Lucy is the third full-fledged band I’ve covered here, which means that they compose, write, and play instruments. The members are Wonsang (bass), Sangyeop (guitar and vocals), Gwangil (drums), and Yechan (violin), and they debuted in 2020. Apparently, the name Lucy is in honor of a dog that lived close to where they practiced, which is pretty funny.
Here are my credentials: Uh…very few, I’m afraid. Lucy caught my eye in a compilation video (or rather, the violin did), and I decided to check out their music. I know a few title tracks, but very few of their b-sides, and very little about the members themselves, so I’m looking forward to learning more.
As the title says, I wrote this review with my Dad, when I was home for break, who was both the closest willing participant and also quite a talented viola player, so I wanted his opinions and knowledge on string instruments for this. He’s also played violin, though it’s not what he’s focused on at the moment. And he also happens to be a (now retired) documentary maker, so I wanted his opinion on music videos’ cinematography. I’ve featured him on the blog before, both in my ATEEZ concert review (which he came to with me) and the Wonder Girls review with both of my parents, but this is his solo debut. So be nice—to him, at least, be mean to me!
Single #1: Flowering
Flowering, their debut, was also the first song I’d heard of Lucy’s, from a compilation video (the name of which I’ve unfortunately forgotten). It begins understated, but later blossoms (ha!) into a very catchy though still gentle pop song, absolutely giving the feeling of spring coming into the air. The violin adds a kind of texture not usually seen in k-pop, and its beautiful instrumental section is one of my favorite parts. The colorful powders exploding Really, this song is stunning. What a way to start. The intro is also quite lovely; it even had my dad pausing what he was doing and come watch, which is what started this whole thing.
“Well, I like it already,” he said, then, of Yechan, “he’s so talented…and it starts out so simple, just some simple fingerings on the fingerboard, and then you have this whole complicated section near the end.” And then, right at the end, Dad said, “Oh! He broke a hair on the bow, with all that staccato bowing.” (Thus began an entire internet deep dive into the history of Mongolian horse hair being used for bows, which I won’t trouble you with. Safe to say, we loved it.)
EP #1: Panorama
Jogging is, right away, a more bright and youthful song than Flowering. (“Is this an ad for the band?” Dad asked when the song started). and I can always appreciate it when a band accepts the innate humor of their work. If Flowering was spring, this song feels like the beginning of summer: a touch childish, fun-loving, funny, and colorful. It got a few chuckles out of me, I’ll give it that, and that chorus was pretty catchy. I liked how they still managed to work the violin in and add some more depth, but not make the song less upbeat. The music video is weird as hell, but I was charmed anyway. My dad preferred their debut, which makes sense; he’s more of a classical fan and I’m more of a pop fan.
From the EP, Panorama, I enjoyed the violin flourishes in the post-chorus of Straight Line, Suran’s featured voice (which goes so well with Sangyeop’s) in the laid back Missing Call, and the rising tension that suddenly switches up to a great, nostalgic summer track in Flare (absolutely my hidden gem; it was excellent).
Single #2: Snooze
Snooze’s opening of only violin and piano is more melancholy than their other intros, adding well to the song’s general sense of nostalgia and disillusionment. The chorus brings in some much-needed levity, turning that nostalgia into something brighter but still deeply felt, connecting to many people who also feel like their childhoods have been lost. “I like the way they show off the musicality of their work, the closeups on the violin and the drummer too, it’s nice for me to watch…their craftsmanship is really strong.” This may be my favorite so far! I’m a sucker for bittersweet songs with a driving beat, and as someone who grew up near the ocean, the beach and lighthouse in the MV only made me love it more. And of course, he adored the violin break, but he was actually more impressed by the fast paced bowing right before the end. “He’s good…he’s really good…that’s not easy to do, the way he’s letting the bow slide across the strings like that.”
I also liked the slow burn of this single’s b-side, Farther and Farther, whose catharsis feels very earned.
Single #3: Hero
Hero too starts with a more melancholy feeling, though instead of a beachside feeling in its later moments, it goes for a more truly happy retro one inspired by space. “This has got more of a narrative to it than the others have had,” my dad noted. Like Snooze, it focuses on not living up to ideals, but this one takes the route of not being a perfect person but having a lover (or other loved one; it’s not specific) who lifts you up and makes you feel special, like a hero. In an industry so populated by love songs, I really enjoyed this slightly more vulnerable take on one; it feels unique. I also liked the very peaceful outro from this single. It felt like a score from a movie about fairies. “It’s fun!” was Dad’s main comment, though of course he would’ve liked more attention on the violin.
From the single, I also loved Stove, especially the ending chorus.
EP #2: Gotcha
I Got U, instead of violin, begins with a minimalistic, finger-snapping gentle guitar and bass beat, which I wasn’t expecting, but liked anyway. Sangyeop’s vocals are especially nice in this song; they feel floaty and peaceful, and the synthesizers and strings emphasize those qualities. Dad noted the same, and also that he liked the combination of acoustic guitar and electric bass. Again, I appreciate the vulnerability expressed in this song, and I think that the very sparingly used instruments really complement those choices. “It’s playful and joyful, it’s a lot of bright colors, and I liked that,” he said. This wasn’t either of our favorites, but we both still liked it.
We also watched the performance version, just for a closer look at the instruments (the violin especially), and thus began another long digression into the rock fiddle playing skills of a man named Papa John Creach, who played with bands like Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, and the Grateful Dead back in the 1970’s. I’ll spare you the details of my dad fangirling, but if you have a spare moment, look the guy up; he was seriously impressive.
From the EP, Gatcha, I enjoyed the push-and-pull between the brighter and darker energies in the synthy One by One, the hand clapping percussion in Buddy, and the slightly more toned-down strings in Wonder.
This is more a comment on their songs in general, but I love how down to earth their music videos are and how much fun they seem to be having making music together. It’s easy to forget—even for me, writing these reviews—that the people in these bands are humans, with their own hopes and personalities, not just faces on a screen for us to critique. But they never let me forget it, and I appreciate that. I wish more bands would do it!
Single #4: Irrelevant Answer
Irrelevant Answer is much more of a rock song, right out of the gate, which, with my love of Dreamcatcher (and Dad’s apparent love of rock violins), we were both totally in favor of. This song reminded me of a mashup of DC and Day6 in the best way, with a propulsive energy that, despite a few dips and moments to breathe, just doesn’t stop moving. It shouldn’t be as engaging a video as it is, being just them playing their instruments, but it’s a testament to how good of performers they are that I was never bored. I was shaking my shoulders from the first chorus, and I just didn’t stop, while my dad was nodding along. “I like this energy!” he said, “It was kind of like a punk rock piece, but with such sweet lyrics, I wasn’t expecting that!”
EP #3: Blue
Rolling Rolling feels a lot more like the k-pop I’m used to than Lucy’s past tracks (which, I want to be clear, isn’t a bad thing at all, since this is a k-pop review blog after all!). It has a synthier, more electronic background, with retro influences that give it an excellent beat for roller skating. Like I mentioned before, I think that the violin adds depth to what could be simple songs, and this one’s no exception. Also, I appreciate how the track goes from talking about how life just goes around and around to becoming genuinely inspiring as the MV shows people finally pursuing their dreams. Dad liked it less than I did, but I’m not too surprised by that; he did really enjoy the video, though.
From the EP, Blue, my hidden gem was You’re Right with its excellent guitar riffs, but I also enjoyed the more mellow Eclipse.
Single #5: Blue Voyage
Blue Voyage is a single, and follows in the steps of Snooze with its nostalgic, beachside feeling, but instead of going for a bittersweet rumination on lost youth, it’s an upbeat and sunny love song. The chipper instrumental and light quality to the strings just feels like summer, and since it was January when we sat down to watch these, it’s a nice reminder that it won’t be 30 degrees out until the end of time and that in a few months, short sleeves will stop being insane. (“Guess we have to go shovel now” Dad said, “Well…maybe one more?”)
Let me know your thoughts!