As the faces of rock in K-pop, Dreamcatcher add an edge and a mystique to the genre known for its visual feasts and high concepts. At its front is Lee Siyeon, a commanding stage presence with a voice that can caress and impress at will. Such is the modus operandi with ChRocktikal, her new band with guitarist Lee Wonseok, bassist Lee Jun-young, and drummer Je Gwan-Woo. They've wasted little time since their debut announcement at the end of last year, dropping their first album We break, you awake.
Sure enough, the first few songs make a hell of a first impression, with the lead single "PEACE" serving as a mission statement. Siyeon even caps things off with a kiss to the listener, a move sure to draw in even more queer femme fans, assuming those who were already Dreamcatcher fans didn't get the memo to begin with. The energetic drumming on "Victor" continues the vibe and piggybacks off of "PEACE"'s chugging riffs. "KALish" is probably about as nu metal as the record gets, with the main riff and Siyeon's screams evoking memories of early Kittie, particularly their first two albums.
From here, the record changes up the approach to varied returns on the investment. "RIDE" has a groovy bass line, sounding like something one might hear on an alternative radio station in the mid-2000s, while "All in on me" goes damn near disco with a funky bass and synth flourishes galore. Siyeon's vocals are the highlight across the whole album, and the fact that she can make it work across so many different styles and subgenres is to be commended.
That said, it is at this point that the band loses the plot a bit, as the next three songs are some form of ballad. Especially after starting off on such a powerful note, this is a chang of pace that is less "here's what else we can do" and more "we gotta prove we're not a one-trick pony," and it ends up being to the record's detriment. At least the closer "Free!" ends things on a high note, though maybe not with the punch or panache of the front half.
Perhaps it is the weight of expectations set by "PEACE" as the first salvo, but on the whole, We break, you awake feels like a freshman effort. There's some good here, more than enough to recommend the album outright. It will be interesting to see what direction the band takes next, as we're one year out from Dreamcatcher's hiatus, and only weeks away from ChRocktikal's maiden tour of North America.
We break, you awake is available now via Dreamcatcher Company and LEEGEUM ENT.
