EVAN Vol. 1 - Hard To Breath

Hard to Breath is produced by Tony An, making for a curious marriage of H.O.T. and Click-B, though the resultant sound resembles neither groups. The album boasts top-notch production values, and if it all doesn't quite feel like K-pop, one big reason is that composing duties were wholly outsourced to American, European, and Japanese musicians. Tony was actively involved with the whole album and even provided background vocals for quite a few of the tracks. Interestingly, with this album he has been able to do for Yoo Ho Seok what he hasn't been able to do for his own solo music career - be relevant. This is less criticism of Tony than praise for Evan. Many boybanders have released solid solo albums, but few have succeeded in stepping outside the boundaries of their groups' legacies. Evan does it here. When I listen to Hard to Breath, I hear only him, and never Click-B.

What initially drew me to the album was the excellent first plug, "Men...Can't Help It Either" (Track 3). The song starts quiet and crinkly, building anticipation with strong beats and moody arrangement and lyrics; the refrain is soft, smooth, layered, and earpleasingly catchy. Evan conveys the emotions well in his singing, and I find myself humming this song in my head a bit too often. Basically this is about all I can ask for from a mid-tempo ballad. Another mood-setting number is Where is your heart (Track 10), an acid jazz pop number with fabulous arrangement. The strong beats, haunting background vocals, and rousing chorals complement the melody and Evan's vocals well, making for a unique and memorable track. Always in my head (Track 12) sneaks up on you with an off-the-beat melody that slowly takes form as notes become pronounced, beats become claps, and vocals become full.

Not all songs are pieced together as well as these three, though still very much worth listening to. "Half" (Track 6) is hard to pin down at first. It starts strong, but the combination of distinct beats and indistinct melody don't make a clear impression initially; when the refrain comes in, the song finally falls into place as Evan's voice soars dramatically and deliberately. Unfortunately, the track drags with an overly predictable bridge that brings down the song's mood somewhat. Eternal sunshine (Track 4) has the same weakness, starting out brisk, rhythmic, and beat-heavy, leading to an excellent R&B refrain that is airily fast-paced, harmonic, and layered. The transition between the two sections, however, is generic pop fare, weakening the song. Though these two tracks falter a bit, they are strong in parts and put together some interesting sounds. In comparison, karaoke-friendly up-tempo pop number All about your love (Track 8) and the pleasantly lulling "Consolation (Such A Good Place)" (Track 8) are solid overall, but more within the confines of mainstream K-pop.

Silky urban ballad This Song (Track 2) has an unstructured composition that draws from jazz, R&B, and Latin music influences. The song stays at a fairly high pitch and Evan's voice is comfortable throughout, save for one rather sudden falsetto jump. His smooth staccato singing style helps bring identity to this rather amorphous song. Evan does have to stretch a bit for "Love Is..." (Track 5), an old-time jazzy piano lounge number that is meltingly mellow. His singing isn't relaxed enough here, too soft and restrained at some points and too pointed and pronounced at other points. Considering the difficulty of the track, however, his performance is satisfactory overall.

Evan also delves into some airy, alternative sounds in "Restless Night" (Track 7) and Overcome (Track 9). The former has an atmospheric arrangement and free melody, a combination of fast beats and lingering vocals topped with electronica and Bossa Nova. The latter, composed by Japan's Coldfeet, is an eerily tranquil and fluid mid-tempo number with standout bass and beats. Evan handles the song fine, but the composer's stamp here is stronger than that of the singer.

Hard to Breath offers a wonderfully varied selection of songs that come together into a remarkable and remarkably different album. Of course, Evan is not the first K-pop singer to experiment with jazz, but the direction this album takes is clearly thought out and goes beyond gimmicks and genre conventions. This album is a little step forward for K-pop, and a big step forward for Yoo Ho Seok.