Back in 2021, hanbee released her solo EP in and out and another EP as a part of Blee. She’s returned with a new EP in 2022 that’s brighter and more pop-forward that fits the season perfectly. hanbee’s vocals are still in the spotlight, but her instrumentals add another piece to her improved skillset.
“odd” is a jazz-light introduction to odd one out. The lazy tempo combined with multiple electronic samples and keyboards feel like a day in the park as the sun appears behind the clouds. The English vocals are pleasant and hanbee is comfortable in her range.
hanbee flexes some electronic pop skills on “late.” It also includes a feature by Taebz. The two vocal lines work well. Taebz’s vocals are in a slightly higher octave than hanbee’s, but work as a companion rather than a counterpoint. “Wonder” sounds like a midpoint between in and out and odd one out. It’s more melancholy and lowkey compared to “late.” I really like the groove that she presents on the track.
“Eyes” goes deeper into a jazz-pop world. The keyboards are the companion to hanbee’s vocals on the track and split the album up perfectly. The track shows how her vocals can mold and meld with different styles. I do think she’s happy sitting in a comfortable vocal range, though I’m really curious to hear her true range.
woo! joins hanbee on “soft.” The song feels like the most current trend style song, mixing R&B with her regular style. It’s a quick song, more like an interlude that essentially introduces “dice & checkers.” Listening to odd one out, it’s interesting that the more energetic songs sit at the front of the EP and the mellow tracks close off the release.
hanbee is a fun artist to listen to. She’s got a great vocal style that’s a mixture of jazz and pop with the quiet addition of electronic samples when needed. I wonder if Blee has something new in the works as well, but you can’t go wrong with odd one out.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.