Album review: Jaurim - Untitled Records EP

Jaurim – Untitled Records EP

Track list :

01. Magnolia
02. Glitter
03. Dew
04. 나사(螺絲) – Screw
05. 꿈속의 연인
06. 숙취(宿醉) – Hangover

Purchase this album

Indie
rock band Jaurim attempts to reinvent themselves once again on their
latest record, a 6 track untitled EP (mini-album). The group has been
active in the music industry since 1997 and this EP is the follow-up to
their seventh album from 2008. The album is filled with somber notes,
ambient sounds, and dark themes.

The first two tracks
(“Magnolia” and “Glitter”) are surprisingly, all in English. Lead
vocalist Kim Yoon-Ah’s voice is terrific on both songs and the
songwriting itself is good. It’s no surprise that Yoon-Ah’s voice is
sometimes compared to Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissett. The
two singers display a similar range and pitch in their vocals. The
comparisons become slightly more apparent when listening to these songs
in English.

The only track where Yoon-Ah does not provide any
vocals for is track 5,  “꿈속의 연인” which is handled exceptionally
well by guitarist Lee Sun-Kyu.

Track 4, “Screw” is the lead
single. The music video features dim and grayish scenes of a man
holding a cup of water. The cup contains a fish and later on in the
video, he is shown cutting himself and committing suicide. The fish
dies as well. The blood is vividly graphic, but the video seems to hide
a deep message about rebelling to society’s expectations of being a
tool. The fish can also be interpreted to represent one’s child
suffering the same fate as the caretaker.

Throughout all the
tracks there is a common musical theme of minimization. Despite this,
the music still feels very full and complete. There are no traditional
radio-friendly tracks, ballads or upbeat songs. As previously
mentioned, everything here is dark and somber, which provide a sense of
consistency throughout the EP. For those that are looking for thought
provoking indie rock, pick up this album.

Rating: 5/5

Ratings breakdown:
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.