Song Review:: TNX: CALL ME BACK- CALL ME BACK

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  • Release date: 2026 January 22
  • Album tracklist: CALL ME BACK, Love letter
  • Album runtime: 6 minutes

 I like these guys. They're funny. I really wish that ASC was still going (still holding out hope...) because they're delightful. These guys are Psy's kids who have a new younger sister group now (Baby DONT Cry) and their general chill vibe is a delight. Hmmm. Maybe I'll do one of their episodes this week for the re-run.

Why are so many groups giving us rock songs lately? Removing AxMxP's new album because they actually are a rock band, I think this is like the fifth or sixth one this month. I'm not complaining about it at all because I love rock and there's an automatic bloom of saturated color that you get from rock songs. Call Me Back doesn't just give us a burst of color at the same level though, because there is a much needed rest spot for the ears and for the performers to get a little bit softer and catch their breath before they get back to what I'm sure is some intense choreography. The way the electric guitar acts as a punctuation mark through much of the song is good though because it becomes an anticipatory full body pound. The consistency allows you to relax, but it isn't like that through the entire song, so it doesn't become boring. 

They continue to hit that sweet spot of Blink-182, Green Day, Nickelback, Jimmy Eat World sound. This reminds me of the bands I really liked that were part what my older siblings listened to and part of my own musical exploration as I started getting a little older. Honestly, if you were to tell me that this was a band, not an idol group, I'd believe you. There's almost an Avril Lavigne or The Chicks edge to their vocals as well. But the fun thing is that the song has a lot of spots where the members get to almost interject and play with each other, including layering and harmonization. The ad-libs start up early rather than being restricted to the last third or quarter of the song, and it makes the song so vocally interesting. We also get hints of vibrato and I'm all about that.

Also, I love Love letter. It reminds me a bit of Killing Me by iKON. But happier, and with a violin.

I would have eaten this song up as a teenager. Nevermind that I never got ghosted and had surprisingly healthy relationships as a teenager. But I would have completely eaten this up. The music video is hilarious and styled like it's an indie video that they did themselves, which also fully matches the aesthetic of the song itself. It's the garage band thing, although I'm not sure if there's an idol equivalent. We don't get a lot of choreography for the song, but that's okay. We get to see them being dorks.



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