When I first heard deulrejang, my impression is of mellow indie and ballad-style music. Then when I saw how many plays she had on Spotify and the five-digit follower count, I was surprised. Mainly I was surprised that I hadn’t heard her before. But when I looked at all the different playlists she was a part of, I found my answer. Her music is on some of the most popular playlists around.
Hi, I am Deulre Jang follows a set of singles going back to her first in 2019. I’m a little surprised that she’s only released singles all this time and Hi, I am Deulre Jang is her first full length. Musically, the album is kind of off the indie pop and ballad path. She uses a lot of the elements, but what sticks out a lot is the vocals. They’re a bit whispy and raspy at times even when they match the melodies of her music.
The front end of the album is mainly piano and woodwinds. Sometimes you’ll get some strings. It creates a calming and welcoming audio experience. Also, deulrejang is smart by not repeating a lot in her composition. Songs all have their own presence. And with 11 songs, the almost 40-minute album could get repetitive.
Just by watching the play numbers on Spotify, it seems that most people get through 2/3 of the album before they trail off. The most played songs, “I don’t know” and “Mindless” are great highlights of the album because they’re similar but different enough to show off her style.
My personal favorite is “For my family.” It’s got a full band along with piano, flute, and recorder. Overall, it has a bigger presence than the mellow songs that deulrejang presents earlier on. The thing is, on Hi, I am Deulre Jang, it’s easy to push the album into the background. I think that the album takes a deliberate effort to truly appreciate everything that she’s doing.
While it may not be a consistent listen, deulrejang’s Hi, I am Deulre Jang is a great album to come back to when you want something unique and pleasant.
Instagram | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.