KARD - Ride on the Wind [3rd Mini Album] [REVIEW]
By amycampbell00 - September 24, 2018
In the larger picture of K-Pop, that's where KARD come in. They've always provided a fresher, cleaner sound than a lot of other groups for me - plus having both male and female members certainly goes a long way in making them stand out from the crowd. Now that's not to say they've always been entirely original; they've gotten a lot of flak and criticism from others before for not straying from their tropical house sound. And while it's never bothered me, I did want them to go in a bit of a different direction when I heard they were coming back. So do I think Ride on the Wind goes in this different direction?
Well... yeah, I do! Mostly. I think it'd be easier to give opinions on each track to show you what I mean.
1 - HUMMING (INTRO)
I'm not normally a fan of intros on albums - they seem so jarring and out of place most of the time. But if you ask me, this is a good intro! It's actually pretty funky, and ends up setting the tone and style of the rest of the album up very well. Plus, the fizzling synths that come in towards the end are reeeeeeeally nice. It makes it a finished package, even if it it is quite short. Which... it's an intro. That's to be expected. 😜
2 - MOONLIGHT
This is one of those songs where I've heard the intro before, but I didn't hear the entire song until now. But if I'm being honest I'm sad I didn't listen to it sooner, cause this is really damn good! It seems to be going along with the more chill sound KARD went with for this mini album, which fits in with the slight change in sound I was hoping for. Both Somin and Jiwoo's vocals fit in incredibly well here, and it's a real treat getting to hear the airy, upper-range part of Jiwoo's voice. I do feel like BM's vocals in the verses get overwhelmed by Somin's, but that's just a mixing problem.
Unfortunately I do feel like Somin got the short end of the stick when it came to line distribution here, but I'm actually okay with that for once. Mainly because it's normally her who gets the most lines, and Jisoo is the one who ends up with the leftovers. But at the end of the day, they're both beautiful vocalists if you ask me. If I'm being truthful... this is the sort of song I wanted Chungha to come back with during the summer. It's airy, chill, and really relaxing whilst still appropriate for a beach party. Plus it's got some really sweet (and surprisingly beautiful and descriptive) lyrics to match!
The early morning fog
It’s like a watercolor painting
Behind the aurora borealis
(Also, Somin looks like she's having the absolute time of her life here. And it's adorable.)
3 - RIDE ON THE WIND [TITLE]
I really didn't expect this song to sneak up on me as much as it did. When I listened to it initially, I thought it was really solid and a nice change of pace for KARD. Listening to it now, I realise it's actually one of my favourite songs from them so far.
It does still keep that tropical house sound that KARD are known for, but it shakes it up a bit - it's surprisingly chill, yet party ready at the same time. It's much more laid-back than the other songs they've released. Nothing here feels out of place or strange; it all just flows together really, really well. It serves as the change I was hoping for leading up to this comeback; it's nothing vastly different from what they've done before, but it's distinctive enough to feel new and very, VERY refreshing.
(Also, singing J.seph. Yay. 😊)
If I had to pinpoint any problems I have with the song itself, it's that it... doesn't really go anywhere. It's pretty short, and doesn't develop or do anything meaningful during its run time. So that was a bit disappointing, but only because the rest of the song itself is so damn good! I just wish they had done a bit more with it, that's all. Maybe they'll keep this image and expand upon it in a future comeback? Who knows.
What I DO want KARD to expand upon is this lyrical style, because tHESE LYRICS ARE ABSOLUTELY STINKING ADORABLE.
[J.SEPH] How many bad guys did you date
For you to not trust my feelings for you?
...
What can I do to make your heart open up to me?
[SOMIN] Just tell me one thing, that you don’t hate me
[BM] I’ll wait, I’ll wait for you, that’s all I need
THESE ARE SO HEARTFELT AND SWEET I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
...anyway.
The song itself isn't just great; there's also the choreography. Which, HOO BOI, KARD REALLY DECIDED TO SPOIL US THIS TIME AROUND.
I LOVE watching hard choreographies. They're so satisfying to watch when the performers get it perfect, and I'm delighted to say that "Ride on the Wind"'s choreography is just that! It's a very hard routine, for sure, but KARD absolutely nail it. I'll admit, when I saw the initial teasers, I thought this was going to be an incredibly messy, badly put-together routine. But no! I was completely wrong! It's sharp in some places, fluid in others, and probably way faster than it has any damn right to be. If anyone wanted to see what KARD can do as dancers, then this is the video to show them - this looks clean and effortless as hell for them.
4 - KNOCKIN' ON MY HEAVEN'S DOOR
If there's any song on this album that I'm divisive over... it's this one. "Knockin' On My Heaven's Door" is very, VERY different for KARD. It follows along with the more laid-back sound they've been going with on this album, yes, but it's combined with an evolution of their old sound. Which, great! New sound + evolved old sound = awesome! But... this song suffers from what I like to call "the Ko Ko Bop problem". What I mean by that is, there's a specific element to this song that... just doesn't work for me. It was the drop in "Ko Ko Bop", and here... it's the pitch-shifted and distorted vocals in the choruses.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE how they sound in the last chorus. It serves as a nice conclusion to the song, it wraps everything up and gives a sense of finality. But... they sound awful in the choruses. BM, chipmunk vocals don't suit you at all, dude. I don't know who decided to go with it, but... I don't think it was a very wise decision. It really puts a bit of a damper on the whole song for me. Yet thankfully, the second half of the choruses with BM and Somin's vocals are great! I just really wish they had the vocal section going on for the entirety of the chorus, instead of having the chipmunk section accompanying it. Because I've tried it myself in Audacity myself, and trust me, it sounds INFINITELY better.
Even if that distorted section sounds awfully out of place, I really do like everyone's performances here. Somin and Jiwoo take a softer, more falsetto-like approach to their vocals, which sounds beautiful. BM gets to sing for a bit, which, I'm alright with that! I think he sounds great. And J.seph? J.seph fucking KILLS IT HERE. This is my favourite rap of his so far. Seriously. God fucking damn dude, I didn't know you were *that* talented...
...oh yeah also the lyrics to this song are really sexual and nobody can convince me otherwise.
[B.M.] Baby I just wanna give you some
I prepared this especially for you
No need to be afraid
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Even though it's not nearly as sharp as "Ride on the Wind"'s choreo, I will still say that "Knockin' On My Heaven's Door" has a pretty solid routine behind it.
I feel like KARD are one of the only K-Pop groups who can incorporate "modern" dance steps into their choreographies and NOT have it look debilitatingly awkward; they've got that sort of flow to their performances that just makes it all look so effortless. They're incredibly fluid and beautiful dancers, and their choreos back that up! They all manage to hit each and every little beat in the song, which is incredibly hard to do. And even though I was so distracted by Jiwoo's magically disappearing cap, it didn't take away from KARD themselves. I like this a lot!
And now... for the best song on this album. 😁
5 - DIMELO
I knew, from the MINUTE I heard this song's teaser, that this was going to be phenomenal. And guess what? I WAS RIGHT. THIS SONG FUCKING RULES.
This is one of those songs that is fanservice-ey while also managing to be a really fantastic song. It's got lyrics in Spanish to appeal to the huge amount of fans they have in South America (which shocked me when I first heard about it, not gonna lie), but then it's got a great beat to it as well! It's not like they made a half-assed song in Spanish and threw it at Hispanic Hidden KARD for the sake of it. No, they put the effort in here - and it really, really shows. It's ridiculously catchy, the Spanish lyrics don't feel out of place or flimsy, and the members themselves have got surprisingly great pronunciation! I do actually speak Spanish myself, so I was pleasantly surprised when I could understand them all really clearly.
Initially, I didn't like the drop at the end of the first chorus, but it ends up working into the rest of the song really well. It's not too much of a bother. All of the members sound great, the instrumental is consistent and interesting, and the lyrics are bittersweet yet really damn pretty.
[B.M.] I’ll be more romantic so I’ll say it in Spanish
If you ask for it, I want to give you all my love
You know when I'm taking notes for a review, and they end up looking like this...
Somehow, we have also been blessed with choreography for this absolute fucking bop. THIS IS THE BEST TIMELINE.
Okay, quick question: who the fuck told KARD to be sexy cause it's fucking killing me over here. Like. Seriously. JEON SOMIN NEEDS TO CHILL THE FUCK OUT BEFORE SHE KILLS ME.
There's not much to say about KARD's choreographies that I haven't already - they're sharp, smooth and fit the song perfectly. That seems like a standard they've set for themselves at this point. But what I like about "Dimelo"'s choreography in particular is that it's simple enough to let the members put their own sense of style into it without messing up the routine itself. It adds a bit more personality, and I really do like it!
Also, they have the motherfucking macarena in their routine.
...that was BM's idea, wasn't it?
And that's that! Again, apologies for taking so long with this. Starting college plus having a really bad flu really knocks you sideways. 😌
ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
Moonlight
Ride on the Wind
Knockin' On My Heaven's Door
Dimelo
KARD TRANSPARENT LOGO: https://www.deviantart.com/tsukinofleur/art/K-A-R-D-Logo-PNG-693774402
KARD PNGS: https://www.deviantart.com/yunniejacksonyi/art/PNG-Pack-8-KARD-x-1st-Mini-Album-Teaser-691631393
...yeah. That's how you know I love a long. Great fucking job, KARD.
Somehow, we have also been blessed with choreography for this absolute fucking bop. THIS IS THE BEST TIMELINE.
There's not much to say about KARD's choreographies that I haven't already - they're sharp, smooth and fit the song perfectly. That seems like a standard they've set for themselves at this point. But what I like about "Dimelo"'s choreography in particular is that it's simple enough to let the members put their own sense of style into it without messing up the routine itself. It adds a bit more personality, and I really do like it!
Also, they have the motherfucking macarena in their routine.
...that was BM's idea, wasn't it?
•••••
And that's that! Again, apologies for taking so long with this. Starting college plus having a really bad flu really knocks you sideways. 😌
ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
Moonlight
Ride on the Wind
Knockin' On My Heaven's Door
Dimelo
KARD TRANSPARENT LOGO: https://www.deviantart.com/tsukinofleur/art/K-A-R-D-Logo-PNG-693774402
KARD PNGS: https://www.deviantart.com/yunniejacksonyi/art/PNG-Pack-8-KARD-x-1st-Mini-Album-Teaser-691631393
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