Album: Tomorrow X Together - The Chaos Chapter: Freeze

This second full-length album from South Korean quintet TXT scrambles musical genres in rich and fascinating ways. From the fizzing hi-hats and dreamy chords of opener “Anti-Romantic” to the harmonic stasis and minimalist groove of “Frost” which brings the eight-track collection to an impressive close, textures, timbres and tempos are impressively varied throughout.

Beginning with the merest hint of vinyl crackle before bass and drums kick in, “Magic” is a bona fide summer banger which packs an enormous amount of detail into just a shade over two and a half minutes – a killing vocal arrangement, funky clav riffs, swelling synth pads, plus the dramatic drop before the final chorus. It’s a song that’s guaranteed to set heads nodding in all corners of the world.

Seeing Olly Murs namechecked as one of the writers of “Magic” wasn’t the only surprise when the official track list for The Chaos Chapter: Freeze hit the Twittersphere earlier this week. BTS rapper RM also chips in with lyrics for the album’s soaring title track “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)”, which sees the sweet-toned singer-songwriter Seori combining mellifluously with the voices of the quintet.

Compositionally speaking, all five TXT members step up to the plate. The instantly memorable “Ice Cream” features Soobin as a co-writer, while Yeonjun, Beomgyu and Taehyun are listed among the co-writers of the silky smooth “What If I Had Been That PUMA”. Cranking up the BPM by several notches, the uber-catchy “No Rules” – which four of the band had a hand in writing – gives a knowing glance back to “New Rules” from the group’s first studio album, 2019’s The Dream Chapter: Magic. Bathed in a generous reverb and fuelled by a raw, rock-like energy, the combination of chorus chant and guitar power chords ensures that “Dear Sputnik” lingers especially long in the memory.

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