1. Hear the Wind Sing
2. Fingertip
3. Contrail
4. Please Save My Earth
5. Rain in the Spring Time
6. Crush



G-Friend is back with their fourth mini-album, 'The Awakening.' The ominously-titled album has six brand spanking new tracks. Not an instrumental in the bunch, either. This EP moved over 100,000 copies of 'The Awakening' through pre-sales alone, and the 'Fingertip Comeback Trailer' got over a million views, so it's obvious that people were chomping at the bit for this one.


The album kicks off with "Hear the Wind Sing." Far from being bags of wind, these girls can sing, and this tune proves it. From the beginning, you can tell this is going to be a dance track, and it's got violins -- which may seem strange for a dance track but they make it work. The girls have definitely matured, and their vocals show it. It's got that lush, fresh vibe that the girls have mastered. This is a great way to start the album.

Next�up we hit the title track "Fingertip." Songwriting team Leegi and Yongbae concocted this one, as they have all their previous title tracks. "Fingertip" without a doubt delivers, and I don't think I've heard the girls sound so fierce. This is definitely bold and in your face, and the chorus doesn't disappoint, either, despite the awkward pronunciation. The hooks are certainly present, and certifiably gold. In case you can't guess, I love this song.


"Contrail" dials it back a bit, and it's not as frantic as the previous two tunes. It's a great deal simpler, with some staccato in the melody that makes it pop. This particular tune recalls some of their earlier tunes, like the ones off their first two releases. It's fun to listen to, but compared to some of the other tracks on this EP it feels a little like filler.

Next up is "Please Save My Earth," and you can be forgiven for thinking this has anything to do with the environment. It has more to do with the idea of "my personal world" than anything celestial or broader than that. It goes very well with the rest of the disc, being more or less traditional pop. It's slick and well put together, and is extremely easy on the ears.


"Rain in the Spring Time" is a slow and easy pop tune. It's sort of a hybrid ballad, because it's not calm or tender enough to be a ballad, but has some of the traditional song structures that go along with it. There are some sweet, sweet harmonies that characterize this one, and I love how effortlessly G-Friend seems to pull those off.

The final tune on the EP is "Crush." Happy and upbeat, this tune appears to be simple enough, but there are some nice details that I really enjoyed, like the differently-mastered backing vocals. They play the cute card on this song, as they've been doing their entire career. Here it works quite well�and is a great closing number for the album.

If there was ever an album that matched the concept, it's this one. It's not much darker, but there is a difference in the musical style. It's not a radical shift, but the songs are fuller, perhaps even more hyper in their presentation. I particularly like the title track, and this is a concept that I'd like to see more of. I have a thing for intense tunes, and this is definitely intense.

MV REVIEW

In this largely plot-bereft MV, we see an abundance of special effects, which is part of what carries this video, aside from the awesome song. It's almost a cosmic dream with doorways appearing in space, shooting stars and tiny group members appearing in different stylish outfits on a huge fingertip. There are CGI butterflies and all manner of glowy and particle fx. It's obvious Source Music has spared no expense, and it's remarkably non-cheesy. At the end, there's a tiny bit of plot that explains it all. No, no spoilers.

So, whatever you've prepared yourself for, there's a bit of a shift for G-Friend. To go right along with their bold title track, they've got a darker, more mature concept as well. The outfits are black�and more revealing. They look absolutely stunning as femme fatales�and the choreo is as good as it ever was. Maybe even better, as it's more forceful and vigorous as well. And as a side note, Eunha looks really good with shorter hair and bangs -- the look really suits her.



This is a beautifully-realized MV. If you have to go the special effects route, then this is how to do it. I have no idea how much this cost, nor do I want to know. This is probably the best MV I've seen from them thus far (maybe tied with "Rough," just for the feels), and I was blown away. This is one of those rare cases where the MV is just as good as the song, both are thrill-rides from beginning to end.

In addition, the girls have also released this cute "hidden catch" MV for their title track. It's a game, where you try to pinpoint all the differences in wardrobe, gestures, etc. What's the point of this? IDK, but more G-Friend can only be a good thing! Don't say I never gave you anything. :)

Score

MV Relevance..........9
MV Production.........9
MV Concept.............9
Album Production....9
Album Concept........9
Tracklisting..............8

OVERALL...............8.8

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