When it comes to WJSN, the old adage “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” seems fitting. They and their musical cohorts (Lovelyz, Oh My Girl, etc.) are part of a bygone girl group era. During their heyday, they reliably released melodic pop music with a sense of sonic drama and fantastical imagery. I very much took them for granted. It’s been almost four years since WJSN’s last new track, but today they’ve returned to celebrate their tenth anniversary with Bloom Hour.
Frustratingly, Starship Entertainment has barely promoted this release and crowded it into a month where it must compete with the agency’s other girl groups, meaning Bloom Hour will likely fly under the radar. Anniversary songs aren’t always promoted well, especially if they’re some dreary “for the fans” ballad. Bloom Hour isn’t a ballad, though it does have its more pensive moments. But despite its sprightly energy, the song has a strong “this isn’t meant to be a title track” vibe. Those looking for a continuation of the group’s spacey sound (myself included) will likely be disappointed. Instead, Bloom Hour is a serviceable fan song, brisk and sentimental but ultimately pretty generic.
As far as this style of song is concerned, Bloom Hour reminds me of Kep1er’s awesome Shooting Star. This track isn’t nearly as effective, though. The production feels overly compressed and lacking in unique textures, while the melodies unfold in a predictable way that sacrifices potential drama. It’s not a bad effort by any means, but it will never be the first WJSN song I add to a playlist. If anything, it’s a good reminder to go back and give their excellent discography another spin.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8