jui‘s Refrain Of Murmurs is like listening to a set of expanded ideas and demos. There’s an overarching style that connects each track, but overall there’s a separation of ideas and themes. It’s a mellow, yet impactful 17-minute journey.
Opening the EP, “sos” is a mellow and slightly haunting experience. The instrumentals feel like they’re weighing you down at the knees. jui’s layered vocals come across like a heavy breeze. It’s like the song is pulling you into this world like quicksand and won’t let you go.
The fade of “sos” leads into “feral dog.” The cleaner introduction with keyboards, vocals, and a background synth builds to a comforting and slightly ethereal verse. The vocals pull you higher as the instrumentals start painting a soundscape. The crescendo in the center is a great expansion, like a blooming flower. It was unexpected, but it sounds natural to the theme and tone of “sos.”
“cursed diary” reminded me of early Ahn Dayoung. jui uses her vocals as the guide but also the manipulator. The track is a mix of indie rock and ballad vocals with post rock strands. It’s a deep song that contains a great buildup during the bridge.
And then “icangiveyounothingbutlove” showcases her electronic genre abilities. The song is composed like her earlier songs. The only difference is the instruments used to create the audio narrative. The song is solid, but I’m partial to the sound she showed on “cursed diary.”
Refrain Of Memories final song, “We Might Be Friends” is the simplest track. An acoustic guitar-led track, it feels the most emotional because nothing is hidden. Using “We Might Be Friends” as the final song also proves that jui can perform within a usual genre if desired.
The five tracks on the EP all have a jui foundation translated through different music styles. Usually having songs in different styles leads to an unbalanced listen. This time, each song presents jui’s different sides. And the question is: will every release use multiple styles?
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.
