'the beauty is in the details'

the boyz 1st album [reveal]; the boyz

[mini album review]

best songs: salty, break your rules, wings

would i listen to it again? without question

rate: 9/10

i have always been intrigued by the boyz. after being introduced to some of their songs, i was pleasantly surprised with what i heard. so of course i was excited for their first full album and they delivered on every level.

the cornerstone of reveal is the melodies and vocals. yes it's multi-genred and versatile, but what connects everything and strengthens the album as a whole (and individual songs) is composition. this was best seen on 'salty', 'break your rules' and 'wings. the melodies on the album felt familiar to some degree but they were clever. i think that's really fascinating. how can something be expected but unpredictable at the same time? i don't know, ask the boyz.

vocal flair and ad-libs in the right spots, took each song to new heights. for example, in 'scar' the fast drums and intense rap in the prechorus preempts a loud drop. but they chose to subdue it in favour of a deeply sensual chorus. here, the vocals become especially important. the whispered "stay" followed by staccato vocals fit in perfectly with the atmosphere of the song. 'salty' has an intriguing melodies in the chorus with tastefully autotuned vocals to enhance the twisted sound.

'break you rules' is a light romantic song but it is in no way a filler. it has purpose and was producing with as much care as a title track. the chorus a good job of building tension whilst maintaining that lighthearted energy. what we have is an earnest love song.

final comments

it's not bold statements that make this album amazing. it's the perfected details in the songs that tickle the hidden musical itch you didn't know you had. i think that is what's missing in kpop. no one is taking the time to perfect those small details in favour of making quick flashy songs with little impact and resonance.

the best part about this album is that its very satisfying, and i haven't felt that way in a while. i can say with confidence that this is one of the best kpop sounding albums i've ever heard. yes kpop is largely western but there are songs that lean more towards the western sound than others. those songs aren't bad, just different.

i was shocked that a young group could put out a complete album with little flaws (ignoring the first track 'ego'. endure it). i admit over the past few years i have been quite lenient with the standard of kpop albums. but this was a wake up call.

a 2 year old group releasing such a solid album? there is no excuse for half-assed, sub-par material.