Baek Yerin - 2nd Album tellusboutyourself

Baek Yerin - 2nd Album tellusboutyourself

Tracklist

1. Lovegame

2. You’re so lonely now, so you need me back by your side again

3. I am not your ocean anymore

4. Hall&Oates

5. Ms. Delicate

6. Interlude

7. Loner

8. “HOMESWEETHOME”

9. Loveless

10. Hate you / tellhim (CD only) *

11. 0415 *

12. I’ll be your family!

13. I’m in love

14. Bubbles&Mushrooms

Fourteen songs. It's less than 2019's Every letter I sent you. but it's still a significant volume considering the reluctance to make an album. Perhaps it's a desire to prove that I still have a lot left to show and tell. The songs are evenly matched, and the production of each is crisp. It's almost accurate to say that the bends are more defined compared to "Our Love Is Great" and "Every letter I sent you." from a year ago.

The album covers R&B, house, dream pop, and modern rock. She's able to move from dreamy to energized and back again, shifting gears and changing moods with subtlety. In Baek's world, centripetal and centrifugal are paradoxical, but they coexist. In other words, she is able to create different textures in each song while maintaining consistency. It's not just because of the ambivalence of 14. Listening to the new album [tellusboutyourself] is like enjoying various textures. It's something that only a musician who has a firm center in his world and is good at transforming can achieve.

And yet, there are no corners that jump out at you. It's clear that Baek Yerin is the type of musician who goes with the flow and enjoys it. Just listen to his first song, "Lovegame. He delivers a strong statement, then pulls back to let the music flow, repeating the echoing chorus, which is where the song's power lies. In this section, he builds up the sound gradually and subtly, creating a small resonance.

How about 'You're so lonely now, so you need me back by your side again'? It's a dreamy, diffuse soundscape, with a solid foundation of ultra-low bass at the base, and then layers of guitar solos, wind-like effects, and more. It's a different song from 'Lovegame' in a way that's not alien to it. There's one more. From the drums of "I am not your ocean anymore" that burst out immediately after "You're so lonely now, so you need me back by your side again," we can tell that "tellusboutyourself" is a thoroughly planned dissipation in the context of the album. Above all, the chorus, with its powerful vocals and saxophone-led harmonies, is quite catchy.

The two singles that are being promoted are 'Hate you' and '0415'. The house-rooted '0415' focuses on creating a distinctive vibe with a phrase that contracts and expands like a bellows, while 'Hate you' is the most accessible of the two, even if the lyrics are more subtle. There's no point where it feels out of place. His songs always blend into the whole without losing their individuality.

At this point, I'll write about the musical changes. The key seems to be the emphasis on dynamics and bold musical transitions. If there is one decisive difference from its predecessor, it is this. The aforementioned break in "Lovegame" and the two-and-a-half minute mark of "HOMESWEETHOME," where the listener's attention is drawn to the fragmentation of the sound, are prime examples. However, in terms of the intensity of the reversal, the first place should definitely belong to 'Mr. Delicate'. In particular, pay attention to the climax of the song, where Baek Yerin's vocals paint a dynamic picture.

In the case of "Hall & Oates," the song's piano drifting through the track, it's a direct nod to its influences. In addition to Hall & Oates, they include Light and Salt and The Bird & The Bee. The Bird & The Bee have even released a cover album that is almost entirely Hall & Oates songs. If you have the time, we recommend listening to it. If Baek Yerin is your favorite, this album could be your second favorite.

I have to talk about the lyrics. English is not a problem, as "Every letter I sent you." proved, so let's leave that aside. The depth lies in Baek Yerin's voice. Or, to be more precise, the way his vocal tones are implemented with sound. First of all, Bai Yerin's music (with a few exceptions) is basically melodic in nature. This is important. Next, we should mention the placement of the sound, or the sense of space. Bai Yerin's voice doesn't overdo it by overconfidently relying on her excellent delivery. She aims for a clear, resonant, but not overpowering voice.

The groundwork is laid. Based on these two directions, he mesmerizingly creates the impression that he sings like he's talking to the listener. According to an interview, "tellusboutyourself" is about asking the many selves within him to tell him about himself. In this sense, the album acts as a kind of diary, a preserved memory.

However, this shouldn't be interpreted as simply remembering the past. Remembering is not just an objectification of memories, but a process of enlightenment of the remembering subject. Consider this. The past does not create your present. Rather, it is your present that (re)constructs your past, and that is what this album is. Each song represents an individual self, and Baek Yerin has delicately melded the various experiences she has had to go through over the past year into her songs. Therefore, interpretation of the lyrics is essential.

As we've seen, there is no small amount of variation. Nevertheless, I believe that the first step is always to find out what hasn't changed. Baek Yerin's new album [tellusboutyourself] is a record that dreams of change while remaining unchanged. The addition of Bang Min-hyuk as a new co-arranger in addition to her existing partner, Goo-Reum, is a testament to this.

There are other constants. As she grew up on the platform of YouTube, Baek Yerin delivers music that is perfectly suited to the coordinates of the YouTube generation, the 2020s. This is the kind of music that you don't need to organize a playlist for, or look for, because even if you don't have access to YouTube, you'll get more than enough satisfaction from playing this album. [Tellusboutyourself will be remembered as the result of 'once again' succeeding in capturing an iconic expression of the current era.

Conclusion. This is an album that hasn't changed where you stand, but your vision has widened and your range has lengthened. Indeed, he who has his eyes on the future should not turn a blind eye to the past. From now on, he will not only express the diary of the past through the lens of the present, but also begin to flip the calendar of the future.

Written by Soontak Bae (music critic, author of Bae Cheolsoo's Music Camp)

[Details]

1. hardcover with transparent PVC jacket, metallic silver hardcover (176x246mm, exposed iron binding),

2. booklet (photo, lyrics - 88page),

3. 1CD, 'Hate you' CD only version included