1. Atmos // 2. Hours // 3. Possibility // 4. Anti Believer // 5. Still Raining // 6. Thousand Miles Away

HOURS

This mini album was billed as a showcase of SHINee’s signature charm, which is really a gift for fans. If an act has mastered a sound or genre, there’s no reason not to go back to that well. For Hours, the “well” in question is a sleek funk-pop approach. This song could have emerged from almost any SHINee album since their debut and that timelessness is a total strength.

Hours tempers its funk with moments of pullback after each chorus. As always, I think the producers could have picked more interesting percussion here than reheated trap beats, but these segments don’t last long and barely drag down the energy. I like the idea of a post-chorus breakdown and wonder what it could have sounded like with guitar (or any other instrumental touch, really).

When it comes to Hours, the chorus is its highlight. It’s snappy and exciting, powered by SHINee’s inimitable vocal blend. There’s a world where the production kept up more consistently with these melodies and we’d have another Married To The Music highlight, but as a b-side track this is decidedly above average and I suspect it’ll have a long shelf life.

Grade: B