Western Kite‘s ultraviolet! was a great mix of indie pop and funk. It was able to showcase a lot of sides of her style. Now on hi love, Western Kite focuses more on indie pop rock. The EP shows Western Kite’s growth while exploring a style that was hinted at in her previous release.
One big difference is that hi love contains more live instruments instead of samples, especially in percussion. hi love has a drum set that gives the entire EP a new tone. “sky blue” opens hi love with a low-key indie pop track. Mixing guitar, bass, and drums together with her vocals and you get an easygoing track that welcomes you. The only big addition is a string layer that adds a little dimension.
“roygbiv” is a mixed English and Korean track. It’s one of my favorites with its sing-song verses and simple, but effective instrumentals. The track is warm and enjoyable. While there isn’t a huge crescendo or switch in the song, it flows like a warm breeze.
I’m assuming that “I LOVE YOU” is featured on a playlist because it has the most Spotify plays, but it’s understandable because “I LOVE YOU” is Western Kite’s indie rock track. It has the most engaging chorus among the four songs and feels like it can easily capture the listener. I would definitely like to hear her explore more in this style.
Closing hi love, “심.장.박.동 my heart” is another indie rock track that adds in a little bit of pop. Next to “I LOVE YOU,” this song could be the key to attracting more fans. It does sound different than other songs on hi love, but it has the same addictive nature as her other tracks.
hi love comes and goes quickly, but each song has something to get your attention. I like this progression from ultraviolet! and I think there’s a good way to mix each release’s style together. But if she does go further in hi love’s direction, I’m all for it.
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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.