As a K-pop fan, it’s hard not to get caught up in imagined futures. That’s why I always try to urge myself to temper expectations, because as soon as I hear news of a comeback I picture what it could be – what I want it to be. And since I have no telepathic line to the K-pop industry, the end result is not usually what I’d painted in my mind.
Such is the case with DAY6’s first sub-unit, Even Of Day. Comprised of members Young K (bass), Wonpil (keyboard) and Dowoon (drums), I expected Where The Sea Sleeps (파도가 끝나는 곳까지) to sound something like the brilliant new wave of last year’s Emergency. After all, the guys said that synth would play a bigger role in this project’s music. But alas, Where The Sea Sleeps sounds just like a typical DAY6 ballad, and not one of their better ones.
Now, a DAY6 ballad is nothing to scoff at. They’ve got a ton of great ones in their arsenal. And, Where The Sea Sleeps is solid. It does incorporate more synth textures than usual, helping to craft a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. However, the track never really takes off. It’s melody is comprised largely of drawn out notes, rendering the entire song a slow-burn even as resounding percussion keeps things on course. The arrangement briefly shifts during the bridge, bringing in added rhythm that culminates in a brilliant flourish of vocals. But musically – and I hate to say this – Where The Sea Sleeps is mostly just a bore.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
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The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
They only have 3 actual songs in their album this time (since the rest of them are just fun noises with some background vocals), but do you consider one of them as your buried treasure?
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Breathe in. Breathe in, and out, and in, and out and out!
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I can’t wait for A.C.E’s song!!!
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I like this better than zombie, it reminds me with “when you love someone” but more instruments. I will give this 7.75/10
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“As a K-pop fan, it’s hard not to get caught up in imagined futures. That’s why I always try to urge myself to temper expectations, because as soon as I hear news of a comeback I picture what it could be – what I want it to be.”
This Whole Paragraph Is ME!
I get excited while I’m listening to a Mini Album or watching a performance or Even reading your reviews , It sparks an idea in my head “what if the next comeback is like this or This!”
I even made a list of groups who might deliver 10/10 Worthy songs in 2021 like:
Ateez: By harnessing the ambition of The Treasure Series , Ateez release This Pirate like Song with different Instrumentals such As Rock and a Militant Chorus crafted with their classic Larger than Life Energy!
Cosmic Girls: WJSN , Enlisted producers Sweetune to make their best song yet It’s a euphoric and big as Kara’s Step but puts in enough WJSN to make it feel like their own!
MCND: That Earth Age album was too excellent! TOO EXCELLENT! Breathe , Beautiful , Bumpin , Galaxy and their choice was…….. NaNaNa……… I want their 2021 music to be as consistently great as Their earth age album and them to find their best song! Or make Old School Hip Hop or maybe something Funky Like Bumpin! Also their 2021 year should be as profilic as SHINee’s 2013!
TXT: I think TXT has already crossed their peak with crown but it will be good if they released another 10/10 song or maybe something better than crown? I don’t know something which ties to Jpop?
Stray Kids: Same feelings as TXT but what if they release Something anthemic like Miroh or Haven or Something As Daring as Side Effects or Stop! I’d be happy either way!
A.C.E: They might score their peak with Undercover or Favorite Boys (Judging on By Teaser) But I hope they release that Peak of theirs soon , something Which is Bombastic or Ties with Jpop? They have great vocals and energy so I hope it works!
TOO: By Enlisting Producers Monotree , Too has a bright filled , upbeat year!
By Releasing at least one 10/10 single.
Taemin: Just deliver a 2013 SHINee-esque Comeback PLEASE!!
Onf: Release something as mammoth as Sherlock! Enlist Hwang Hyun as your producer and don’t hold back , go full on out to make a Massive Show Stopper!
And Please add a great Hyojin High-Note! The Brass should be powerful and The Chorus should be big! Also It’s supposed to be very funky! I am the second most excited for this one.
New SM BG: Do something like EXO’s debut roll out or release something as good as EXO’s best b-side Gravity!
NCT: Any sub-unit……. You have a great vocal line…….. DO SOMETHING WITH IT!
Golden Child: Save the Best for The Last! After doing their BLSSD trilogy , Golden Child enlist producers Sweetune for 4 singles! And the best should be their version of The Chaser! It shouldn’t be exactly like the Chaser , though.
It has to Have A King-Like Chorus with The whole group harmonizing with each other , The song should be fun , And It’s Golden Child back to their Bright side! The Song should be anthemic , At some parts emotive and Has That Classic Pop Style that made Infinite so great! And It needs To have a great vocal arrangement and A powerful Falsetto at the end…………………….
I think I’m expecting too much and I have written this whole comment on purpose only to show what I Imagine any group song peak.
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Oh…… I forgot about the song……….. Um I dunno 7.5
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I like the way you think, haha. Although I don’t always expect groups to come back with something bombastic or huge (even if I’d love them to) I at least always hope they’ll release something that stands out in some way. When they instead go as SAFE as possible and choose to promote music that’s unambitious and entirely risk-averse, is when I long for what could have been.
If nothing else, at least have the sense to make it incredibly catchy! If you can’t even achieve that, I’m afraid I have to ask…what was the point?
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I love songs which go big! Seriously , I love Bombast so much!
I agree with you , honestly about going unambitious , If your gonna go risk averse at least stand out from the crown or If you make something so boring , you can’t even make a catchy hook ……… Just shows how generic the music in 2020 currently is……
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If bombast is what you’re after, you need to schedule a very lengthy appointment with Johnny’s Entertainment 😉
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We have brought you over to the dark side, haven’t we, the one with imagined other better releases in our mind’s eye. Especially on slow release days like today.
Here is mine for today:
In my mind’s eye this particular song is a a-side potential with lousy production values that drown it to deep b-side. In my mind’s eye, that youtuber Johnny redoes this one for the better like he redid that Kaachi song.
This sounds like a song composed in the studio and not in their garage on their instruments which would have refined it. The structure of the song isn’t that bad, but the way it comes out is sucky. Really the drum kit line just sucks and the languid synth sucks the rest of the life out of this song. It comes out as a way too slow 1-2 beat instead of the 6/8’s time that it is. 6/8’s time people, I love 6/8’s time! In my minds eye, they swap the drum kit for actual drums with interesting, jazzier snare and hit hat rhythms. The synth has an actual counter melody instead of beating out chords, and they better pick a better setting than “basic synth 4”.
The vocal. The vocal is OK. A harmony would help in key parts of the verses instead of simple alternating singers. Both singers singing at the same time.
Or how about this, how about only the acoustic bass and the two voices. On a boat! Oooh. The thought of That puts my in a far better imagined mood than the one I am in right now listening to the actual song.
Pah, time to go listen to YoungK singing “Fly me to the moon” again, with one acoustic guitar, on a boat, just for me. ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLYIvO4EZJ4
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Oh wait, the song as is, … …. I dunno, a 7?
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Oof, that NCT comment really hits home. I can’t wait for the day Doyoung has a part (or a whole song) that lets him show off as much as he did on Masked Singer.
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I have a big bias when it comes to rock bands, since I have grown up listening to it. So, it’s expected that I will like it a lot. The song is a decent ballad with a nice melody, and it reminded me of those 2010s releases of Nell. It’s a solid 8 for me, but honestly they could do more than this.
Listening to the album, only 3 are actual songs while the rest were… I don’t know what to explain. The track I like the most is landed; it greatly reminded me of those retro styled songs, preferably boyhood’s retro love.
I’m waiting for any buried treasure nick, if there are any lol
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I get what you mean, but I definitely disagree. Maybe it’s because I was well aware this track would be a ballad (intuition? Young K seemed like he was on the ballad track to me), but I think it’s a step beyond pleasant background fare, even though my opinion of most ballads with beats ranges from happy neutrality to detestation. Day6 have some of the best voices in the industry and I really feel that their performances elevate any track as much as a full point or two on the rating scale. As biased as I surely am towards any incarnation of Day6, I think this isn’t their best work — their best is such a high bar, though, so I do still certainly like this one.
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Lol kinda surprised you thought this wouldn’t be a ballad! It’s not their best by any means but the lyrics are really sweet and the video holds a special meaning so I appreciate that.
Landed is a great song, tho. Liked that one a lot.
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Hoping that Landed would come out as a Buried Treasure from here! Or Thanks To as well but Landed connected with me in an instant because it was fun and very much a synthpop song I would put in the same vein as days gone by or in a new wave aspect together with Deep In Love!
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can you please do a review of baby you’re mine by high school cause i like your reviews. that is quite good and 2nd gen type song.
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Hello! This is my first time finding about your reviews and I’ve been reading so many of them HAHA
I actually really like this song (im a Day6 stan so im biased and Im also a sucker for ballads) I do wish there were more harmonies in the song (Maybe during the second verse) just to add a bit more punch to the song.
I LOVED the strong harmonies at the end with Wonpil and YoungK. I was reading the translated lyrics on Youtube and they are actually really good (imo)
Overall I’d probably give it an 8! Musically it may not be their most amazing release but I think their vocals and the lyrics really carried this song.
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Boring, I expected it to be more Pink Floyd-esque and the highlight medley got me hyped for no reason aside from the solid b-sides they delivered. Is this the direction they’re going for when Jae is on the verge of getting kicked?
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