I often write about K-pop groups needing to find a “signature sound,” but that doesn’t mean the sound is always for me. Boy group POW have taken an oddly subdued approach with their music, leaning on elements of downbeat jazz to fuel their aesthetic. It hasn’t worked all that well commercially, but at least their discography is somewhat consistent.
Wall Flowers is a particularly reserved example of the POW sound. Muted keys pepper an instrumental driven by atmospheric synth and barely-there, skittering percussion. It’s not too dissimilar from current girl group trends, though the guys approach this in a different way. Rather than offer airy fragments of melody, they often rely on the chant-singing usually found in blustery boy group tracks. This forges an interesting contrast, though I’m not sure it works. I’m interested in hearing a version of this instrumental with slick R&B style vocals rather than the incessant sing-talk. We get peeks here and there and they sound great. Unfortunately, the full song doesn’t hit in the way it should.
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 7 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.25 |
