KQ Entertainment’s Ateez is back with another mini-album.
Titled Golden Hour: Part 2, Ateez’s new EP is – shockingly – the second part to Golden Hour: Part 1.
Opening up with the Weeknd-tinged “DEEP DIVE,” this first track is a great example of Ateez’s chops when it comes to flow; it’s solid, groovy, with a dark, more adult ambiance than most Ateez tracks.
After the short, minute-long interlude “Scene: Value 1,” we get to the title track of the EP, “Ice On My Teeth.” This track leaves me conflicted; it’s catchy, and I don’t dislike it in general, but it feels a bit generic from a group I’m used to a signature sound from. Not to mention, the English lyrics are largely nonsensical. That being said, it’s bouncy and fun – so in no way is it a total write-off.
Next up is “Man On Fire,” another arguably lukewarm track. It’s not as fun as “Ice On My Teeth,” but the flows are solid and it has a similar dark ambiance to “DEEP DIVE,” but the vocal effects on the chorus feel a little bit grating when usually I enjoy this style of production for Ateez.
The rest of the album is a different story, however. The fifth track, “Selfish Waltz,” is my favourite off the EP – it’s more melodic than the other tracks on Golden Hour: Part 2 and saw several replays before I felt able to move on from it after the first listen. It has a quiet drama about it, plus some gorgeous falsetto from the Ateez members throughout the song, and some fun synth muttered throughout the track.
Finishing up the mini-album we have “Enough,” which starts off strong with a sample of some looped siren sounds. Another track with rumbling synth, the chorus is the real strong point of this track; it has a more hopeful sound, which is shown in the lyrics – ‘don’t stop believing how you got here / hold onto that feeling / gonna make it far enough.’
Now almost seven years into their journey as a group, Ateez have cemented their presence as a group with their own sound and style – despite a small misstep on this most recent mini-album, that’s very much still true.
Stay up to date with Ateez on their YouTube and Instagram.
Listen to the album here.
