ATEEZ (에이티즈) - TREASURE EP.FIN: All to Action (1st Album) [COMEBACK REVIEW]
By K-Pop Rambles - January 22, 2020
Admittedly, the release of this album intimidated me quite a lot initially. I really wasn't sure what to expect of ATEEZ based off of their other mini albums (which I hadn't heard at the time this album released), and their pace was so rapid and quick-fire that I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up with their release schedule. But, thanks to both the catch-up post I did and the rabbit hole of YouTube compilations I fell down
Now all that's left is to give my thoughts on it - admittedly in a much leaner format than normal. It's just a little bit of a change I'm trying out for the new year; I'm here to talk about the music, after all, and I feel like I so often get caught up in everything but the music on this blog. So, I figured I'd just talk about each song on this album, and if I want to bring the lyrics or choreography into it, I can. But it doesn't mean I have to. Hopefully it'll make these album reviews a little more concise (and easier to write, too)!
With all that said and done, though, let's see exactly what ATEEZ had in store with All to Action.
2. WONDERLAND
Something I've always loved about ATEEZ is their raw, unadulterated energy. They've got this insane sense of charisma that makes you think they've been in the industry for years, when in reality, they hadn't even been in it a year when this album dropped. And "Wonderland" illustrates what I'm talking about perfectly. It's definitely a more unorthodox take on a dark boy group concept, with the song itself being full to the brim with marching band elements - snares, blown-out horns, growling synths, roaring choruses of vocals in unison and harmony with the members themselves, all of it. And I have to say, it's tied with "Pirate King" as my favourite title track of theirs to date!
Not only does it continue to show the versatility of ATEEZ's pirate concept, but it really allows the members to show that they mean business. Mingi's rap is by far his best to date - my jaw was on the fucking floor the entire way through it - Jongho's vocals are flawless, Hongjoong's Engrish is beautifully flawed yet so goddamn raucous that I cannot help but scream it at the top of my lungs every time this song starts... I could sit here for hours and talk about how each member contributes to this song and makes it a full package. Not a single person drags this song down - everyone elevates it in their own, unique way, and it's a fucking marvel.
But, in my opinion, all you have to do to understand that is listen to this song's final chorus. Jongho's high note backed by emotional strings, leading into Mingi's rough, deep and dark voice cutting through it, only for you to be surrounded with drums in double time and a soaring vocal melody... I WANT THAT SHIT TO PLAY AS I RIDE INTO WAR.
In all honesty, while this song does feel like one big buildup (which makes sense considering what we know now), it absolutely works and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's hype incarnate from start to finish, yet it still carries its own distinct identity and sense of euphoria that isn't seen with a lot of comebacks these days. Bravo, ATEEZ!
3. DAZZLING LIGHT
Have you ever heard of a song that you would describe as a sonic rollercoaster? Yeah, that's what "Dazzling Light" is for me.
When this song started up for the first time, I initially thought it would be something similar to "My Way" from their first mini album. (Maybe it's just because it's in the same key, I don't know.) But that heavy autotune and those distant trumpet-like synths hinted that there was something else here, something bigger and more grandiose. And when that chorus hit... that point was proven to be true.
I don't even quite know how to describe the mashing up of genres that's going on in this song; it starts off as very light and breezy, yet by the time you're in the middle of that chorus, the vocals are soaring and the synths are blaring. It ebbs and flows in a way that's so graceful yet bewildering, in a very energetic and entertaining way. It's atmospheric, but also very emotionally charged in a way that gives the final product a real sense of electricity. Weird, I know, but it really works! You honestly have to listen to it to get it.
But, by far, the highlight of this song for me is that bridge leading into the last chorus. Between Hongjoong and Mingi's rapid-fire exchanges and that ginormous swell in the instrumental, the momentum never fucking stops, and the final chorus in this song is JAW-DROPPING. And that's in all caps for a fucking reason. Like. BRO. WHAT. HOW.
Basically, listen to "Dazzling Light" if you haven't already. There are definitely some elements that could be off-putting, but trust me when I say it's worth the experience alone.
4. MIST (안개)
I was watching Form of Therapy's listening party to this album the other day - check them out by the way, PD's fucking great - and I saw someone in the comments describe "Mist" as a song you could "body roll to while crying and drinking apple juice". And that's... that's it. That's this song. I can't really give a better description of it than that.
"Mist" is very sexy in a refined way, but it's also incredibly... vulnerable, for lack of a better word. Right away, I have to get it off my chest - holy shit, WOOYOUNG. For the longest time, I thought that higher-pitched voice in the choruses was San - but no, it's actually Wooyoung! And let me tell you, this boy can SIIIING. And not only can he sing, he can sell the emotion of the song at the same time, which is even harder to do! He legitimately left me speechless here. This is his song.
Speaking of which, holy shit, those choruses. Not only is the melody clearly in Wooyoung and Jongho's upper range, but the emotionality of it all is just... insane. Hongjoong's percussive, yet heartfelt raps really get that point across, too. It's so beautiful and yet so scared and timid; the song as a whole is really about looking to someone else for reassurance, and knowing that you can rely on them for a bit of help when times are tough. It's beautiful, and really sincere and effective in what it does.
I didn't think much of "Mist" at first, but it's slowly crept its way into my regular Spotify rotation and become one of the standouts of this album for me. It's fucking beautiful, and everyone deserves to hear it at least once. Do yourself a favour.
5. PRECIOUS (OVERTURE)
I'm not going to talk about this song, since it's just an overture, but... mark my words: this song is special. Very, very fucking special. WE WILL COME BACK TO IT LATER.
6. WIN
Alright, now we're getting into the part of this album where ATEEZ just... let loose. They've established their sound and who they are; now they're here to run their victory lap. They're here to have fun. And that's exactly what "Win" is - an uproarious, tour de force of fun!
The fast drum beat and Joong's playful adlibs should be an indicator of this energy from second one, but everything about this song is fucking triumphant on repeated listens. It's got this braggadocious sense of charm that's just inescapable - it's the charismatic form of an earworm, if you ask me. The raps are a mile a minute, the vocals are out of this world, the instrumental is propulsive and fucking massive in scope. Not to mention, it's got one of the best examples of an EDM drop in K-Pop this year - no other EDM-inspired song in K-Pop last year comes close to hitting as hard as that final drop in "Win". Not even close. It's as if they took the momentum from the end of "Dazzling Light", AND MADE IT INTO A WHOLE SONG. It's insanely addictive!
"Win" really does pull you in and take you for a ride, but in a different way than something like "Dazzling Light" - whereas "Dazzling Light" makes you feel like you're experiencing a rollercoaster, "Win" makes you feel like you're in direct control, and that control is never relished from you. It's a straight-up party from start to finish, and I would fucking LOVE ATEEZ to take this direction with a title track some day. It's absolutely fantastic!
7. IF WITHOUT YOU
In all honesty, this was my favourite song on the album the first time I listened to it! That plinky-plonky melody on what sounds like a toy piano immediately tells you that this is going to be light, upbeat and playful. Now, that is by no means a concept ATEEZ are known for having, so I'd be understanding if you're skeptical here. But give "If Without You" a chance! Yes, it's a bit of a pivot from their normal sound, but not in a way that's isolating or disadvantageous to the listener. I'd argue it's simply a more playful take on their trademark qualities - kind of like Stray Kids' recent mixtape, honestly! (Go listen to "Gone Days", by the way, it's real good. STAYTINYs stay winning.)
The middle section with Hongjoong and Mingi's rap is honestly what made me love this song, though. It's where the concept and sound it was going for really clicked with me - the vocal adlibs from the members in the background are the silliest thing in the world, but they're so fucking cute and I love them.
Also, Yeosang sings about how he's like a cat in the choruses, and if that doesn't melt your heart, I don't know what will.
Look at him. How can you resist the cuteness. You can't. It's impossible.
ANYWAY. The song.
"If Without You" also plays with a very elementary cadence in a way that's actually not annoying to me, which is something that so many songs just cannot do in my eyes - not to compare ATEEZ to a bunch of different yet similar groups in the one review, but it's the single biggest reason why I dislike iKON's "Love Scenario" so much. Yes, I understand the song is loved, but it's simplistic to a fault for me. I just prefer this song more, in the end - it's all down to personal preference.
In the end, while I certainly wasn't sure to expect from "If Without You" due to the conceptual pivot, it ended up really working out and putting a really silly grin on my face by the time the song was over. It's a breath of fresh air, and really took me by surprise!
8. THANK U (친구)
If "Win" was this album's victory lap, "Thank U" is the thank you speech. From moment one, it's got a very rootsy, organic vibe, and that is very much carried throughout the rest of the song. Those choruses, in particular, feel very natural and refreshing.
Yet, at the same time, this is like the end credits to a movie; obviously, if you've listened to ATEEZ since day one, a song like this will definitely make you emotional. Hell, the fact that the title translates to "friend" should tell you that straight away! The entire purpose of this song is to say thank you to the fans that have been there for them, and helped them get to where they are. At the end of the day, if they hadn't been as successful as they were, they wouldn't have been able to release a full album, and the boys themselves are certainly grateful for that opportunity.
It's one of those songs you just have to... appreciate, if you know what I mean. I don't feel like talking about it does much justice; you kinda just have to listen to it to get what it's going for. And what it's going for is a really lovely thank you message, yet one that's wrapped in a lovely bow full of guitars, hand claps and emotional swells. If "Thank U" were any other song, I'd write it off as relatively bland and inconsequential, but the sincerity behind it really makes it something special.
9. SUNRISE
Now, "Sunrise" was by far the song I had the hardest time processing from this album. It starts out with this soulful, synth-driven vocal section, and really makes you think it's going to be a nice, relaxing few minutes. But those prechoruses come in, and THAT'S where this song gets weird.
Vocoders aren't often used in K-Pop - hell, the last K-Pop song I listened to with a vocoder in it was Taeyeon's "Something New" - but they can be effective when used properly. And yeah, it's certainly off-putting, but the choruses help to make more sense of it, if you ask me.
Yes, this song starts off as a relaxing one, but it's meant to be more inspirational relaxation than anything else. The electric guitar-driven, vocal-heavy choruses make that clear straight away. It really does feel like a sunrise of sorts, actually - you get to just listen to the song, take it in and appreciate it for what it is. For what it's worth, that chorus melody is incredibly catchy, too - I've had it in my head more often than I'd like to admit!
In my opinion, the point of this song where everything clicked is that bridge. The way the glitzy, yet lush synths mirror the cadence and provide somewhat of a harmony to the main melody is goddamn beautiful. And yet, it's the last real hurrah the song has - it goes out on that stomping, raucous melody that we heard prior. The fact that it doesn't feel unfinished of dissatisfying says a lot about this song, honestly - yes, it's weird upon first listen, but give it some time and it'll really blow you away. It's a lovely, lovely song from start to finish.
10. WITH U (걸어가고 있어)
After what many would probably consider a very uptempo album, we finally have a ballad of sorts from ATEEZ! The last proper ballad I can remember them doing before this album was "Light" from Zero to One, so this was a welcome surprise. Even more so when I realised they were going for a stripped-back jazz/coffee shop vibe. That's my favourite kind of slow song! (Can confirm, I have listened to this in a coffee shop, it's wonderful.)
The percussion here is very minimalist, never going beyond a simple drum line with some soft hand claps and cymbals. And honestly, that's all it needs; this is the sort of song that's meant to relax you and really wind down the album as a whole. Even the rappers lean into their vocal abilities here, too, and it really feels appropriate. Nothing in this song is there for the sake of it; everything feels well thought-out, and each element contributes beautifully to the overall vibe.
Yes, this song may be simplistic, but that's the beautiful thing about it. Not every song has to be super in-your-face and memorable to be likable, contrary with what some K-Pop companies seem to think. "Without U" is a great example of that - it's more stripped back and quite simple, but it's still a nice listening experience regardless, and ends up being really damn nice on the ears.
With the exception of the intro and outtro (which I didn't see a point in covering because they're so short), that's the album. Some of the songs here certainly took a while to grow on me, but this ended up being one of my favourite albums of last year, and for damn good reason. It's quality stuff the entire way through, and it's really indicative of just how much polish and talent ATEEZ's music has. Considering we're reaching the end of the Treasure trilogy, I'll be sad to see it go, yet excited to see what ATEEZ have in store for us in the future.
But we're not done yet... There's still one last hurrah to get through before we end it for real. 😉
•••••
COVER IMAGE CREDITS:
0 comments