Personally, this album got to me from the first measure of the intro. I could already anticipate the mix of feelings I was going to get from the rest of the songs.
The single,
PRAY, is much like an anthem. For young artists who struggle to make a living while doing what they like and what they feel, the world is cruel. You have no idea how much we actually and literally pray for that one small breakout. Anyway, if you check out the lyrics, you'll get all these emotions and a lot of optimism. Whenever I listen to it, I feel the urge to create. It's like a nudge. Musically speaking, this song is good. It kind of reminds me of One Ok Rock and I'd be more than happy if these two bands would ever have a song together. The MV is powerful even if it doesn't seem so. I really like it and not just because they're FT Island.
Next is
Black Chocolate. Sincerely, I'm curious why they named it like that and who named it. It's very interesting how the melody itself is a soft rock here and then goes alternative and then back and so on and so forth. But that adds a lot of style to the song. There's that guitar solo that makes me have hope in humanity. No, but really, it's a good song with a lot of things in it if you listen closely. The lyrics are sad and they define the feeling of helplessness. I incline to think that either Jonghoon or Jaejin wrote them.
I know for sure that
BPM69 has been composed by Jaejin since he had some instagram posts of it. What can I say? I had some suspicious ideas of what and how that was going to sound like. Thankfully, it's a ballad/pop sound. I was expecting it to be complex and have a deep sound but in that Green Day way. It doesn't. When I first listened to it, I didn't have enough patience to fully listen to it.
Do you know why? is my favorite song from the album. Except the fact that it sounds a little mainstream, I think it's a great song. I like that Jaejin sings the verses and Hongki takes it away with the chorus. Like I said before, I love it when a song induces me a state. This song induces a lot of emotions and that's what music is about. it's quite simple at the core but it's good. The lyrics are all sorrowful. You can imagine who wrote it.
Now,
Hey Girl is a really cute song. Remember The Maine's into Your Arms and The American Rejects' About A Girl. I swear this song sums up those two in a very nice way. I get the same vibes and it's just so likable. The lyrics are pretty much the same thing, more or less. The story gravitates around the same subject. But I like how they got a guitar solo that sounds different in each song. Like, they put a lot of thought into it. This song would do great in English.
To the Light is a song that we all know from their Japanese album. I personally liked more the version in Japanese than this one in Korean. Altogether, this song goes the same way as Pray. The MV is good and O love the fact that they showed exactly how much they mean to the fans and how devoted are their fans from all over the Globe. At the same time, the fans make this whole video and song so awesome. It's that kind of song that appears at the right moment, when the principle character gets up from the ground after being slapped and broken. Yep. This song also shows Jaejin's potential as a vocalist. I think his voice range is smaller than Hongki (most definitely, actually) but it sounds very good.
I will probably seem bad because I am comparing them but
Time To reminds me of the whole playlist from when I was young. Like, it reminds me of the songs the artists at Warped were doing. It sounds childish at first but then, you start to bob your head to the rhythm. Maybe it's just me but this song always makes me go back the memory line. Anyway, I do think this is a childish song in a way. The lyrics are positive but meh compared to other songs from them. It also sounds rushed. Like they needed a song and just picked one quickly.
그림자 (Shadow) is a song that confuses me a little. The first thing that dazzled me was the chorus. I just wanna feel you, feel you. No matter how much I try to pass it, it's still weird. I do understand the song and lyrics and meaning but seriously. What is good at this song and completely owns it is the guitar from the bridge. I like it. And another good thing about this song is the melody itself and the rhythm they use. But I would prefer not to check out the lyrics in english.
Please is a good song. Os my second favorite because it has something that attracts me to it. Maybe it's because I am more fond of that sound but I enjoy listening to it. The mix of slow verse and powerful chorus always got to me. The lyrics are better. I think the orchestral part is what I genuinely like even if I heard it before at different bands. More like, it's that kind of song that every band has. It's enjoyable and never gets old. If you ask me about what is this song, I think whoever wrote it went through some really bad relationships. It's about lies and heartbreak. Worse and more sorrowful than that, it can't get.
Light is the last song on the album and it can be taken as the epilogue. Why? Because, in my humble opinion, it sounds a lot like the character finally found the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a soft song for the year but it's pretty encouraging in a way for the heart.
I might be thinking into the songs way too much but these guys went through some awful experiences in love. Half of the album is about lies and this feeling of being trapped inside a cage and have your wings broken. That is reality of every day life. And then, there are some positive, encouraging and happier songs that create a balance. I appreciate their efforts and it is a good album but I still think they didn't reach their highest point in their careers as musicians. However, it is a well made album with more or less technique and with a lot of emotional baggage.
