Dal Shabet’s Subin continues to prove herself with ‘Our Love’ EP

Subin of Dal Shabet, my official girl crush of 2016, has released another digital EP titled ‘Our Love.’ Two of the songs we’ve heard previously on her last digital release, but this EP includes three new tracks that further showcase her potential as a songwriter and vocalist.

Let me start off by saying, yes, I am probably a bit biased because of how enamored I was with “Flower” and “Hate.” I knew I’d most likely enjoy these other songs, but what impressed me more than her simply releasing songs I like is the cohesion of the entire project. The songs are certainly distinguishable between themselves, definitely unique to the K-pop market, and while I can’t be 100% positive these songs were created during the same time period, the feeling that they were is certainly there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TR–hcvqQ8

The first track on the EP, titled “Nothing“, borrows a very pop-friendly adaptation of an African chorus, slightly reminiscent of what we’ve seen from the singer-songwriter duo Nico & Vinz. The opening chorus of “oh-ah, oh-ah” drives an unheard rhythm that doesn’t actually appear in full realization until about a minute into the song. I love the play with volume in this song as well as the use of layering harmonies and melodies to add emotion and drama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoibnaHUdU4

“Our Love“, the title track, is more of a quasi-ballad that feels similarly emotional in the way that “Hate” did. Perhaps not as impactful or impressive, but having this follow “Hate” on the album seems more than appropriate. Again we hear the tinkering piano that seems to tie all of these tracks together, something I’m never tired of. Subin goes in and out of her falsetto, adding a lot of dynamic to the vocals without ever actually doing anything overly complicated. The highlight, throughout, is the emotion she pours into her voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSo9uJjdE-A

The final song on the album, and the last of the three new songs added to this EP, is titled “Indeed, Maybe, Again.” With a brighter melody, a simple acoustic guitar opening, and Subin matching her vocals to the lighter tone, I can easily see how upon first listen this song could be dismissed by a lot of listeners, but when listening to the album as a whole it’s a refreshing ending note and rounds everything off nicely.

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With how much I adored “Flower” and “Hate”, both of which I still find are the highlights of this EP and the strongest examples of her potential, the bias I had coming into this that I stated earlier easily could have backfired, too. I was anticipating liking them because I expected them to be as strong. Well, Subin delivered. Not just three great songs, but a great EP all together. It goes through highs and lows and tells a story, with each song relating to one another both instrumentally and emotionally.

This may be repetitive here, but I’m genuinely impressed.

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‘Our Love’