Close Your Eyes is a new boy group formed through the audition series Project 7, which came to my attention because of contestant Shin Jaewon who had previously debuted with The Wind. Jaewon didn’t end up becoming part of the group, meaning I’m not familiar with any of the actual members. Unlike most survival show acts, they’ve debuted with a sound that feels more idiosyncratic than expected.
Of course, “idiosyncratic” doesn’t automatically mean I’ll love a piece of music. It just means the song is a bit more unique than what everyone else is peddling at the moment. Rewind to the early 2010’s and you’d find it much more common to release glistening mid-tempos like All My Poetry (내 안의 모든 시와 소설은) as title tracks. But in the years since, K-pop has become even more focused on dance. Contemporary title tracks are almost always upbeat and/or hip-hop focused. In contrast, All My Poetry offers a shimmering pop sound, potentially more of a b-side than a main course.
In the end, this gambit might pay off. All My Poetry is far from the best thing I’ve heard within its sub-genre, but I can already tell it will benefit from replays. The melodies are slight but effective and the guys deliver them well. The arrangement reminds me of an updated version of the R&B-pop that dominated airwaves from the mid-to-late 2000’s — particularly when it comes to its synth soundscape and shuffling percussion. I’m not sure how far that nostalgia will carry All My Poetry, but for now the song is refreshing in its own way.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
9
Bias
8
RATING
8.25