Balming Tiger’s long-awaited debut album ‘January By no means Dies’ begins in cacophony. Piano keys tinkle in discordance, sax melodies wobble between and drum beats clatter haphazardly excessive. It’s a tumbling, chaotic introduction, but additionally a becoming one, as when you’re falling down the rabbit gap into the multinational “various Ok-pop” group’s world. It’s a realm that’s surreal and vibrant, giddily enjoyable however laced with vital sentiments.
Since their inception in 2018, the collective has expanded to now comprising of practically a dozen singer-songwriters, rappers, producers and administrators. A few of their most recognisable members embody director San Yawn, rapper Omega Sapien, and singer-songwriters sogumm and Mudd The Pupil, however the group’s sprawling quantity displays a boundary-less creativity – if some outfits are hindered by having many creative voices, Balming Tiger are bolstered by it.
This range of strategy is obvious all through ‘January By no means Dies’, an addictive album that comes good on the promise of early singles ‘Armadillo’, ‘Simply Enjoyable!’, and final yr’s ‘Attractive Nukim’, which boasted a characteristic from BTS’ RM and is current on the tracklist right here. There are woozy instrumentals, like ‘Pigeons And Plastic’ and retro-tinged rap beauties (‘UP!’), lo-fi surf-punk (‘Riot’) and jittery, wiry guitars merging with baritone-heavy gradual jams (‘SOS’).
What all these eclectic and creative creations have in frequent, although, is an unwavering dedication to unpredictability. If you press play on any considered one of these songs, you’re not possible to finish up in the identical place as beforfe, every monitor going by itself distinctive sonic journey. Balming Tiger hold us on our toes however, as an alternative of being an exhausting train, it’s persistently exhilarating.
‘Bodycoke’, which accommodates the long-lasting line “Supersoaker pussy bought a Coca-Cola bottle physique”, is probably one of many report’s extra simple tracks however nonetheless finds time to dip right into a groggy bridge, its pulsating beat changed by a drowsy chorus and the distant chant of “go, go, go”. Elsewhere, the revving new wave of ‘Scumbag’ morphs by means of dancefloor-ready grooves and altering time signatures into an insistent plea of, “Let’s get out of this small city”. ‘5:5 Dharma’ begins as an acoustic guitar strum layered with a crackling recording of the modulated, high-pitched voice of streamer Cherry Jang. Lower than a minute in, although, it provides a full collage of devices earlier than drifting out on a glittering tapestry of notes and squeaky fragments of Cherry’s voice.
‘January By no means Dies’ isn’t simply right here for a superb time, although. Among the many thrills and frenzy are messages tied to the youth tradition in Balming Tiger’s residence base, however that may even ring a bell throughout the globe. ‘Kamehameha’, named after a Korean ingesting recreation, offers with the phantasm of confidence alcohol offers us, whereas ‘Belief Your self’ provides encouragement to comply with your instinct and never let life overwhelm you into giving up.
Most persistently related on a grand scale is the gnarly rap-rock of ‘Sudden Assault’, which finds the group delivering a rallying cry of, “Fuck this conflict, I would like peace” over riffs that might take out an entire deployment of heavy artillery. By way of this, Balming Tiger show themselves as providing each respite and resistance, a mirrored image of not only a microcosm of Seoul, however a broader society attempting to make it by means of. We don’t deserve them, however we most definitely want them.
Particulars
- Launch date: October 19, 2023
- Report label: AWAL
