It’s exhausting to imagine that SF9 will likely be celebrating their tenth (!) anniversary subsequent yr. Their discography has remained remarkably constant, and each as soon as and awhile they’ll pull out a complete stunner. As with a lot of their latest releases, Love Race sees their group configuration barely lowered with six out of eight members selling this time round.
Listening to the album’s spotlight medley, it turned instantly clear I’d get pleasure from a number of b-sides greater than that title monitor. This isn’t a brand new phenomenon with SF9 as they have a tendency to have at the very least one standout album monitor on every of their tasks. However whereas Love Race isn’t all the time my factor, the total music is stronger than the teasers instructed. Its worst instincts (the cringy, overdone post-chorus chant) should not an enormous a part of the monitor and the general association unveils a extra boisterous sound than anticipated.
After an atmospheric crimson herring intro, Love Race swerves right into a guitar-backed verse characterised by slurry melodies perched someplace singing and rap. The instrumental has a grungy 90’s texture that might have been developed into a really distinctive sound. As an alternative, the fashion is bent to the whims of a extra typical Okay-pop template. Nonetheless, the primary half of every refrain widens the scope of the music in a satisfying manner, including a contact of bombast that works properly. In my thoughts, this music pairs properly with OnlyOneOf’s equally race-themed seOul drift from two years in the past.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 8 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
Grade: B
