KARA ‘Pandora’

In between conquering Japan, touring Asia, and evenlaunching their own signature fragrance, it’s a wonder that KARA has even found time to make a Korean comeback. But hey, I’m certainly not complaining. After the success of their ‘STEP‘ promotions and the release of their second Japanese album ‘Super Girl‘, KARA is finally back in Korea with their 5th mini-album, ‘Pandora‘.

Once again, the five jewels of KARA are back with longtime composer Sweetune, who is responsible for the vast majority of the group’s music (and most recently, the music of INFINITE and Nine Muses).

The album’s title track “Pandora”is bursting with every one of Sweetune's sonic trademarks; from its waterfall of crazy synths to the jagged guitar riffs and 무거운 '80s influences, this is Sweetune 관통. It certainly picks up where the peppy “STEP” left off, but 이 also 일부 INFINITE's “ The Chaser” in there too.

Sweetune의 사운드 is 는 매우 distinctive, but 항상 make sure to switch 일 up 충분한 to avoid one-trick-pony syndrome. Where “Pandora” 를 얻을 수 its distinguishing factor from is 의 energetic composition, which is 모든 bit as chaotic and fast-paced as 가장 tweaked-out Japanese idol pop — an obvious nod to KARA's astonishing success in Japan.

There’s also a darker vibe to the production than what we’ve heard from KARA before (excluding “Lupin“). The synths are a lot more sinister and dramatic than usual, and there’s even a hint of sixties-era spy movie music, which is a sound that Sweetune first played with for Rainbow‘s brilliant (and completely underrated) “A“.

Although the concept KARA has adopted for the 'Pandora' album is a sexy one, the lyrics of the title track are ambiguous 될만큼 taken 어떤 way. The 소녀 sing directly to a 정체 불명의 남자, begging him to 가까이, capture 자신의 hearts, and unlock the secrets 깊은 within. Use 당신의 imagination and come to 자신의 conclusions on what 정확히 they mean by that.

Overall, “Pandora” as 하나 is the 중간 between the 어둡고 edgy KARA of “Lupin”, and the 밝고 bubbly KARA of “STEP”. Although it doesn't stack up to KARA at their absolute best, it's much stronger than KARA at their weakest, and it should please 오래된 fans and attract 새로운 ones.

Elsewhere on ‘Pandora’, we get synths, synths, and more synths. Well, this is Sweetune afterall.

Opening track “Way” sets the mood nicely, with KARA vowing to withstand nature's worst elements to rescue a lover who된 stolen 그들로부터 by 어떤 unknown force. It doesn't have 거대한 standout chorus하거나 anything, but it's classic KARA filler at 은 best, and sounds like it would be 바로 at home on 그룹의 excellent Japanese debut, '  Girl’s Talk‘.

“Idiot” is 많은 즐거움, 개방 with 몇 seconds of arcadey electronics 이동하기 전에 into 일부 flirty tropical synths. The entire instrumental sounds like the background music for a SEGA 비디오 게임, and the childish lyrics about KARA getting frustrated 를 통해 a relationship and 전화 their boyfriend an idiot just adds to the silly 재미 of 이 노래.

Closing track “Miss U“, 다시 sounds like it 왔을 까 off the '여성's 토크' album (입니다 essentially just a Japanese-language compilation of songs from KARA's various K-pop albums). It's typical KARA, with cute lyrics about missing a boy 위에 a cheerful synthpop 비트, but Sweetune spices the production up with a lot of jazzy, cabaret style instrumentation.

'Pandora' is 아마도 KARA's 대부분의 일본인-influenced Korean release 지금까지, but 는 여전히 sticks to the 격언 “if it ain't 침입, 않는n't fix it”, and that's where it's going to divide 사람들을. If you're a longtime fan of KARA or a lover of bubbly synthpop, then 'Pandora' should be right 아래로 your alley. But if KARA의 음악 never appealed to you 전에, then it certainly 합니다't now.