Album review: Lee Seung Chul Vol. 9

Lee Seung Chul (이승철) – Vol. 9 The Secret Of Color 2

01 . Part Time Lover
02 . 아무 말도
03 . 사랑한다
04 . Propose
05 . 눈물자욱
06 . 그날… 그 기억
07 . 더 사랑하니까
08 . 하고 싶은 말
09 . 너의 하늘

Over 20 years after his debut in the music industry, Lee Seung Chul is still going strong. The Secret Of Color 2 is his 9th album and was released a year after his 8th hit, Reflection of Sound. For those who don’t know why there is a ‘2’ after the title, it is because this is his second release of his The Secret Of Color series. Instead of trying out New York sounds like the first release, The Secret Of Color 2 uses more LA sounds and allows the artiste to spread his creativity in other genres. So what does the Emperor of Live Music have for us this time?

The title track, Saranghanda, is a charming rock ballad that would be similar to those by the group Buzz (now disbanded). The use of the acoustic and electric guitars, piano and drums definitely give it a rather natural feel and also a small Country sound to it. However, with this said, the music isn’t the best part of the song. Though the song has a great melody and a great arrangement, if anything, the highlight of it is Lee Seung Chul’s vocals. They are sweet, yet powerful at the same time. This is most visible by the bridge where the song seems to take a big step up, providing us with stronger vocals and also a stronger arrangement. Overall, a pretty solid title track.

The majority of the album is full of different and interesting genres. Part Time Lover is a great disco track that one wouldn’t normally hear from most mainstream Kpop artistes these days. Lee Seung Chul provides a good vocal performance, though at times he does seem rather overshadowed by the female accompaniment. Nevertheless, it is a great switch and is surprisingly catchy. Propose is also a standout track as it is a bit more upbeat than Saranghanda, but still uses much of the same instruments. The song is also catchy and the use of background vocals is a great asset to the song. Not only are they placed in the perfect spots, but they also give LSC a vocal boost.

The mix of genres is great and the artiste himself did quite an amazing job at each track. At first, the tracklist might seem quite small, but fans shouldn’t be discouraged because unlike most albums that have several extra filler tracks, it seems as though this one just goes straight to the point. Even if you’ve never heard of Lee Seung Chul before, don’t be afraid to try him out. Music-wise, this is a great album that shows off the singer’s versatility.

5/5

5/5 – Even if you’re not a fan of this artist/group this album is a must buy.
4/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you must buy this album.
3/5 – If you’re a fan of this artist/group, you might want to add this one to your collection.
2/5 – I don’t think a fan would even buy this.
1/5 – You might as well just flush your money down the toilet.

You can purhcase this album by clicking on the album cover image above.

written by Hitorijime