Jisun - Mermaid...Coming Back Home

It has to be a good year for releasing good music. 2008, to me, was a so-so year for the Korean music arena. I only remembered the most famous at the final quarter of the year was bombarded by Rain's "Love Story" and the famous "magic stick" dance (Rainism), DBSK's equally controversial "Mirotic", Wonder Girls' and their "Nobody" dance, Baek Ji-young's "Like Being Shot" and a few others...Big Bang...

But I still enjoyed 2008, with Clazziquai's Alex releasing his first solo album "My Vintage Romance" in June and a few other singles, with two by J.

But why am I reminiscising on the past? 2009 didn't take a breather. Kara and their "Pretty Girl" was the favorite pop, now replaced with Girls' Generation's "Gee"...Gee, I haven't been keeping up with K-pop charts now.

But, I have been keeping my ears open for gems like this:


Currently on my playlist, Jisun of Loveholic fame has to be a great gem. Songwriter and singer, Jisun left rock band (not really rock rock per se) Loveholic in 2007 to launch her solo career. Though she didn't release a solo album last year after leaving Loveholic, except a single featuring Clazziquai's Alex (who's another solid gem of its own), she has finally come up with her solo debut, loosely translated as "Mermaid...Coming Back Home".

And what can I say? If you like a bit of experimental, a bit of electronica, a bit of rock, a bit of pop, a bit of ballad and solid singing, then this works perfect for you.

Track list: (Literally translated, took from z-degrees.net)

1. Someone Somewhere Someday
2. 인어...집으로 돌아오다 (Mermaid...Coming Back Home)
3. 안녕 마음아 (Goodbye Heart)
4. 롤러코스터 러브 (Rollercoaster Love)
5. Universe
6. Windflower (feat. Alex)
7. 그는 널 사랑하지 않아 (He Doesn't Love You)
8. 보고싶어 (I Miss You)
9. 지구인 (Earthling [but also known as Endurance])
10. Phony War
11. 우리가 나눈 사랑의 진실 (The Truth About The Love We Share)
12. L O V E
13. Polaris

(Goodbye Heart, the album's signature song)

Mind you, Jisun wrote everything herself. It's pretty much picking up where her group career ended. Though I cannot compare Loveholic and Jisun because she is the lead singer there and I didn't really listen to Loveholic before I touch this album. But I can safely say, she didn't throw away her talents and didn't go very far from Loveholic's style.

And being a music lover, I admit, I liked 95% of her album. The other 5% rested on more of the not-so-used to two songs on the track. Yes, I like the first track itself, never mind there is nothing singing there.

After being so tied down by ballads, this is a good, refreshing change without being over poppish, rockish and experimentalish. And if the music taste doesn't suit your taste, listen for the voice.

(I Miss You, where her voice sounds a bit Dido-ish, but one of my most favorite tracks nonetheless)

Sometimes, her voice sounded a bit like Dido (which I also like) and Horan (of Clazziquai, which I like as well) but she is distinctive on her own.

I won't say anything about the lyrics, cause I can't understand Korean enough to save my life, but her English is quite alright, though on her Earthling (track 9) track, the chorus goes this way:

"My love hold me now
My love heal me now
Cause you are my medicine and I'll be your medicine"

A bit of an odd usage of words there, but hey, maybe the Korean parts make it up from there. I'm not complaining. Her album is under the genre of experimental anyway. And as you know, experimental can also mean non-conservative lyrics.

Just to warn you again: There's a bit of a 70's style (the ones you hear on Light.fm), a little disco-ish, especially for track 11. I'm listening to it and was thinking of bell bottoms and platform shoes already.

But I like the experimental/electronica/rock feel to this album. When mixed together nicely, it's seriously a good earful. (Haha. earful.)

Check out the rest of her songs on YouTube.

I'm bias. I'm giving this 4.7 stars out of 5.