1. The Stranger // 2. Night Tale // 3. Nothing But A Stranger (On Team) // 4. Anti Hero (Off Team) // 5. Good Place // 6. Collab
NIGHT TALE
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a track-by-track in-depth album review, but ONF are long overdue for one. The six tracks I’ll be covering in this feature are the first half of the group’s full album My Identity and represent a distillation of the group’s core sound. Following title track The Stranger, Night Tale feels primed for promotion as well.
Opening with an ultra-funky synth riff, Night Tale gradually builds across its first verse. The melodies are restrained here but promise more dynamic things to come. And true to form, the chorus delivers an aggressive shot of rhythm. It’s still a bit subdued compared to The Stranger‘s vocal bombast, but the hooks are delivered with no less panache. That’s one of the qualities that makes ONF’s music stand out. They always attack their performance, determined never to get lost among all the dynamic sounds producer Hwang Hyun throws at them.
Ultimately, Night Tale is a bit too truncated to unveil its true potential. At nearly three minutes, it’s certainly not the shortest K-pop song we’ve ever heard, but this restriction robs us of further development. We get a nice bridge and dance break, but the track still feels unfinished somehow — especially given the bravura arrangement of The Stranger.
Hooks
8
Production
9
Longevity
9
Bias
8
RATING
8.5