As a newly debuted boy group, UP10TION’s management have smartly had them make incredibly frequent comebacks, never letting more than a couple months pass between albums. In this time, the group has cycled through all manner of concepts, showing their versatility but never really marking a definitive sound for themselves the way a group like Seventeen or Monsta X has. This is both exciting and frustrating, as it can result in uneven results depending on the listener’s personal taste.

Luckily, I always have a soft spot for bright, funky summer fare, and Tonight (오늘이 딱이야) is by far UP10TION’s most upbeat pop moment so far. Like Seventeen last month, the guys have built their song around a prominent brass section, though it feels more baked into the production here than it did in Very Nice. They’ve also found their most enduring hook yet. Tonight‘s chorus shimmers with lighthearted, unbridled glee. Yes, it’s a total piece of cheese, but that’s clearly the point. The “shoobee doo-bah” bits utterly steal the show the way only a smartly placed bit of aegyo can.

Unfortunately, the verses aren’t quite as effective. While the melody gets the job done, it also feels unstructured and a little all over the place. This results in some strong power notes and a few fun rap breaks, but I wish there was just a little more discipline to the verses. They’re clearly aiming for a sound similar to what Seventeen has found success with, deploying their ten members with rapid-fire precision, but the songwriting doesn’t pull it off as seamlessly. Still, with a chorus as strong as Tonight‘s, it’s easy to forgive these quibbles and simply get swept up in the fun of it all.