Inbox: Nastyona - Another Secret

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

I think it's always a surprise when I like a second album more than the first, because the first album is usually the defining moment for a band. Granted, Nastyona actually has an EP (that is far out of print) that predates their first album, but I've yet to get my hands on it. As such, when I put Another Secret in my system and pushed play, I was surprised by how immediately and easily the music got me.

Another Secret trades in the wider range of sound in 아홉가지 기분 for a more focused jazz-inflected sound that results in an album that sounds even closer to MOT than their previous effort on some of the songs, like on "猫兒", which Helikoptter mentioned was produced by Aeon, but also on the following "불면증" with its darker tone and jazzy baseline. Despite the relationship, you'd never confuse Nastyona for MOT as Nastyona's music is more rock inflected, harder and more aggressive.

The garage-grunge attack on "불가능한 작전" takes Yona's kid-like voice and makes it work perfectly in a track you'd think was a grunge classic. The New-Wave soaked alt-dance blast, "Rumor" that comes in after the opening track is the kind of fun booty-shaking affair that immediately warms you up to the band and even if Nastyona never goes back to that sound, it works so well as an opener that it's hard to say it doesn't fit the album. The band retains it's baroque stylings from 아홉가지 기분, most noticeably on "Boy Meets Girl" and "My September", but only as an undercurrent and does a great job of focusing most of the tracks on jazz-inflected rock, which the band does very well.

I really appreciate that they incorporate different kinds of jazzy elements onto their different tracks, creating different moods, while only stepping away from the core briefly like on some of the above mentioned tracks and even touching on an almost R&B track with "I Do". This focus on a central song and tying the outliers with overall synergistic arrangements leads Another Secret to feel like a complete and solid album. It also helps that every track is quite strong and earns its place on the album. Nastyona takes it flair for drama and its diverse influences and packs them into a surprisingly solid effort that is instantly accessible and likable. The pacing on the album is great too, breaking up the harder or more aggressive songs with contemplative breaks and mid-tempo efforts throughout. As a result, I might actually have to say that I truly enjoyed Another Secret and will probably get many more listens out of it. 8/10.

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