Vocolate: 6th Album Full Review

It took me a while to make a review of Wheesung’s official 6^th full length album.  I really wanted to know which songs will grow on me after listening to the entire album over and over.  Sometimes when you listen to songs quickly, you get first impression.  You also fall in love at first listen but there are songs that will develop it self to be a favorite later on (hmmm talking about how I came to like  차안남녀-Chaanamnyeo a little late).

The first track attracted me just like how I get attracted to the 1^st mini album’s Perfect Man (of course not considering Real Slow Gotta Go as full song) and 5^th album’s Love Hero.  Over U was my instant favorite in Vocolate.  It was the song that stood out that very moment I listened to all the song.  The beat is so pleasant to the ears… it’s a groove song for me.  This song leads you to believe that Wheesung is just within the league of contemporary R&B royalty Craig David or Neyo who sings well both in upbeat and slow R&B.  I especially like the way Wheesung throws that I’m so over you line. If there is such thing as love at first sight, I consider this as love at first listen.

사랑..그 몹쓸병 (Sarang…Ku Molsseulbyeong – Love…That Terrible Disease) is also one of the bests to listen to in this album, something that I can include in my Best of  Wheesung Play List.  I can imagine this song as OST to a drama maybe because of its supple beat and soulful rendition.  I can almost picture in my mind which scene will it can be played.  At 2:31, I just love how he hit that short high note (that what seems to sound as ‘go’ in the lyrics) and the period between 2:25 – 3:33 the song was the most climactic portion.  Wheesung did a lot of rough falsettos in this song not the typical one you would hear from 다쳐도 좋아 (Dachodo Choa – Even If It Hurts) or even with the carrier single of the song.  Rough in the sense that it’s instead of the smooth one, his falsetto was rather ringing in voice.  I would like to think that this doesn’t strain his voice much.

Admittedly, 주르륵 (Chureureuk – Trickling) is not an instant favorite but it’s neither something that I don’t like.  When I get to listen to the album first time, I just told my self this one is good but it wasn’t like Over U that I instantly liked.  Nevertheless, this being the carrier song of the album was a good choice.  When I saw Wheesung comeback performance, I then realized it does complete the whole essence of the goodness in this song… the concept of an orchestra playing nailed it enough for it to earn a 5 star performance review.    Then the MV came out, it was expectedly sad but just the same it was complimentary to the whole concept of a song that speaks about hurting and tears in relationship that turned bad.  Wheesung style also added elegance in this song, he looks so polished but stylish in his comeback stage something that I always look forward to when he performs.  Wheesung just made this song too lovable overall so it grew on me naturally… love to this song gets developed in due time =)

The 4^th song in the album is reminiscent of days when Wheesung was still with YG.  For some reasons I can think of Se7en performing this song with him.  Rose sounds old school to me. It’s a song that I wouldn’t typically listen to if not for the good voicing from Wheesung.  Listening to it, I thought this song can be a gift to a boy band coupled with some dancing.  Again, the saving grace was Wheesung’s elegance in singing it.

네 심장이 쉬는 날 (Ne Simjangi Swinun Nal – The Day Your Heart Rests) is the killer ballad in this album. It’s not the song that you would use as carrier song but it’s something that represents the usual Wheesung love song.  Just like다쳐도 좋아 in the 5^th album or Luv Shine in the 4^th, this song seems to unravel, peaking every second.  It started low and slow but it slowly picks up to high with a little progress on the beat/rhythm, so does his voice.  This lands as one of the bests to listen to in this album.

Have you listened to Boyz II Men’s Throw back album?  Alone seems to be a track that can be added to that album. The song is flowing and light.  Listening especially to 1:09 to 1:11, it’s so Boyz II Men to me.  The song is easy to listen to… soothing and perfect for setting a light happy mood.  I also classify this as old school R&B but I like this more than Rose.  This is pure Wheesung melodic voice…the type that doesn’t strain his voice.  These types of songs shows how good a singer known for voice power can be, if they can sing mid range songs and listeners still enjoy listening to it. If this song has an MV, I can think of Wheesung wooing a girl, dancing slowly around her while looking cute.  This will land on my driving song play list.

I am not music professional but ‘Show Me Girl’ sounds House to me.  The beat and singing style gives me the impression that it is a House Music.  It doesn’t have much of the electronica and synthesizers but it feels completely House to me.  The one that is more with jazz flavor mixed with R&B of stronger basslines.  When clubbing, this song can probably be played just as when alcohol begins to settle down.  I am not a big fan of House Music but I appreciate how versatile Wheesung is when he sings songs out of his comfort zone.

Another House Music?  I thought One Kiss is another but more than anything else I almost thought I heard Super Junior’s Big Brother singing a better half of their Sorry Sorry song.  The synthesized drum beat is responsible for such feel.  Good thing that ridiculous sounding lyrics are not present in One Kiss, so the song is pretty decent and good to play for dancing.  I am curious as to how Wheesung will perform this song live. He will probably show off some great dance moves while doing stuff that he is really very good at – singing of course.

If you liked 커다간… 너무커다간 (Kodaran..Nomu Kodaran) of the 4^th album or 나락 (Narak-Hell) of 1^st mini album, then you will love 사랑해 (Saranghae – I Love you).  This song is of the same league with the first two songs I mentioned.  It’s almost kinda acoustic so you would literally hear more of Wheesung’s beautiful voice in this music.  I also think this just another display of voice control for him.  It’s not something that I will probably put in my Best of Wheesung play list but it’s definitely one of the songs from the album that I would like to hear when I shuffle play ‘All Wheesung Songs’ in my iPod.   Maybe in the future this can be another Chaanamnyeo to me.

Time Machine is like a modern day Beatles to me.  If Wheesung did not sustain those notes longer, I might think of this song as 100% Beatles inspired. 왜…this song is so lonely despite the relatively fast beat.  Among the 12 tracks this is probably a bit out of genre.  In my opinion this song is what I can classify as filler.  This is in the point of view of the overall concept of the album’s featured music genres.

Another song I like in this album is this one 눈물 쏟고 또 쏟고 (Nunmul Ssotgeo  Ddo Seotgeo – Tears are Dripping and Dripping). It gives out the same feeling as that of Insomnia to me; of course the beginning is totally different though I like its softer melody at the beginning.   I gave its beat and rendition a thumbs-up…another driving song.

So what can I say overall?

This album is distinctively fluid amongst all the previous albums.  All the songs are carefully polished in terms of Wheesung’s singing style.  I thought of this album as a blatant display of elegance in Wheesung’s voice.  Closing my eyes and listening to every song makes me hear a more mature way of singing from Wheesung.  Comparing it as when you write a composition, his voice sounded more structured, playful but sticky to the whole feel that the album wants to bring… that is the bitter sweet emotions you can cull out from love.

I have not seen the physical album but if I would have to choose between the initially released Vocalate album title and the official title Vocolate, I may retain Vocalate instead. It does mean the same coined term Vocal + Chocolate plus it does sound more like vocalization.  It can figuratively mean vocalization.  Of course this is not a big deal in deciding to buy the album.

If there is something that I wish for this album, aside from recognition and good sales, I wish there was a song that resembles that collaboration and smooth rhythm of 사랑은…(Sarangeun – Love Is) from the 3^rd album.  This is old school R&B too.  It’s one of the sweetly sung R&B songs I ever heard and it would have been a compliment to the entire feel of the album.  Nevertheless, overall, it’s still an album that one should not miss as it offers a variety of rhythm and great singing.