Album Review: Clazziquai Project’s “Blink”
Clazziquai Project has had a musical career spanning ten years, and 2014 marked their 10 year anniversary. With that, they released their full-length album Blink. The album sticks to the trio’s jazz, electro, pop genre, but boasts a more mellow feel compared to their previous releases.
Clazziquai Project released music videos for their three singles, Madly, Still I’m By Your Side and Call Me Back. Alex and Horan’s complimentary vocals lead us effortlessly through the album.
Still I’m by Your Side
The lead-off track is upbeat from the beginning, with Alex opening the song. The chorus is easy to sing along to and the English lyrics help connect to fans who understand and appreciate English lyrics in Korean songs. Still I’m by Your Side has a peppy beat and a multitude of instruments and instrumental sounds being used throughout the song. If you strip the song of the vocals, the music will undoubtedly be able to stand on its own. But with Alex and Horan’s soft vocals there’s no need to abandon their voices. Still I’m by Your Side is a great lead-off track for Blink, and It draws listeners in from the opening beat alone and keeps them interested throughout the song.
Madly
Madly is slower than Still I’m by Your Side, with Horan opening the vocals. This song doesn’t have as much going on music-wise as Still I’m by Your Side, which is perfect because the tempo and style don’t need a lot of instruments and sounds. Again, Alex and Horan’s vocals depict people who are madly in love and wish for love; the softness, and emotion in the vocals bring you into the song.
Crave You
When Crave You first begins it seems like it will be a ballad, which this author is not a fan of. But shortly into the song you realize Crave You is more than that. The chorus is simple and to the point. It’s a song that you’d hear in a coffee shop, and, again, the music compared to the main track of Blink is more minimalist. This allows the vocals to bleed with emotion. The build up to the chorus is what makes this song. You can feel and hear it coming, it’s subtle but enough to change the tempo and feel of the song.
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Android
Android starts with a voice introduction and a strong beat. Horan sings throughout the song. One thing about Android is that the entire song is sung in English. Listening to the lyrics, it brings about a multitude of options for the meaning. The song could be sung from the point of view of the Android, but also from the point of the view of the person using it, wanting to be free from technology that humans are so dependent on these days. Android is a a tun and quirky track.
Maybe Baby
Maybe Baby is the first ballad on Blink. A somber piano plays the introduction, and then Horan adds her quiet, emotional vocals. The music is reminiscent of a slow jazz song sans the saxophone and other horn instruments. Maybe Baby gradually builds with more instruments and stronger vocals added into the song. It ends similar to how it begins, with a piano outro, but the notes are more major than minor like in the beginning.
Love Satellite
Love Satellite is a fun track after a love confession song. The beat is strong and addictive. Horan and Alex’s harmonies and short and abrupt lyrics match the beat. Alex’s falsetto during the chorus makes it seem like you are actually among the stars. The music and vocals take you out of this world and make you feel like you’re soaring through space while listening. The musical break also adds to the celestial feel of the song.
Come on and Go with Me
Come on and Go with Me is one of my favorite tracks of the album. The intro sets the tone for the song. It’s clear that the song with upbeat, but with a mellow tone throughout. Horan opens up the song vocally, and Alex adds his harmonies before he comes in. Come on and Go with Me perfectly showcases Horan and Alex’s beautiful vocals. The instrumentation and sounds used do not drown out their voices. Instead, they compliment the vocals and we are able to hear and understand and feel them more.
Life etc.
Life etc. has a completely different sound than the previous tracks. It reminds me a little bit of some of Philip Glass’ work. It has that out-of-this-world sound and feel. The piano used adds a feel of being at a large event for your company. There are many elements in Life etc. that remind me of different scenarios or composers, which is fitting for the title. Life has many elements and influences, and this song has that feeling. On the surface, Life etc. sounds chaotic, but once you really listen to each instrument has a purpose and they’re not overpowering or distracting.
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Call Me Back
Call Me Back is another single from the album with an accompanying music video. With Call Me Back we are back to the mellow, chill feel of the rest of the album. The song even has some rapping in it, which adds another color to the track and album. Call Me Back is a song that brings the listener to a relaxed place. Somewhere that does not have stress or worries. That’s the type of feeling Call Me Back evokes.
Think About It
To round out this great album we have Think About It. Think About It sticks to the theme of the album with similar musical qualities and instruments. Think About It is the true ballad of Blink. Alex’s beautiful vocals portray the feeling perfectly. As I mentioned before I’m not a fan of slow songs or ballads, but Clazziquai Project has a special place in my heart so I can’t not like this song. It’s a beautiful song, but one that I may not listen to as often as the others.
My overall thoughts of this album are that it is a beautifully produced and everything flows together. The songs are all intertwined with the style of music and interments used, but each song has its own flavor. I suggest Blink to Clazziquai Project fans as well as music lovers who may have never heard of them. Blink is the perfect album to put on when you’re in a chill mood or need some relaxing, but entertaining music to listen to.
Clazziquai Project's 'Blink'
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