New boy group Chaser know how to get my attention. I’m sure they weren’t actually named after my favorite ever K-pop song, but my eyes still widen whenever I see even a tangetial reference to the Infinite classic. Instead, they’re the newest group from Howling Entertainment — also home to Waker. Waker’s lackluster promotion makes me wonder how the agency will handle another group, but I’m always excited to see a new rookie debut.
Howling’s A&R team has been pretty successful picking title tracks so far, and they’ve smartly given Chaser a very different sound than their agencymates. Much of Invincible hearkens back to a more dramatic K-pop time when the word “subdued” wasn’t even in our vocabulary. The track is a rock/dance hybrid, boasting the bombast of a royal coronation. Apart from one momentum-killing breakdown during the second verse, the instrumental bursts with continual energy. I especially love when the percussion ramps up to give the track a pounding dancefloor drive.
I’m less enamored by Invincible‘s chorus, which opts for a leaden, Imagine Dragons-esque stomp that feels overly canned. A song like this should absolutely soar when it reaches its centerpiece, but Invincible‘s most exciting moments occur around its chorus. Also, I’m not sure if it’s just an issue with YouTube compression, but the entire arrangement feels oddly muffled, lacking a crispness that would help each layer of production stand out. Even so, this is easily one of the year’s strongest debuts and could grow quite addictive with the addition of live performances.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
9
RATING
8.25
Grade: B
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