Song Review:: n.SSIGN: Birth of Cosmo- Wormhole: New Track {Debut}

• Release date: 2023 August 09

• Album tracklist: Higher, Wormhole: New Track, SPICE, Melody, Home, SPICE (Inst.), Melody (Inst.), Home (Inst.)

• Album runtime: 26 minutes

Since I've been looking for a few more reviews to add to last year's August releases, I went for a debut that thankfully is from a group where all the members were adults at debut. Not that it helped with Eddie's later difficulties. I genuinely hope he's doing better right now and getting the help he needs, but this was before that, when everything was bright and hopeful and good.

Sometimes it's good to remember the good times. It helps us withstand the hard.

Fighting, Eddie.

Wow, those instrumentals are particularly appropriate for me to be reviewing during the Month of Spookening. There's something about discordant high notes that sets my teeth on edge, in a good way. It's likely partially caused by my love of the Halloween movie and its theme, as well as how often xylophones show up in horror video game soundtracks. We also got some xylophone action going on here. But this also features creepy doll laughing and winding clocks or wristwatches. We have all the horror staples happening, and I love it.  My favorite part is none of those, however. My favorite part is something that I likely would only have noticed at this point, because I only recognize it because of something that came out this year. There's a high-pitched "bum bum bum bum" during the chorus that is also featured in xikers's Tsuki (Lunatic), which also is on the creepy side, so it's pretty cool that the two songs have the same sample being used, especially when they're both creepy, one obviously a lot more than the other. 

There's something a little disturbing, once again in a good way, about the higher pitched instrumentals, and when the members settle and sing and rap in lower tones. It creates a very full sound, but one with an edge. The whispering is also wonderfully creepy. The whole thing is intense, using focused intensity instead of a general blast of sound through the whole thing. Also, I appreciate some of the layering we're hearing with the vocals. It's not as intricate as I likely would have liked, but as a debut, if I'd been in a position to pay attention, I likely would have latched onto them like a tick on a hound.

Twenty seconds in, and I'm slamming the yes button. This is added to the spooky playlist I'm building. Done. Sold. The choreography. The camera work. I'm honestly not sure there's a single still shot, which is both fascinating and creates an intense sense of dynamics and tension. The lighting. The costuming. This is all very, very good.