It may seem like DAY6 have cornered the market on emotive idol rock, but The Rose are slowly building a passionate fan base that positions them well for future releases. However, I still need more convincing before I jump on the bandwagon. April’s Baby offered a flash of potential, undercut by its affected vocals and persistent, fluttery vibrato.

New single She’s In The Rain doubles down on this performance style, which is bound to be a love-it-or-hate-it approach. My opinion leans closer to the latter, which is actually one of the reasons I’ve been so drawn to K-pop over the years. Bands like this — and songs like this — stake their claim on authenticity. In fact, the industry as a whole seems to be pushing further in this direction, spearheaded by BTS’ story-driven series of introspective releases. But to be honest, I’ve always preferred sonic experimentation and finely-polished hooks to singer-songwriter naval-gazing. A group like The Rose was never really designed to appeal to someone like me.

With that said, I can see why many listeners would be utterly charmed by She’s In The Rain. Tonally, it feels like a long lost Nell song, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The instrumental has a nice, evocative build and the vocalists are undoubtedly gifted at harnessing the track’s emotion. But when it comes down to it, there’s not much separating this from countless other indie rock ballads. This style may not be very prevalent in Korea, but it’s all too easy to find in the West.

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