New WJSN music may be a distant memory, but today marks the solo debut of one of its members. Seola has been involved with many sub-unit projects and recorded a couple OSTs on her own. She’s also done a lot of acting, raising her profile. A solo career in music makes sense and with any luck will run concurrent to group work.

Those expecting to hear WJSN’s spacey synth sound may be surprised by Without U. With this song, Seola’s gone for a more organic, emotional style. The cathartic melodies and guitar-driven instrumental recall early Taeyeon tracks. Seola’s explosive vocal also recalls Taeyeon in some ways. This is not a complaint. In fact, it’s quite a compliment.

Without U doesn’t go as far as I’d like it to, stopping at “pleasant” rather than pushing itself to become more. However, the track is toe-tapping and enjoyable all the way through. I especially like the melody in the pre-chorus and the way the vocal arrangement in the chorus brings new texture to the song. More importantly, I appreciate how this solo debut establishes a sound different from (yet complimentary to) WJSN. That’s exactly how solo work should function.

Grade: B