In case it wasn’t clear, new boy group Voisper’s name stands for voice + whisper. I’m not exactly sure what this is supposed to mean. I know that in Kpop Star, JYP always preaches the importance of “half air, half voice” when singing, but I’m not sure a whisper approach would sound anything but creepy. The name does result in kpop’s cheesiest moment of the year so far, when it’s sung as an earnest adlib at the tail end of In Your Voice.

I hate to be negative with debut tracks from rookie groups. Idols work their butts off just to debut, and doing so is in itself a triumph. But I have to be honest, and by all accounts, In Your Voice is a misfire. I appreciate the addition of strings and piano to the Voisper’s ballad mix, and they’ve got a nice vocal harmony. It’s just too bad that it’s all tied to a melody so boring and uninspired that the memory of the song disappears immediately after you hear it.

As much as the arrangement swells (and boy, does it try), the song doesn’t go anywhere special or exciting. I put that down to the chorus, which has the kind of plodding, repetitive melody more common in forgettable pre-2010 b-sides than modern title tracks. It’s a shame, because with a better song these guys might actually stand out. There’s clearly some vocal talent there, but it’s never allowed to make an impact with a song that pulls back every time it should soar.