from MUSIC ROOM:
Groove Over Dose's Third
Everyone should be happy about the release of g.o.d's third album, Groove Over Dose. Fans were pretty concerned about the fate of the group after their car accident in June, but Park Joon Hyung, Kim Tae Woo, Yoon Kye Sang, Son Ho Young, and Ahn Shin Won (Danny) are back on stage and performing their new music. The group had its comeback in early November, exhibiting a "natural" style in their comeback performance. In other words, they weren't all made up like H.O.T., but actually resembled real people in real threads. So, they win props from me for skipping all that. They win even bigger props from me for producing an all-Korean album. The group members decided they didn't need to rely on gimmicky English lyrics to sell their music.
For a k-pop CD, Groove Over Dose is long--thirteen tracks (that includes the intro and one instrumental). It's possible this album will get mixed reviews because people might be expecting g.o.d to continue on with their dance music. However, the group has decided to break their pattern and turn more to hip-hop and ballads.
The title song for the CD is Guhjitmal (Lie) [MP3], an R&B ballad. This is a pretty tune, and the lyrics perfectly set the stage for a video. I haven't seen the real video yet, but the story the lyrics tells is about a boy lying to his girlfriend, telling her he doesn't really love her. Of course, he does love her deeply, but he feels it would be honorable to step away from the relationship because there is another boy in love with her, and he is really sick. Thus, the first boy is willing to bear his broken heart so the sick boy can be with the girl he loves. Sounds pretty sappy, but it sings okay1x
Dorahwajoh [MP3] also has a bit of an R&B/funk feel. For a remake, it sounds pretty good because the synthesizer isn't overwhelming and monotonous--a flaw I associate with most pop music. The rap lines are pretty smooth and the overall tone of the song is soothing.
Chotbool Hana [RealAudio] is the fun song on the CD. The rap line is very upbeat, light and clear. The style of the song is derived from gospel music and this odd provenance is highlighted by the inclusion of organ strains throughout the song. This tune cracks me up, and every time I hear it I have visions of the g.o.d boys up behind a pulpit in choir robes, rocking out on a Sunday morning. I know the group has spent some time trying to persuade fans that the name "g.o.d" has nothing to do with religion, but they are (comically) undermining their arguments here.
More like their old sound is Sarangee Youngwonhandamyun [MP3]. I expected this to be a love ballad, but this is closest to "dance" music on the CD. It's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to.
Fans should make the best of this album, as it sounds like it could be awhile before g.o.d 4 comes out. Danny Ahn has been admitted to the Industrial Design School at Dangook University, and who knows if he will be able to record music and study at the same time? So listen to what you got while you have it.
By Denise Ahn
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