After a very strong debut year, SixTONES’ musical direction has become quite hit or miss for me. I loved the big rock sound of tracks like New Era and ST and consider them the best overall template for the group’s sound. But, those songs seem to have been left in the past. Since then, I find myself dividing SixTONES’ work into three categories. We’ve got indie-leaning alt rock, chorus-less EDM banger clangers and ultra-generic radio pop fluff. Of these three, the first category holds the most promise. I just don’t think the quality of the songs has gotten there yet.
On first listen, the group’s newest album isn’t changing that opinion. It lacks the highs of last year’s City and the excellent consistency of 2021’s 1st. Boom-Pow-Wow is an easy standout and an obvious choice for promotional single, though its approach hinges on one musical idea repeated often. Its ‘electro-swing meets rock’ sound has tons of potential and isn’t too far from something a group like Snow Man might record. The energy is sharp and exciting and the guys eagerly relish the song’s simple, party-fueling vibe.
However, Boom-Pow-Wow feels dangerously close to novelty. Its chorus echoes the same melody delivered by a squeaky brass loop woven through much of the track. This riff quickly becomes repetitive and – at worst – grating. SixTONES’ free-wheeling nature has always been a big part of their musical output and Boom-Pow-Wow‘s noisiness fits that brand. If you can get into a certain frame of mind, it’s good, dumb fun. But, it’s also the latest in a series of tracks that makes me curious where exactly Johnny’s intends on taking this group.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
Grade: C
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The problem _is_ that squeaky brass loop. It is entirely wrong, and even worse underneath a vocal. They should have either shifted that same synth line to another button selection on the synth. Or scrapped in favor or REAL HORNS, who wouldn’t play it as squeaky sixteenth notes but as real nice tootly toot fanfare.
Bring back the Brass! Dammit!
Its a basic problem of contemporary pop music, where they play a synth that sounds like an instrument, but that is not how the instrument sounds.
‘https://youtu.be/-lNyQKqsTYc?t=146
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“The problem is that squeaky brass loop” should be the new sub-heading of my blog 🙂
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It’s fun, but it tires me quickly. The main chords are very simple, and combining it with a tempo so quick, it’s easy to make a listener exhausted with the progression. Perhaps it’s just me that didn’t get the way J-music trends get developed or if this is based on the current trend, too.
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