Whipping up something a little bit different than the edgy pots-and-pans music making the rounds in the K-pop boy group recording booths, ALL(H)OURS made a promising debut six months ago. Their sound is loud – there’s no doubt about that. But it’s drenched in thicker layers of EDM, and a little bit less of the ego-pumped anthemic chanting we’re hearing plenty of these days. With their latest EP and first comeback WITNESS, the boys made sure your ears would not be left unsatisfied. 

The titular opening track has as many lyrics as it does breaks from sheer oontz oontz power. From start to finish, it’s like cool boss battle music to introduce you to the electronic wonderland you’re about to enter. Does the rest of the EP live up to all it’s promising? The group’s promoted title track, SHOCK (or “Goblin” in Korean), makes its case. It’s absolutely addictive mania-fuel, and just gets better as it goes on. The music reminds fans of their previous instrumental track Drift off their debut EP, and no one’s going to blame them for reopening the same idea when it sounds this good. During a chorus that gets meaner with every beat, the boys repeat: ‘Kickstart the beast, wake up, kickstart the beast’. The boys’ dance moves are pretty interesting too, with the opening pose being a sculpture of hands creating the horns of a goblin, and the chorus’ highlight move being a similar horn gesture above their heads.

For youngsters – in age and their careers – ALL(H)OURS are immensely talented. The rappers will have you convinced of their swag factor within the bar. It’s also nice to hear such varied timbre in these boys’ voices; they complement each other well. While the drawn-out vocal fries in PSYCHO MANTRA might take some getting used to, it gives the song a more interesting flavour. The bridge features distinct beats that seem reversed, with some airy falsettos before diving right back into the deep and croaky hook. Overall, it’s just a very fun song, and is no wonder it’s the most popular B-side of the record.

WITNESS loses a bit of momentum from here. ‘Bout That Issue gets better the more you listen to it, but is inevitably overshadowed by a preceding banger. Some elements of production are pretty interesting, like the first pre-chorus with its barely-there synths, striking curiosity as to where this song will go. The boys absolutely ace what they were given to work with, however.

Blah Blah is like if you took every 5th Gen boy group title track and put it in a blender; the mix that would pour out is nothing revolutionary. WITNESS loses a star for the brainrot of a K-pop songwriter who played it too safe. Don’t get us wrong – it’s a perfectly fine song, and five years ago it would’ve been a hit. Now, however, it is entirely forgettable and doesn’t give enough glory to ALL(H)OURS’ distinct colours. 

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Written by Maddie Armstrong

Featured image © EDEN Entertainment

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}