Phantom returns with new album "Phantom Theory"

Three-member group Phantom returns with their new album "Phantom Theory."


I loved their previous album "Phantom City." The songs on the album were an easy listen and they made a good balance on what works for all three members and their styles. However, this album was pretty disappointing in comparison to their first.

Starting off with "Hide & Chic," I still feel like Kiggen (member of Phantom and also one of the primary producers of Phantom's songs) needs to get over the Far East Movement phase in his life by not adding autotune and making it go up & down in every note on the music scale. He's already received criticisms before about "Hole In Your Face" sounding a little like Rocketeer before, so let's cross fingers that he won't do it in the future (a girl can hope). The beat in the beginning definitely catches your ear and then it becomes a real hot mess after that. It was honestly the wrong people working with the wrong beat in my opinion. I also feel that this is their song to promote Microdot, younger brother of Sanchez, who could possibly sign under Brand New Music after some recognition.

In the case of "Dutch Pay," it's the opposite of the prior song in which the beat was a wrong fit. The lyrics is a fun read, coming from a guy's perspective of wanting to split pay between him and a girl versus the guy always paying on his own. Phantom always has clever lyrics which is what got them noticed before through their "19 Song," a catchy compilation of lyrics from songs that were deemed 19+ by MOGEF. I guess I thought this would be more fitting with a gentle beat like "Seaweed Soup Song" so this song was more so of a pass for me.

I love Sanchez's vocals here in "The Things I Can Do." He holds a very rare kind of vocals because you hardly hear male vocals sing in high pitch, let alone this high of a pitch (Junggigo often hits high notes at peaks of his songs and Bumkey, fellow artist under Brand New Music, sings in high pitch but still a few keys below Sanchez). A random fact, but I started liking Phantom because of Hanhae but I feel like his rapping wasn't really applied very well here (no comment on Kiggen's rapping because I never have comments on it), so that was a little disappointing. You can pretty much listen to this as Sanchez's solo song.

Everything was going well in "Fingernail" until I heard someone who sounds like Dok2 and then I grew confused. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be Kiggen making his voice sound like Dok2 or if this Dok2 soundalike is the "HJ" person featuring in the track, but regardless this is probably my favorite from the album so far. Guitar riff always wins me over and it was nicely played when Phantom all toned down for the song, not making things dramatic and messy.

Oh no, I wanted to believe the Dok2 soundalike from "Fingernail" was the hopeful HJ person but it's back here in "I'll Talk Plainly" so I'm 99.9% positive it's Kiggen...moving on (because Dok2 is never worth the subject), the beat is too chaotic and spazzy for my liking, but Hanhae's rap suits the beat (he's sampled similar chaotic, loud beats for some of the mixtapes in his tracks before) so that part worked out. As I'm live-reviewing this while I listen to it, I'm on the verge of turning this off because if goes back to Kiggen and he suddenly shifted from Dok2 to G-Dragon (my two most favorite people ever). The song has hit rock-bottom where everything and everything went from a decently obnoxious song to a low class "One of a Kind" remix.

Last but not least, their title track "Like Cho Yong Pil." Here's a link to the song without all of the cringe-worthy acting for a straight-through listen. The organization of the song and the buildup of it reminds me of their debut song "Burning" but a much softer version of it. The song also has no affiliation with senior artist Cho Yong Pil with the exception of their one line saying "I'm never going to change and continue singing like Cho Yong Pil" and talks about their love story. A decent listen for a title track that Brand New Music can abuse with press releases about how they respect Cho Yong Pil and gather interest from an older generation than just teens and people in their 20s. Hitting two birds with one stone, but not hitting my birdie of approval.


Not their best but you can't expect much from a three-member group in which one of the members loves Far East Movement and samples it in everything he produces (even during his Hybrefine days). It's a good thing Brand New Music is smart in using a softer-key song for them to promote and I will wait another few months for them to release something hopefully better than what I just spent an hour writing about here.

[REVIEW] Critic's "Piece of Travel 20" EP

Title: Piece of Travel 20
Artist: Critic
Release: July 24, 2012




01. RX (처방전) (Feat. B-Free)

The backtrack is refreshing and has a head-bobbing beat to it which is hard to find in Critic in my opinion because he usually tends to go for a laid-back, jazzy kind of tune but this one's upbeat which throws me off at first but you get used to it when you keep listening through. The downside of this track is that when B-Free's part comes on, he kind of dominates because he's used to rapping on top of upbeat music and his voice fits well with that. If I can compliment this track in favor of Critic, it's that he sounds so much at ease when he's rapping because he has light pauses in between and continues to rap like it's no big deal, almost like he's freestyling without the effort.


02. Canvas

Anything jazzy is a plus for Critic, and the addition of the saxophone had a nice touch to it. Also, his lyrics from time to time are about overcoming the struggles he faces as a musician and he applied that theme to the lyrics of this song as well with similes like "To me, music isn't like an immature kid biting on a sweet piece of candy, but it takes a chunk of my heart and is a built value to which it gives my life pure joy." With lyrics like this, it definitely makes the saxophone sound almost sad as if it's consoling his woes. Ironic that he's spitting out his worries of music and an instrument can sound as if it's comforting him almost.


03. End (Feat. Nusoul)

I almost want to say that I feel like he picks up the pace in his rap with every passing track? If RX seemed like he had the ease to take light pauses for breathing, it's as if he doesn't breathe at all here in End, yet he manages to still make it sound effortless. I like the balance of it though, the slow jam beat and his fast paced rap which makes me think of old school R&B. And although I'm not a big fan of Nusoul, I like that he featured in it because he made it...well, not to sound cheesy but soulful. I can't really think of anyone else who could have featured for the vocals since it sounds like a R&B song that sounds more sticky than sexy? It's hard to describe but I feel like if this were to be a sexy kind of R&B track, a vocalist with a higher pitch can be used. Perfect featuring and a nice song to listen to when relaxing.


04. 홀로 부르는 노래 (Skit)

I normally don't listen to skits for the fact that a good chunk of skits on albums, mixtapes, EPs, and anywhere else that has skits tend to be cheesy talks in the recording booth which makes my skin crawl. However, this was nice. Easy going beat, reminds me of the sound he had going for his mixtape.


05. Fly Away

Maybe it's because it's his title track of his EP, but I feel like he really emphasized his rhymes more than the other tracks here. Has the same head-bobbing beat to it but the flow seems more choppy? Maybe it's because he sings the chorus so I feel like he takes a 1-2 second pause before the chorus hits which makes the song sound a bit choppy. Doesn't seem too much of a strong track in comparison to the others but I can see why he chose it to be the title since his stronger tracks have featurings.


06. Piece of Travel

I feel like this song would have been a more appropriate title song, not just because the title is the same as the title EP but I feel like it's more of a representative track to show what he is with the hard beat and all. His lyrics are also right on the beat of the track so it sticks well. Kind of has an old Jay-Z vibe to it from the millennium or something.


07. Very Berry Strawberry (Bonus Track)

My favorite track from the EP and it's a bonus track lol. I love it when Critic chooses beats like this because his voice is deep so it goes hand-in-hand with a mellow mood. The beat reminds me of something Blazo would make. For a bonus track, it sounds like something he kind of put together in an hour which fits the idea of a bonus track. Very light to the ears, something easy to listen to when I'm stressed, a feel-good song. Instead of him singing choruses like he does Fly Away, I like it when he doesn't try so much but makes his singing as if he's just humming the tune.


08. 가면 무도회 (Remix by Scary'P)

I loved this when he released it as a single and listened to it for days, even having it on my playlist for my blog. The beat is so damn dramatic in this tango-like way like I'm watching an intense movie and this would be the appropriate soundtrack that plays. And normally with a God-given beat (bless your soul Scary'P), some rappers make the mistake of having the wrong lyrics to go with it, no matter how good the flow is but Critic does it so damn well where he revolves his lyrics around the concept of the beat. The title of this song in English is "Masquerade" and the first verse tells it like it's told:

"The dark gaze that sees me through the cracks of my mask
I freeze at a state unable to withhold the stare
Vaguely, and even more secretively,
The Forbidden Game already crushed
Everyone hides themselves behind that mask
If I try to get closer, I'm afraid that I'll have my soul taken away by the glamorous breath
Trying to get a hold of someone on the streets, everything is a lie when asked in this masquerade
My heart full of dust is dull
If I try to open up my heart, the people with greed that's spread unveil their masks
My lips and hands become my knife
Already alcohol and cigarettes have become my cure
On top of the city that's becoming infected is shadowed by night
The masquerade on the streets have begun"

Beautiful.



Rating: 3.5 / 5


If you like the EP, support Critic in purchasing the EP on Yesasia!