Sherlock is the fourth mini album from Korean supergroup SHINee. After a year and a half away from the Korean music scene, they returned this week with Sherlock - but does it live up to the hype and anticipation?
Click below to read my track-by-track review of SHINee's Sherlock:
1. Sherlock.셜록 (Clue+Note)
Opening track is their title track - Sherlock - and right from the start, the 5 members of SHINee waste no time and proclaim that they're back - Shinee's back, Shinee's back. Although beginning with soft strings, the songs explodes with hip-hop beats that are very reminiscent of early 90s R&B - a sound that doesn't seem too distant to what Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson were producing during that era. Jonghyun's voice is so strong laid upon the urban beats and after hearing it for the first time, I realised how much I missed his voice. I think the chorus is especially powerful yet simple - I'm so curious, yeah! It's very poppy and fun sounding (and even reminds me of the their OTT pop anthem Juliette), but with the hip-hop element to the song, the song remains very mature. Featuring lots of adlibs, the song is a vocal triumph and really displays the talents of the 4 vocalists. Alas, Minho's presence in the song adds little to the song - just a mere spoken rap which doesn't give the song any more charm that it already has.
2. Clue
Hold up, isn't this just Sherlock? That was my first reaction when hearing Clue. In fact, for those who have yet to hear the album, Sherlock is a mash-up of Clue and Note, which are the second and third track respectively. It's a really interesting concept and something I've never come across before. But even though the first three songs are all intertwined with one another, they all have distinct elements which make them stand out. For Clue, it's the straight-up 90s R&B element that shines in this song. Whereas Sherlock has the huge chorus, Clue is much more laidback and posseses that new jack swing sound that dominated Michael Jackson's Dangerous album.
3. Note
As soon as Clue ends, Note comes in straight away with a sort of fanfare at the beginning. Now, this song is pure pop - it doesn't have the 'cool' elements that Clue and Sherlock feature. But it's a really fun and catchy track and as ever, the I'm so curious yeah chorus is in full swing.
As Note finishes, so does the wonderful Sherlock trilogy.
4. 알람시계 (Alarm Clock)
The tone of the album shifts a little with Alarm Clock. After three punchy and upbeat tracks, Alarm Clock slows things down and recalls that 90s R&B sound that Clue also has. I really like the production in this one - the beat is really old school yet the song doesn't sound dated. Although the verses don't excite me that much, the chorus is pretty catchy and I think Key's voice really shines here. And I hate to say it yet again, but Minho's 'rap' is pretty redundant here. Whereas most rappers are needed in many groups to spice up some of the tracks, Minho isn't always needed. Actually, I feel like Key is actually a far better rapper but doesn't always get his chance to show it.
5. The Reason
Alarm Clock slowed the pace a little, but it's The Reason which is the album's first ballad. It's a classic SHINee R&B song and shows off the skills of the vocalists brilliantly. What I've always loved about SHINee is their ability to portray emotions in their songs - whereas Onew's voice always seems more restraint yet sincere, Jonghyun's vocals are just so heartwrenching and powerful. Although this may be my least favourite song on the album, it's still a great addition.
6. 낯선자 (Stranger)
Stranger is a return to the huge uptempo numbers and it is the first song that screamed SHINee to me. This song would not have sounded out of place on their Lucifer album. It has that electronic element to it, which Sherlock hadn't explored until this point, and would probably sound awesome in a club. There's lots of oh oh oh's and la la la's so there's no doubt about it's catchiness. I especially like the breakdown in the middle where Onew's voice sounds fantastic. And just after the breakdown, comes - surprisingly - a pretty decent rap section for Minho!
7. 늘 그자리에 (Honesty)
Wierdly, after the dance number (which featured alarms and all) comes Honestly, a beautiful acoustic ballad. This song has really impressed me. The four vocalists prove why they're some of the best singers in Korea on this song - and I can definately hear improvement in both Key and Taemin. I feel like I could listen to a whole album of Key if he continues to sing like this. Once again, their ability to convey emotions in their singing is found here. For a simple guitar ballad with lyrics that I only understand a fraction of, I find this song completely compelling. I won't mention Minho's presence, but I would go as far as saying that Honestly is practically perfect and a wonderful way to finish this very impressive mini album.
I've been anticipating SHINee's comeback for a very very long time and the big quesiton on everyone's lips was whether it could live up to expectations. And for me, the answer is a huge YES. I find the Sherlock trilogy completely unique and interesting, the ballads on the album a step up from their previous work and vocally, they've never sounded better.
SHINee - the case is solved - Sherlock is an amazing mini album.
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