Song Review:: New-L: LIBRE- Focus {Debut}

• Release date: 2024 September 27

• Album tracklist: Focus, Tomorrow, Beautiful Night(AC Ver), Focus (Instrumental), Tomorrow (Instrumental), Beautiful Night(AC Ver) (Instrumental)

• Album runtime: 3 minutes

 A new, three-member girl group has arrived! I think there's some history there, but honestly, I have no idea what it would be. There was a twitter post that mentioned something, if you're curious. But, they're all adults! The youngest one is 23 and a model, and the oldest one is also a member of the group Rumble-G (which is now a duo) and is the first Burmese artist to debut in South Korea. The middle member has the same birthday as NU'EST (March 15th) and, like the maknae, is a model. So, let's get to it!

There is a lot happening in the instrumentals. It has moments where it quiets, but for the most part, it's a wall of sound that is a little distracting from the vocals. But there are some seriously interesting things happening in the instrumentals that make me wish they could have had a moment to stop out on their own, or were layered better so that they were more subtle. But either way, I highly recommend you listen to this song with headphones. The science fiction warbling takes full advantage of a left-right auditory system, and in another song could be a real highlight. Here, I don't have time to process it, nor time to enjoy the fact that what I'm hearing is normally one of my favorite things to hear. The other thing that I would like verified, or to be told that I'm completely wrong because that would also be fine, is the issue of the mixing. The instrumentals do not support the members' voices. In places, the volume of the instrumentals overpower them. Is it just me? I hope it's not just me feeling that way. And it's a shame because I think I like what I'm hearing here.

There are shades of GFriend to the vocalists, which would normally be a huge compliment, but with the instrumentals the way they are, I couldn't begin to tell you how similar the shades actually are. One could be a lilac, and the other could be a magenta. Or a plum and mauve. I have to appreciate that one of them has a lower, husky voice. With this being the debut single, and their only sample, I hope that in the future we get to hear more of that, because that is not something we hear a whole lot of in the industry. I can think of a handful that get to use their lower registers. Granted, I don't casually listen to a lot of girl groups because of the aforementioned register issue because I'm an alto and I like being able to sing along to songs near my own key without having to go into a falsetto. So there could be a lot of girl groups that have members who get to go lower, and I'm excited to get to know them as I do these reviews, starting with New-L. Honestly, this song kind of reminds me La Vie En Rose by IZ*ONE. I don't think the quality is nearly as high as with La Vie En Rose, but the sound is similar. Their voices don't seem to be the issue. I want to be clear on this. I can't hear them particularly well because the instrumentals are so loud, but what I'm hearing doesn't seem to be an issue, which is good. I'm seeing that as a positive.

As a debut, this should be an indication of what the group is about, their general skills, and their company's dedication to the group. This is a showcase of trained talent and charisma. 

In the case of Focus, I'm not overly enthused about the choreography. I don't see that it matches the tone of the song, which I had to put through a translator so I could understand what was going on, and there's some tonal dissonance happening. For a lyrically intense love song that absolutely does not match a cute, soft sound, the dancing feels a little lackluster. But with other girl groups that have softer choreography, there's still an intensity and focus to them. And the choreography itself isn't going to be the fault of the members, most likely. But the level of polish I'm not seeing is concerning.

The problem with the music video I'm seeing is that it lacks a plot. It's very pretty. They did a good job with the camerawork and set, and highlighting the members. But I can't see a story and I can't define their individual characters, which feels like a wasted opportunity. 

All in all, something about the production feels off, and I'm not sure what it is to put my finger on. I'm not writing the group off. This could have been a learning curve for them or the company. Maybe they need more time training. But a single data point does not a a trajectory make. Their next title track may be much improved.

HOWEVER, even with the mixing issues that are still present in the other tracks on the album which I did listen to, I actually like Tomorrow. I like it a lot. There's a harmonica in it, which so deeply impressed me that even if I hadn't already been like "Yes, this one is good," I would have thought it. Beautiful Night(AC Ver) seems to be a pretty standard mellow song. But Tomorrow? That one has a lot of potential. 

Do I prefer my video games to be a complete game upon release without the need for additional patches day 1? Absolutely. I miss those days. But I also understand that development doesn't always allow for that. So, let's see if New-L can get a patch to work out some of the bugs.