I’ll tell you one thing: I never thought I’d be writing a Sunny Hill review in 2019. After the girls left their agency two years ago, I assumed they’d all-but broken up. Two of their members did leave during this long hiatus, replaced by a new pair of performers (one of which from short-lived group Purfles). But even before these changes, the group had seemed to lose their way. Their once-daring music was replaced by generic ballads and OST fare, and the Korean public gradually lost interest.

New single Nom Nom Nom (놈놈놈) isn’t fantastic, but it does rekindle a bit of Sunny Hill’s quirky past. The song is perched halfway between polka and trot, pulsing on an insistent, accordion-like synth loop. There are even whinnying horses thrown in the background for added whimsy. The instrumental is a playground of the bizarre, and that alone is a refreshing diversion from today’s overused trends. Unfortunately, it also gives Nom Nom Nom an air of novelty. At just over two-and-a-half minutes, it feels undercooked and kind of jokey.

This is a shame, because the newly-configured Sunny Hill is a pretty tight vocal unit. Their jazzy delivery gives Nom a bit of weight, captivating with an old-fashioned sense of charisma. The chorus is especially nice, as the girls join forces to deliver a striking high note that’s given a breathy and pointed arrangement. Their voices blend well, and much of Nom’s joy comes from the understated interplay between them. I just wish the track itself didn’t feel so much like an afterthought. It has many of the right pieces, but lacks the vision to mix them into a knockout whole.

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