers. It's pretty upbeat, too.
I like "Crème Brûlée" for that unique intro. I couldn't quite place the instrumentation of the backing track. Not only that, but the rapping was adorable. They've managed to craft a pop confection that is as sweet as the title. "Stairs in the North" is the ballad on here. It's billowy and wistful, a song you'd expect this group to crank out. The style is a little different, though, having more in common with the ballads from other groups. I have to admit, however, the song is pretty easy on the ears.
So this is what GFriend sounds like nowadays. As I said before, it's different. It's not the same GFriend we hear in "Rough," for example. The song titles are evocative, but when you cue up the actual songs most fail to live up to that potential. That doesn't mean the songs are bad, it just means that somebody is really good at titling songs. Tracks like "Room of Mirrors" and "Crème Brûlée" stand out here more than the main track. And while I think the album is good, I don't think it's as good as classic GFriend.
MV REVIEW
However you might feel about Eunha as Sleeping Beauty, that's how the video starts.
The MV tends to milk the garden of Eden trope for about the first half. You have the girls in billowy white dresses, showing generous amounts of leg and dancing around. There are hints at a few bits of CGI, but not a whole lot is going on.
They shake it all up for the second half. Getting pulled into rooms, tangling themselves in curtains, orange lit chambers, stretching out over a table and spilling a drink, or holding their hands over one of the member's eyes, retreating one by one.
Wow!
And they're still not done after all that. They managed to redeem the whole video with just that sequence. It's the kind of thing I hope to see when I watch. And they packed it all in there, and more besides.
Regardless of how I feel about the song being out of place, The MV is a sight to behold.
Score
MV Relevance............9
MV Production...........9
MV Concept................8
MV SCORE: 8.6
Album Production......8
Album Concept...........8
Tracklisting..................8
ALBUM SCORE: 8.0
OVERALL.................8.3
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It's never enough. On one hand you have the people who like classic Gfriend and never want them to change, and that's good, but it's also very limiting and doesn't allow them to grow. The girls themselves want people to stop thinking of them as, "these sorts of artist, with this sort of sound." As if they are ONLY that sound. While you have the other side of people who are tired of classic Gfriend and needed the change, but these are unloyal ones. In the end, Gfriend THEMSELVES WANTED THE CHANGE. They were able to tell their stories into it, helped throughout almost every song and loved it. They can still have the Gfriend feel while exploring themselves not just as idols BUT AS ARTISTS. And they can still make great music without having to stick to the same genre. Let them explore what they want to do. Don't say that a song is bad just because it's different and not what your used to. Objectively, Apple and this album was a good transition growth. Enough to keep old fans and gain new ones. They have more confidence and enjoy the stage more. And they are doing something they want to do. Whether we like it or not, Gfriend NEEDED this change and obviously, they thought so too. With that view, this truly was a 10/10 for me, a long time Buddy since 2016. I'm determined to support their growth as artists, and I'm excited about their future.
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