KickFlip have developed a pattern of dropping a pre-release before each new album. These are often more sentimental rock tracks before the title track hits us with a bombastic burst of fun. They’ve also been uniformly excellent. From Band-Aid to Twenty, their pre-releases have almost done more to make me a fan than their heavily promoted material has. This is all to say, new track Puzzle Piece (미완성) has a lot to live up to.

KickFlip are near the point in their career where the industry expects their music to “mature” — a tricky pivot for most boy groups that often results in darker, moodier and less-enjoyable material. However, KickFlip have already done a nice job laying the groundwork and I predict that any perceived “maturation” will only see them going deeper into their rock influences. Such is the case with Puzzle Piece, which expands their sound palette by taking a more muted approach. Longtime readers of this blog will know that I rarely used the word “muted” in a complimentary way and that still stands with Puzzle Piece. The song works because it retains the group’s focus on melody and strong performance, but it definitely doesn’t hit me right out of the gate the way their past work has.

Instead, this track feels like it will grow more addictive with time and in the context of a (hopefully) strong album. It relies heavily on mood and atmosphere, deploying vocal effects to further soften the texture. Fortunately, this aesthetic is anchored by a strong series of melodies at the song’s core. I especially enjoy the staccato rhythm that gives the pre-chorus a stabbing, urgent quality. This helps cut through the overly intangible production that characterizes the rest of Puzzle Piece. I’ll be curious to see how this one ages.

Grade: B