another ballad ;

basedukwon: Casker나쁘게

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:53:42 +0800

Casker
나쁘게

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Sat, 16 Jun 2012 13:31:50 +0800

미쳐보려 해도 (Can’t Be Crazy)

Artist: Alex
Album: Just Like Me
Genre: Ballad
Release date: 24th May, 2011

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Rating: ★★★★★
미쳐보려 해도 (Can’t Be Crazy) is the title track of Alex’s second full length album Just Like Me. Alex is better known for his electronica trio Clazziquai under the company Fluxus Music. This song has fused elements of electronica and string sounds together to create a beautiful, fantasy-like ballad number.

The song begins by introducing a steady accompaniment followed by the entering of percussion and vocals at about 0:07. The accompaniment is quite repetitive, maintaining an unchanging structure throughout the entire first verse, but partners well with Alex’s mellow, gentle style of singing. The first verse gives a laid-back, easygoing atmosphere, and the song is set at a walking speed, andante, which enhances the relaxing mood. There is a lift in the atmosphere and emotions as the chorus enters at around 0:43. More instruments are added to strengthen the accompaniment; strings and guitars can be heard, and Alex’s voice also picks up volume, accentuating and emphasizing the sentiments of the song. The chorus ends at around 1:34, and the second verse starts, mimicking the first verse in exactly the same way, but this time soft sounds of a guitar are added into the accompaniment. Chorus re-enters at 2:10, and the mood is raised again. A string instrumental bridge enters at 3:02, sustaining the atmosphere of the song, and a section from the chorus is repeated at 3:14, but the mood drops as the accompaniment suddenly quiets down until only a faint sound of a keyboard, and the rest of the accompaniment re-enters at around 3:20. The song comes to an end at around 3:50 as everything slows down, and concludes.

I gave this song a 5 out of 5. There had been lots of mixed opinions on not only this song, but Alex’s entire album, as many people think that the tracks do not enhance Alex’s vocal range and abilities, but rather make them appear restricted and bland. The accompaniment in this song is also quite repetitive and unvaried. However, I still gave this song a 5 out of 5 because personally I think it is successful in presenting the emotions and messages that were intended. This song isn’t conveying thunderous and powerful, or even dramatic emotions of love and desire, but rather a more preserved and retained type of admiration, as Alex sings about the past and memories. The song itself is about how he cannot lose his mind and express his pain and longing of a past happiness, no matter how much he wants to, and therefore these lyrics and these intentions combines well with the simple yet beautiful music.

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Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:18:00 +0800

Artist: fra-foa
Album: 宙の淵 (Abyss of the Space)
Genre: Rock
Release date: 21st February, 2001

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Rating: ★★★★★
This is a rather unique Japanese rock song that I had been dying to review. I discovered it through fra-foa’s last.fm page (my last.fm is onemillionlove btw; add me! C:) and this song had left a great impression ever since. 真昼の秘密 (Mid-afternoon secret) dates back to 2001, and was written by the vocalist Chisako. fra-foa disbanded in 2005.

Starting off with steady, muted strumming, the aura of this song is already set within the first few seconds. The sounds seem to drag on instead of being clean-cut and straightforward, and there is a sense of heaviness in the atmosphere of the song. Building up, the weight is let out at around 0:06 as percussion and a stronger sound of electric guitar enters. This sense of heaviness is continued until about 0:32 when the vocals enter. Muffled and soothing, Chisako’s voice seems to glide through the verse, creating a peaceful yet mysterious ambience. She is accompanied by a soft, clean picking of a guitar and a distinct and stable beat, giving off a feeling of simplicity and steadiness. There is an explosion of emotions as we enter the chorus at 1:24 as the volume picks up and as Chisako sings the line I spun round and round and round. The accompaniment is strengthened, but her voice appears to sound more distant now. At 1:51 the chorus ends, and the mood of the song dies down into the same tranquil atmosphere in the first verse. The chorus re-enters at around 2:43, but this time Chisako sounds more aggravated, and there is a sense that she is yelling, raising the intensity and spirit of the emotions she is conveying. Chisako’s style of singing compliments the weight that the accompaniment is creating, and this is what creates this explosion of power and emotion within the song. It all comes to an end at about 4:27 as everything seems to be dragging and blending into one, and then finally dissolving slowly.

Overall I gave this song a 5 out of 5. It is a rather unique song in terms of sounds and lyrics, and also the emotions that are trying to be conveyed. From reading the English translated version of the lyrics (x) there is a sense of self-intoxication, being trapped in one’s delusion and memories, and mystery all integrated into one. Chisako’s voice adjusts fittingly to the scenarios that the lyrics are initiating; soothing and gentle in the verses as she sings about a rainy garden, and passionate as she sings about how she spins round and round, diving into an ocean of her own reminiscence and emotions. There is also almost a child-like sense portrayed in the entire song with how the lyrics describe the constant spinning around and laughing, and also the sense of fascination in the environment the lyrics had created.

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love your blog, and love your analysis of music ^_^

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:30:08 +0800

thank you :’) i’m so glad that you like it, means a lot to me!!

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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:38:55 +0800

Dear

Artist: Mad Soul Child
Album: 아저씨 (The Man From Nowhere OST)
Genre: Ballad/OST
Release date: 16th December, 2010

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Rating: ★★★★★
Dear by Mad Soul Child is the theme song from the 2010 movie 아저씨 (The Man From Nowhere). I actually came across this song on Facebook from a friend who had posted a fanmade video of this movie with it playing in the background. Mad Soul Child’s vocalist Jinsil is known to be featured in Tablo’s song 나쁘다 (Bad).

The song starts off with a series of broken chords and a low sound of strings accompanying Jinsil’s melancholy tone as she hums softly, and as the music proceeds it also seems as if the sound of the piano and the strings in the background too are starting to sound heavy-hearted and sombre. The accompaniment pauses at 0:24 and holds on one note, dragging it slightly and creating a sudden loss of movement, adding on the heavy atmosphere of the song, and the first line of lyrics appears at 0:27 as Jinsil sings in a hushed voice, emphasizing the melancholy ambience that was created. The accompaniment continues for a large of the song as broken chords played on a piano and a dense sound of strings, but it is built up when lead to the chorus at 1:20, when percussion and a faint sound of an acoustic guitar is bought in. The emotion builds up here, but sinks down slightly as the chorus ends, though not as much as before. A sorrowful tone is still maintained, but the second verse holds a slightly different - perhaps a more uplifting flavor that before. The atmosphere dies down and starts to conclude at around 3:30, and the regular sound of the strings can be heard. The piano plays single chords instead of broken chords now, which diminishes the mood even more and signifies the end of the song, but the overall aura resembles the beginning. The accompaniment drags itself out even more, and finishes off with the strings.

Overall I give this song a 5 out of 5. I think Jinsil’s voice portrayed the emotions of this song extremely appropriately, as she sings about an abrupt wave of loneliness that crashes into her due to the loss of a lover. The lyrics of this song are simple and straightforward, and it matches with the honest, sincere tone of the vocals, highlighting the sentiments that were intended. Jinsil sings with a muted voice during the verses, almost as if she was whispering her sorrows and feebly calling for help, and instead of portraying this in a desperate way, it is almost giving a sense of ceasing to continue. This song is both soothing and powerful with emotions, creating a perfect corresponding between voice, accompaniment and lyrics.

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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:56:59 +0800

꼭 이만큼만 (Just This Much)

Artist: Casker
Album: Tender
Genre: Soft electronica/Indie
Release date: 21st October, 2010

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Rating: ★★★★★
꼭 이만큼만 or Just This Much is the newest title from Korean electronica duo Casker’s album Tender. This song is quite slow and has a consistent beat, simply made up of a keyboard and a drum kit. This song has a very coffee shop-esque feel to it, which is why it sounds laid-back and soothing.

The first second of this song starts off with captured live sounds of a busy street, and then the music starts straight after at 00:02. A plain, unaffected keyboard sound starts us off, with a somewhat faint sound effect of a telephone accompanying it. A sudden pause at 00:08, leaving only the busy street sounds mentioned before, and then re-enters at 00:10 with a beat accompanying it. Vocals enter at 00:18, and they sound somewhat manipulated, or as if the vocalist was singing through a telephone. This time, hi-hats were added to the drum beat, increasing the tension and catchiness of the song. A bass sound enters at 0:34, adding depth to the music, and the vocalist’s voice pulls away from the “telephone” effect. It is quite difficult to spot where the chorus starts, so I assume it starts at 0:49, as the vocals are slightly raised as well as the atmosphere. Up till now the same keyboard pattern is repeated over and over again in the background. Faint ‘oooh’s can be heard in the background starting at 1:06. Chorus ends at 1:18, and the atmosphere drops as the bass and drum kit stops, leaving only the keyboard sound. Again a sudden pause at 1:20, and everything re-enters at 1:22. The affected “telephone” voice can be heard again, and ends at 1:30 where the bass is added once again. Chorus re-enters at 1:45, raising the atmosphere again. Instrumental solo begins at 2:14, and this sounds somewhat a jazz style, with the same keyboard pattern in the background, drum kit, and an instrument that sounds like a trumpet/sax. Vocals re-enter suddenly at 2:33, and all instruments stop at 2:34, leaving a faint electrical hum accompanying the vocalist. A faint violin sound can be heard at 2:41, and at 2:48 the drum kit and bass and everything else re-enters, and the chorus is repeated. Everything stops at 3:02, leaving only the keyboard pattern and the faint sound effect in the background. This only lasts for a few seconds because everything re-enters at 3:05, and at 3:10 the vocals stop, leaving only the keyboard pattern, the faint sound effect and the drum kit playing. The affected sound of the vocalist enters at 3:14, and the song ends, abruptly.
I gave this song a 5 out of 5. From typing the process of the entire song out I discovered that, this song does not only have laid-back style, but it is also very interesting to listen to at the same time. There is a lot going on; lots of effects, affected sound etc., even though the music itself is very plain and simple. Sounds keep coming back, popping up randomly and suddenly stopping, which makes this song such fun to listen to. The vocalist has an amazingly smooth voice; her voice sounds simple and yet is able to bring out the emotion within this song.

Overall, if I had a coffee shop in Korea, I would play this song for sure.

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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:49:01 +0800

얼음요새 (Ice Fortress)

Artist: Dear Cloud
Album: Dear Cloud (Album)
Genre: Indie/Soft-rock
Release date: 8th November, 2007

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Rating: ★★★★★
Having listened to Dear Cloud for quite a period of time, they have developed a special place in my heart with their music style and the sense of belonging and satisfaction I get when I listen to them. This song Ice Fortress was their most popular song, even starring the actor Kim Jae Wook in their music video.

The song starts off with a soft continuous electric guitar, and keyboards are added at about 0:14 playing some soft arpeggios-like pattern. Vocals enter in a mellow manner at 0:27, and the keyboard can still be heard in the background, playing the same pattern. The soft electric guitar re-enters at 0:49, and drums are added at 0:52, which adds onto the mood as the verse is repeated, but with a stronger sense of emotion. The soft electric guitar and drums gradually build up and becomes more and more obvious, as if trying to take over the vocalist but not exactly doing so. Guitar strumming can also be heard at this point. Chorus at 1:20, and the emotion and overall atmosphere of the song is very strong and overwhelming. The vocals adds to this by singing at a higher octave, building and reinforcing the mood of the chorus. The atmosphere of the song calms and quiets down at 1:47 as the verse re-enters, leaving only a keyboard and perhaps a soft electric sound in the background, accompanying the vocalist’s mellow tone. Drums re-enter at 2:00, slowly building up the atmosphere once again. Chorus again at 2:13, and the mood rises up to a high point again. Chorus is repeated at 2:40, and this time the vocalist does her own changes to it. Instrumental begins at 3:07, and the atmosphere of the song drops slightly again, leaving only the keyboard and soft guitar sound playing. Another electric guitar and the drums enter at 3:19, raising the mood of the song slightly. Vocalist re-enters at 3:33, and the mood of the song is raised again. Vocals fade away at 4:00, leaving behind the electric guitars, keyboard and drums. Change of chord at 4:13, instrumental continues, and then the song finally pulls to an end.
I gave this song a 5 out of 5. I didn’t think this was a particularly “good” song at first, and I thought that it didn’t really catch my eye (or ears rather) when I first listened to it, but as time passed this song became a memorable song in terms of all the masterpieces that Dear Cloud had produced. This song gives me an extremely soothing and laid-back feeling, especially the music video and where it was filmed. I had mentioned and complimented before about the vocalist’s voice and how it has a subtle masculine edge to it, and this song only accentuates this, thus allowing the vocalist develop her own style while singing live. The vocalist’s voice is extremely appropriate and fits well with the lyrics of the song, which describes the worship and luminous feelings for what seems like an ice princess, beautiful but cold and difficult to reach.

Overall, I think that this song is a must-listen for all Dear Cloud fans or for those who are willing to try out their music, as this song is their most famous song. The vocalist’s voice is very unique and soothing, appropriate for a relaxing afternoon.

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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:50:54 +0800

가장 아픈 사랑 (The Most Painful Love)

Artist: Fanny Fink
Album: 가장 아픈 사랑 (Single)
Genre: Indie/Soft-rock
Release date: 24th January, 2011

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Rating: ★★★★
This song is an indie/soft-rock song by Fanny Fink, an indie band from Pastel Music. They debuted with the albumMr. Romance, and unfortunately their former member Young Bin left the group in 2010 when they came back with the digital single Snowdrop. This song is a soft, mellow song from their newest single 가장 아픈 사랑, or The Most Painful Love, telling a painful story of reminiscence.

Starting off, we can hear vaguely in the background a soft sound of the outdoors and some water running. The music starts at 0:18, and Myoi’s faint, mellow vocals are accompanied by chords played on a piano and more background noises. The clean guitar and drum beats enter at 0:44, and this adds a stronger tint to the verse, contrasting to how soft and calm it was before. Chorus begins at 1:10, and Myoi spells out the soothing melody with her smooth voice, and soft electric guitars also enter. The range clearly widens in the chorus, as high notes start to appear. Chorus ends at 1:58 with an short instrumental, and the verse reappears at 2:04. The song returns to its mellow, relaxing self. Chorus re-enters at 2:59, this time with the backing track slightly stronger and louder to create a high point and to contrast with the verses. Chorus ends at 3:47, and the song returns to a lower point as the volume of the guitar, drums and keyboard decreases slightly. Myoi re-enters at 3:52, concluding the song with her pure and soothing voice. Guitar fades away, and only drums and keyboard can be heard.
I gave this song a 4 out of 5, and this is because I have been looping this song a lot, and that made me a little sick of hearing it, but nonetheless this is a beautiful indie track. The lyrics of this song had been written in a very melancholy and very beautifully, with a theme of reminiscence and the patient lingering of the heart for a lover, and all these feelings and emotions in the lyrics match extremely well with Myoi’s mellow, artsy style of singing.

Overall, I think this song is a must listen for people who want to try out Korean indie, and also for people who are new to Fanny Fink. This song is a light listen that conveys strong emotion with a mellow style.

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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:11:55 +0800

손가락 걸고 (feat. 서영은 & 김현중 & 제이스)

Artist: 윈터프로젝트 (Winter Project)
Album: Winter & Color Story Two
Genre: Ballad/Rap
Release date: 24th January, 2011

Rating: ★★★★
This song is a pop ballad/rap song sung by Suh Young Eun, Kim Hyeon Joong & Jace. This song consists of ballad sounds and rap, which I personally love listening to. It is not an average ballad song because it has strong beats, which suit with the rap parts as well. This song consists of both female and male vocals, and a female rapper. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the English translation of the title, so if anyone knows what it is please leave me a comment below.

The song starts off without an intro; the female vocalist’s voice enters softly with an electric vibe accompanying her. The rap enters at 0:24, and a drum kit can be heard as well. The rap is very well structured, keeping a consistent tone and following the accompanying beat in the background. Rap ends at 0:46, and the male vocals enter. Powerful, but still with a soft, mellow tone. Female vocals re-enters at 1:09, and repetition of her original melody can be heard, but this time a guitar, tambourine and more drum kits are added in the background. Rap at 1:33, but this time with a slightly softer tone as the drum kit has been cancelled out. Drum kits re-enter at 1:38, and the rapper picks up volume slightly, thus energizing the mood once again. You can also vaguely hear a keyboard in the background, and some background vocals. Female vocalist re-enters at 1:55, repeating her line yet again, with background vocals vaguely accompanying her. Mood drop at 2:20, as the atmosphere of the music becomes dream-like and a little melancholy. Mood picks itself up again at 2:30, as the male vocalist joins in, and creates the high point of the song and a sustained high note at 2:37. Male vocalist enters with a modulation change at 2:41 with only a keyboard accompanying him in the background, but a slight drum kit enters at 2:44, together with guitars and mellow background voices. Female vocalist takes over at 3:03, and male vocalist adds adlibs while accompanying her. Change of tempo at 3:19 and a slight pause at 3:23, and then the female vocalist re-enters softly with a piano accompanying her, bringing the song to a satisfying ending.
I gave this song a 4 out of 5, and this is partly because I couldn’t find a lot of information /in English/ about it (there were Korean sites talking about this song but I couldn’t understand a word) which irked me. It is a beautiful song with a lot to review about, but there wasn’t enough literal information about the artist and the like. The different parts in this song highlighted the contrasted between the male and female vocalist, and the rapper, but it wasn’t strong. I especially liked the rap sequence in this song because it added a powerful tint to a beautiful ballad number. The vocals are of high quality as well; soft but yet strong at the same time.

Overall I think this ballad/rap song is an uplifting one, I like to listen to this song when I’m down, or need a boost of energy. It can soothing but upbeat at the same time, which I think is a good balance for casual listening.

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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:34:00 +0800

하루하루 (Day By Day)

Artist: 김보경 (Kim Bo Kyung)
Album: the FIRST DAY
Genre: Pop-rock/ballad
Release date: 24th January, 2011

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Rating: ★★★★★
‘Superstar K2’ contestant Kim Bo Kyung recently released her debut EP ‘the FIRST DAY’consisting of 5 beautiful pop-rock/ballad style tracks. 하루하루, or Day By Day is her title track; an ear-warming song full of expression and soul. The music video is also a very beautiful one, as a light story between Kim Bo Kyung and a boxer-in-training traces their only connection to this world - a forged ambition and a mysterious ring.

The song starts off with light sounds of a clean guitar and keyboard playing a riff, followed by drums and vocals coming in at about 0:15-0:16. Kim starts off rather softly, and then when proceeding into the first chorus, raises her volume a little, creating a slight high point. Electric guitars and a bass appears at 0:44 with the chorus, and her first high note is at 1:06 when she sings ‘I can’t let it go’. Chorus ends immediately after that at 1:13, and back into a second verse where the mood is lowered down again. The chorus after the second verse brings a slightly higher point compared to the first chorus, but the overall tone and speed of the chorus is the same. High note at 2:06, followed by an extra line “Haru haru” and the bridge at 2:14, which is the overall high point of the song with Kim’s impressing vocals. A sudden dip of mood at 2:35 when the first bit of the chorus is repeated, vocals are effected, and the overall tone is much more softer, but the mood suddenly picks itself up once again at 2:41 with a slight modulation and adlibs, creating another high point, but nothing else is changed in terms of structure of the chorus. Mood drops back down at 3:12 as the song proceeds, and ends.
I gave this song a 5 out of 5, not just because that this song is my favorite out of the five Kim has released, but it is also a must-loop song on my playlist. I absolutely adore the highs and lows of this song, as they can have such overwhelming contrast. Kim’s vocals is extraordinarily smooth and gives the song an overall flow and completion. She knows how to use her voice well to create contrast and mood between parts of the song. Voice effects are used well in this song as it is not used too much, but just slightly to compare with the rest of the song.

Overall, I would say this song is a masterpiece for a rookie, and it could definitely win over the hearts of many people. It is a title track that I would say has been chosen wisely, so please support Kim Bo Kyung’s debut.

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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:03:00 +0800

Nothing Better

Artist: Brown Eyed Soul
Album: The Wind, The Sea, The Rain
Genre: Ballad
Release date: 5th November, 2007

Rating: ★★★★★
Brown Eyed Soul is a 4-member South Korean group that debuted in 2003 with their album Soul Free. This song Nothing Better is chosen from their second album The Wind, The Sea, The Rain that consists of 19 tracks. Brown Eyed Soul is originally an R&B group, but their large amount of musical talent and flexibility allowed them to offer their fans versatility in their music styles.

Nothing Better is a famous ballad number sung by many Korean singers. Jonghyun of SHINee’s cover is a particularly well-known example. The song starts off with a gentle piano melody, and vocals come in at 0:26. Vocals throughout the song are very soft and slightly mellow, thus bringing a sweet tint to the mood. The chorus appears at 1:35, but no high points have been brought out just yet. 2:04 is where the high point starts; the vocalist takes a turn and rose an octave higher, increasing the strong romantic and mellow atmosphere in the song. The chorus starts once again straight after a short piano solo at 3:00, slowly developing its way into the high point once again at 3:29. The high point is repeated a few times straight before slowly ending and fading away into the piano sounds.
I gave this song a 5 out of 5. This song was put on repeat while I was sleeping, just so I could slowly merge into the mellowness and the softness of the atmosphere. The vocalist Na Ui Yoo has an extremely wide and varied range, which allows him to sing many different styles of songs. His voice in this song is extremely soothing, but at the same time is capable of highlighting critical points throughout the song.

Overall, I think this is a very magical and romantic song. It is sung and covered by many artists which proves this song’s popularity and place in people’s heart.

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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:52:00 +0800

Siam

Artist: Dear Cloud
Album: Grey
Genre: Indie/Soft rock
Release date: 28th October, 2008

Rating: ★★★★
Dear Cloud is a 5-member indie rock band who debuted with their full length album Dear Cloud in 2007. Their music are mostly an indie style, or a soft rock style, and their songs are very soothing and pleasant to the ear.

Siam is a soft, indie-style song with a unique structure. It starts off with a mellow-sounding introduction, like bells which are repeating an arpeggios pattern. Vocals kicks off at around 0:15. The vocals sound extremely dreamy and soft. The first chorus starts at about 1:20, but although it is a chorus, the high point has not been created yet. The second verse starts at around 2:04, with more stronger bell sounds echoing in the background, and a soft drum kit is added at 2:34. Second chorus starts at 3:06, and the soft drum kit vanishes, mellowing the overall atmosphere of the song once again, resulting in the second chorus to be calm and soothing. The chorus is repeated again, but this time the background instrumental appears to be growing stronger and more defined, and at this point electric and clean guitars can be heard, as well as the drum kit being added back in. A pause at 4:04, and the instrumental begins at 4:08, but with a drastic change of atmostphere, as electric guitars are added in to form a powerful rock emsemble. The instrumental continues until 6:09, and the soft vocals reappears once again. This is the low point of the song, creating contrast between the strong instrumental. The song ends eventually with everything fading away, and disappearing.
I gave this song a 4 out of 5. It is again not my favorite song from this album, but I love it very much because it is extremely soothing and calm, but can also be strong and powerful. I like how there is a large amount of contrast in this song, such as the intrumental, and then the low point near the end of the song. Jang Hee Yun’s vocals in this song are particularly soft and mellow, and for those who are familiar with Dear Cloud’s music, the vocalist is often mistaken to be a male, instead of a female.

Overall, I think this song is a unique indie number which brings back a lot of memories and gets me thinking. It is quite an appropriate song for sleeping in with, as the first part is very mellow and soothing, but I advise you to turn your volume down as the last instrumental at the end can be a little shocking, especially when you’re half asleep. I have had countless of experiences like such with this song.

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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:43:00 +0800

겨울 나무 (Winter Tree)

Artist: SG Wannabe
Album: SG Wannabe 7 Part.1
Genre: Ballad
Release date: 12th October, 2010

Rating: ★★★★★
SG Wannabe is a Korean ballad trio that debuted in 2004. They have a unique way of promoting their albums; declining to appear on music shows and their own promotion videos, as they have decided that they wish their audience and listeners would pay more attention to their music rather than their appearance.

겨울 나무, or Winter Tree, is SG Wannabe’s title track from their new album which was released recently. This song is a sad orchestral ballad number, consisting of violin and piano sounds. Vocals start at about 0:20, with only a soft piano accompaniment. At about 0:47 a soft acoustic and drum kit is added in, followed by a flute sound at 0:58. Chorus starts at around 1:13, where the pitch of the vocals are raised, though at 1:40 the atmosphere in the chorus is slightly decreased, but it is still counted as part of the chorus. The atmosphere is slightly picked back up at around 2:14, a few seconds before the second chorus, before preceding and maintaining the high point of the song. An instrumental is introduced at about 2:47, another high point of the song. Here the violin part is defined and can be heard clearly. The small pause of instrumental at 3:00/3:01 creates a twist and a big lift, making the chorus a little different and a little more exciting.
I gave this song a 5 out of 5. When I first heard this song I knew I had to have this in my iTunes. I’m not a big SG Wannabe fan, but this song gave such a strong bittersweet vibe, and is yet another tearjerking ballad. I love the tone of SG Wannabe’s vocals in this song, as there is a significant contrast. In the verses, the voice is soft, but during the chorus and high points of the song, the voice is strong, sturdy, a little husky, creating the touching mood and tone in the song. I searched for the translation of this song, but I didn’t really understand it because it seemed really deep :/ I particularly like this line: ‘Engraved on the separation of the deep snow in the spring to come to this step is cleared’, so I assume that this song is written in a very poetic way.

Overall I think this is a very soothing ballad number, excellent for sleeping in with. I swear I listened to this song and ended up crying in my sleep. The bittersweet in this song had reached my subconscious haha.

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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:39:00 +0800

1:03

Artist: Nell
Album: 4집 - Separation Anxiety
Genre: Soft rock/indie
Release date: 25th March, 2008

Rating: ★★★★
Nell is a 4-member Korean indie rock band formed in 1999. Separation Anxiety was a great hit in South Korea in 2008, ranking number 1 in various music charts. This time I decided to review the sixth track of the album, 1:03.

1:03 is a soft-rock song including good uses of both acoustic guitars and electric guitars. There are quite a lot of instrumental parts throughout the song, where there would be guitar solos. Vocals start at about 0:36, where the louder introduction part quiets down with soft beats and acoustic in the background. The song proceeds into the chorus, where the electric guitar joins in; vocals increases volume as well as it is the first high point of the song. There are a couple of other high points, for example the guitar solo that starts right after the second chorus ends, at around 2:40 - 3:20, and the song quiets down again, leaving only the acoustic guitar at the background, and then picks back up at 3:29.
I gave this song a 4 out of 5. It is not my favorite song from the album, but definitely an all-time classic. I must compliment on Kim Jong Wan’s silky, milk-like vocals. I loved how his voice is able to transmit so smoothly between low and high points of the song. This can be a great jamming song, but slight pauses/low points throughout the song are able to give the listener some breaks. I couldn’t find the English translation for this song, so I will not be able to comment on the lyrics.

Overall I think this is an excellent song, and is suitable for jamming or traveling even. I would not recommend this song for listening while sleeping, as I myself have had a few cases of getting startled by the electric guitar sounds, but it is an excellent song nevertheless. I would recommend you to also check out the rest of the songs from Separation Anxiety, as it is an all-time classic and I will definitely be doing reviews of other songs from the album in the future.

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001;

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:33:00 +0800

끝나지 않은 노래 (Never-Ending Song)

Artist: No Reply
Album: Road
Genre: Ballad/Soft-rock
Release date: 11th June, 2009

Rating: ★★★★★
No Reply is a male duo that debuted in 2009 after two years of preparation. Road is their debut album, and the first track of this 11-song album caught my eye, well ears especially.

끝나지 않은 노래, or ‘Never-Ending Song‘ starts off with a soft piano melody with an accompaniment, sounding like your average ballad number. The introduction itself is andante, or in a walking pace. Vocals are added in at about 0:16, and also a soft beat and bass in the background at around 0:32. More instruments such as guitar would be added in at the chorus, and the song reaches it’s high point.
I easily gave this song a 5 out of 5, and it is my favorite song from No Reply. I love Kwon Soon Kwan’s vocals because they are very melodic and soft, and are pleasant to listen to. This is a light song, and leans towards a ‘cheerful’ and ‘bright’ mood, portraying a person wanting to tell his loved one something but can’t seem to explain it, so he writes this song for her, hoping that he can find her and she’ll understand. He dedicates this song to her, hoping that she will remember it and that it would be a never-ending song between them.

Overall this is a very touching song, capable of reaching the Top 25 Most Played playlist in your iTunes. Please check out the other tracks from Road, which I will be choosing tracks to review in the future. I recommend this song and this album to all of you who enjoy more of an indie style, and for those who want to stock in some relaxing music to sleep in with.

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introductions

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 11:18:00 +0800

Welcome to anotherballad.

I have moved here from my previous existing blog on Livejournal (anotherballad; with the same name, but I will continue to post there nonetheless) and I will be transferring my previous posts in that blog onto this one.

This blog is basically for me to share the more ~insides~ for my music collection, and to recommend a wider variety of asian music and underrated artists to light. Here you’ll find some reviews, opinions and ratings for a variety of music genres and pieces, mostly of Korean music, but Japanese music may be thrown in occasionally. There will be lots of opportunities to discover new music and artists, especially for those who linger about in the K-pop world and are willing to try something new :)

Requests will probably be taken in soon, not sure yet. But of course that’ll happen when I get more followers ;)

TYFYT, and please feel free to follow!