It’s almost summer.

And even though I’m stuck in an office most of the day, summer is still a time for brighter and lighter things. Breezy, even.

That is why I finally purchased EXO’s The War last week. This is an album that came out last August, but that so perfectly encapsulates a summer vibe that it’s still worth it.

Despite the fact that most of my favorite EXO songs are from other albums, The War is by far my favorite EXO album.

Why is this?

Because this is the first EXO album that actually sounds like an album.

One of my biggest issues with k-pop, and most current artists, is how single-oriented everything is. Maybe it’s because I came of age when artists still put out full albums, albums that took you on a journey and told a story, but I really like the exploration of themes that you can pull out of a collection of songs.

For example, G-Dragon is phenomenal at packing an entire relationship’s worth of feeling into a 4-minute song, but even the MADE album is a disconnected collection of emotions. Each song is nearly perfect, but the whole is pretty discombobulated.

So when I listened to The War, and heard that all the songs share a semi-cohesive sound, I was over the moon. Some songs are sexy, some are hype, and others are melancholy, but they all work together to create an atmosphere that really works.

This is especially different from EXO’s past albums, which were the musical equivalent of “throw the spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.”

I, for one, am glad that they stuck it out and combined a reggae-inspired feel (tested in “24”) with a dangerous feel (confirmed with “Monster”). Because as we know, SM Ent is always A/B testing.

And that’s fine with me, because the end result is something that I love to listen to.

Okay, let’s talk favorites
My absolutely most best favorite song on this album is “Forever.”

It’s a lot of people’s faces, and for good reason. The declarative horn samples and those inside out harmonies get to me every single time.

My other favorite is “Going Crazy,” and not only because it features a REVERB FLUTE ARPEGGIO, but because it combines so many different styles in a very rhythmically satisfying way.

I also enjoy “The Eve” and “What U Do,” and regard “Kokobop” with great fondness.

There are 3 tiny changes I would make on this album:

  • Move the cool bass run in “What U Do” from beat 1 to beat 2 for some premium counterpoint action
  • Change the intro to “Kokobop” so it’s a little more assertive and sounds less like a metronome
  • Continue the REVERB FLUTE ARPEGGIO in “Going Crazy” – or rather have it morph into a descant – until the end of the section. It disappears too quickly in its current form.

Overall, though, it’s a great listen. Good variety within a cohesive sound, and all the songs are quality even when they’re not my favorites.

There’s a reason it’s been on repeat in my car this week.

Plus, this is the comeback that blessed us with Mullet Baekhyun, so really. No downside.