EDIT: Red, Blue and shades of diappointment

After School made quite a fair bit of noise about their two sub groups. Unfortunately, they did not really impress.

My thoughts are not long enough, and I am not interested in recapping some thing I do not feel strongly about, so this is a good time to try my "short spins" format.





AS Blue's Wonder Boy

Thoughts:

- It's Orange Caramel redux (same composer) which means sugary sweet music to the point of overdose. I admit, it was charming the first two times, then it wore off really quickly.

- The live performances were good, they did not look particularly lacking. But the song was not exactly one that is "demanding". So I guessed they did okay.

- E-Young, why you so squeaky voice. I guess they hired you based on your ability to play instruments... (it sounded less squeaky live, and I'll hold judgement on this)

- Nice hearing more Jooyeon, and sensing her song presence, though her voice is not exactly wow.

- Raina will always be the one who leads high-keyed vocals, and that's a good thing, though she's definitely capable of more

- Garters are really the last thing innocent girls wear. I am starting to think that Orange Caramel/ AS Blue play very hard on innuendos, how else do you explain the style choices?

- The Fin.K.L accusations: If it sounds like a, lyrically is like a, it probably is a... (coincidence, given that pop is very formulaic)

(Edit after watching a few more performances)

Verdict: MAY

AS Red's In The Night Sky

Thoughts:

- The Brave Sound is really getting old, it's starting to sound cliched and very repetitive. It does stick though, so if that's how pop is judged, it should rank as a pass.

- I was also expecting a bit more from the dances, instead of just looking like a modification of Sistar's "How Dare You". The Brave sound  had also lended itself to some unique choreos in the past, like U-KISS's "Man Man Ha Ni"

- Nana surprisingly works here. I guess I should not have written her off that early, after hearing her Orange Caramel singing in the past (It was just too "cute" to be taken seriously...sorry).

- Everyone else, business as usual. Working with what they have, Kahi quite flawless, Jungah working away doing right un-noticed, Uee looking quite good, but a bit stoned (not to blame her, but this comes off looking odd on camera)

EDIT: -  I did like the theme of the video, it being an outback party. However, beyond the dancing and the bonfire, it was just another MV. Think of it as "saturday night in the outback" and it's okay. However, if you expected a continuation of the teaser, in terms of bold and sexy, then maybe not.

Verdict: MAY


(I revised this, as the original was TOO harsh. Not interested in another fan-battle)

Putting aside the taste issues, AS Blue actually did okay with the concept. Those who suited the concept headed there, and overall, it served as a little fruity concoction, for those who liked it that way. It also helped that the live turned out to be a fair chunk better than what I saw in the video.

When I saw the teasers, I was pretty sold on AS Red, the two members I like (Kahi & Jung Ah) with a bold and sexy concept, thinking it would approach something like stable mate Son Dambi's works or the After School of 2010. Instead it appeared like a rehash of a generic Brave Brothers tune. Beyond the initial feelings of "it's not really that sexy" , it was listenable, and the tune does stick, but I could not help wondering if Pledis could have given them something better to work with.

I do not doubt their talent, and I know they are capable of more, but any pop act is really only as good as the songs they get.

The video below is probably a good idea of what they are capable of, and their original goal. It's a cover, but it's a good reminder of the After School magic.