NU’EST – 'THE NOCTURNE'

Track List:

1. Moon Dance

2. I’m in Trouble *Title

3. Firework

4. Back To Me

5. Must

6. Shooting Star

NU’EST is back with their newest EP, ‘The Nocturne.’ It has six fresh tracks, including the title track "I'm in Trouble." This is their 8th mini-album to date.

Maybe you could dance to "Moon Dance," but you'd have to do it slowly. It kind of straddles the line between soft pop and a mid-tempo jam. It's not bad, but a little enthusiasm wouldn't kill them. Other than that it's a nice, quiet tune. "I’m in Trouble" is their title track. It is also a lot more energetic than the first song. There are occasional flourishes throughout, and the pre chorus and chorus are seriously awesome, escorting the song at the club banger territory.

Now "Firework" is a seesaw tune, as sometimes the tempo goes up but other times it's down. That's a problem for me because, without the highs, the song seems bland. It's alright, but I much prefer the chorus to the rest of it. "Back To Me" is much more my kind of song. Tenderness is okay sometimes, but you can really overdose on that stuff. This is a solid pop tune where the verses and chorus are great all the way around.

"Must" is a sad ballad. My understanding is that it was inspired by Ren's grandfather. I wouldn't be surprised, as the lyrics seem to be talking to someone who has passed on. It's very well done, and tenderly sung. They seem to put a lot of emotion into this one. "Shooting Star" has got to be my favorite song on the album. I like the tempo on this one, and the song seems to be upbeat and hopeful. It's a definite antidote to the melancholy of the last piece, and just an overall great listen.

One of the strengths of this particular album is that there are synth sounds, but they serve to enhance the music and not distract you from it. They also don't seem to replace a verse with a ginormous wall of techno. So I definitely think we can give the band kudos there. Also, they do quite a good job on the more gentle parts of their songs. If you're a fan, you should give this one a spin.

MV REVIEW

This had the potential to be really really bad. I'm glad it wasn't.

On the surface, there's not too much going on. They're in a building, one of the ultra-modern testaments to steel and glass inside the big city. I'm pretty sure that's Singapore. Part of what's interesting is the architecture. The hallways and rooms are semi sci-fi. There are no instrument panels necessarily, but I got that general impression. The lighting and the camera angles make it work.

The boys are going about their day. Whether they're doing pyrography or sitting in an office doesn't really matter. A couple of them look like they're crashed out on the floor, which can be good or bad depending on the events of the night before. Some of these rooms look like they're an absolute mess.

And we get cryptic, vaguely threatening messages on a cell phone. That becomes important later. Especially when the song ends and they hear footsteps in the hall. Who might that be? Are they in trouble?

There's dancing, too, and that's where NU’EST excels. Purposeful movements, artful stops and starts, and vigorous gestures characterize the choreo. Even if an MV is a mess it can be saved by dancing.

They don't need to save this one. It's pretty sweet just like it is.

Score

MV Relevance...........8

MV Production..........8

MV Concept..............8

MV SCORE: 8.0

Album Production.....8

Album Concept.........8

Tracklisting...............8

ALBUM SCORE: 8.0

OVERALL................8.0