[Album Review] WITNESS (2nd Mini Album) – ALL(H)OURS

13 hours ago 3

My first review for ALL(H)OURS was for their comeback single, SHOCK. In that review, I mentioned that I would review their debut track (and potentially mini-album) in the future. I still haven’t got around to that. But in a fitting style, ALL(H)OURS’ first album review is for the mini-album that features the title track SHOCK—their second mini-album, WITNESS. It was released in July 2024 and features a total of five songs.

Overall, I found the mini-album a consistent release, showcasing an EDM and hip-hop sound profile throughout most of the release. For a new group to whom I haven’t really dove into yet, this is a decent showing from the new group. More recently, ALL(H)OURS released their 3rd mini-album, Smoke Point, which features the tracks Graffiti and Gimme Gimme. I haven’t reviewed these as well. But at the very least, a review for Gimme Gimme is on the cards.

Until then, here are my thoughts on WITNESS.

1. WITNESS – ALL(H)OURS kicks off their mini-album with the instrumental track WITNESS, kickstarting the release with a powerful rave-like track. It doesn’t hold back and has the adrenaline coursing through your body. I find it refreshing because we don’t hear all that many rave-like tracks in KPOP, though I admit it isn’t for everyone. It isn’t my usual go-to form of EDM. But on this mini-album, knowing what comes after, WITNESS does a good job of launching right into the rest.

2. SHOCK (도깨비) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for SHOCK. (9/10)

3. PSYCHO MANTRA – The group leans towards an aggressive and abrasive sound profile in PSYCHO MANTRA. There are a few other sides of ALL(H)OURS that I will touch on in a second, but these two are the ones that I remember most vividly from the song. The aggressiveness comes out during the chorus when the rappers go shouty, and the abrasiveness comes through via the EDM/rock-influenced instrumentation and distorted vocals that form part of the background. We get some sleekness and smoothness from the vocal line, but it is very short-lived since the rappers get the limelight in PSYCHO MANTRA. Overall, it’s a cool song. (8/10)

4.’Bout That Issue – ‘Bout That Issue showcases both the vocals and rappers in a more balanced manner than the previous song. And from this, I can tell that ALL(H)OURS has a strong line of both. We also hear much more of that hip-hop genre in this song since the instrumental isn’t overwhelming. I actually appreciate that a lot, considering the song before this one. I find ‘Bout That Issue to be intriguing thanks to that vocal melody in the chorus. There is something very familiar about that I cannot pinpoint where I have heard it before. I also like the “’Bout That Issue” repetition that forms the song’s main hook. (8/10)

5. Blah Blah – Blah Blah gets the EDM and hip-hop balance just right. It also gives us some dramatic percussion/drumming, which makes the song cooler. I did think the vocals and rapping could have been stronger in this song. The members’ delivery didn’t hit the spot for me and they kept their styles very safe. Had they gone further, I think Blah Blah would have been a killer track. (7/10)