Kim Jin Pyo – Vol. 5 Galanty Show

01 Start
02 My Fist ft. Beige
03 Difficult Loaded Base Homerun
04 Still, You… ft. Jang In, Gil
05 Thump Thump ft. Park Jung Hyun
06 Jotka
07 Shadow Play ft. Bobby Kim
08 Wandering Romanticist
09 In Accordance to a Pose ft Lee Haneul, Lisa, Leo, Dynamic Duo
10 Boonga Boonga
11 Don’t Look For Me
12 Let’s Carry and Play
13 Moral Hazard Romance
14 Regretful Song
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Kim Jin Pyo has come back with his fifth studio album after four years. This time, he took charge in composing, producing, and writing the entire album (with the exception of the lyrics for “Wandering Romanticist”), thus taking him over three years to finish. Included in this album are fourteen tracks of various genres, ranging from gypsy to trance sounds. Although the basic genre of the songs is hip-hop, these extra sounds will entice listeners. In addition, there were many famous artistes featured in the album, including Beige, Park Jung Hyun, Bobby Kim, Lisa, and Dynamic Duo.

The title track of the album is “Shadow Play”, which features Bobby Kim. The song starts off with sounds of the subway and soft beats, followed by a sad melody. Kim Jin Pyo’s rap flows well with Bobby Kim’s voice as they talk about not being able to do anything, not getting attention from anyone, and being alone. The song definitely brings out the depressing mood.

The album starts off with the introduction “Start”, which is a short rap that basically summarizes Kim Jin Pyo’s life from when he was a kid to the days he became a singer. It includes various parts of his life such as his first kiss and his school days. The song is very upbeat and catchy, a good way to start off the album. The album continues with various songs such as “Still…You”, which features Jang In, Gil. I personally liked the beginning, with the smooth beats and fast rap. It seemed very dramatic as the song maintained its momentum with female vocals.

A song I enjoyed was “In Accordance to a Pose” which features Lee Haneul, Lisa, Leo, and Dynamic Duo. The background beats were very catchy, with a bit of an electronica flavor. Lisa’s vocals flowed well with the different rappers, each showing their skills. Another song worth mentioning is “Don’t Look For Me” which is a hip-hop song that begins with sounds of various cameras clicking, followed by haunting female vocals which beg for no one to look for her. The song is once again pretty dramatic, and people who like dark sounds may particularly enjoy it. “Moral Hazard Romance”, on the other hand, has a more techno tone to it and “Regretful Song”, which is the last track, ends the album with a lighter happier song. The song is livelier and relaxing. Kim Jin Pyo’s rap blends well with the female vocals and a cat crooning in the background.

A song that I found very distinctive was “Let’s Carry and Play” which uses traditional Korean sounds along with hip-hop beats. The male and female vocals are very representative of a traditional Korean circus where they beckon the audience as well as pump up the crowd.

Overall, I felt that this was a great album that Kim Jin Pyo was able to successfully stamp his mark on. Despite the fact that there were many songs that were similar in style (rap with female vocal), they were all worth listening. I feel that fans of artistes such as MC Mong or fans of hip-hop and rap will enjoy the songs Kim put much effort in.

4/5

5/5 - Even if you're not a fan of this artist/group this album is a must buy.
4/5 - If you're a fan of this artist/group, you must buy this album.
3/5 - If you're a fan of this artist/group, you might want to add this one to your collection.
2/5 - I don't think a fan would even buy this.
1/5 - You might as well just flush your money down the toilet