Review Summary: Your regular, run-of-the-mill, totally fun K-pop EP.
K-pop is an addiction. Just when I think the sugar-coated genre is getting tiresome, an album or band comes along and gets me hooked again.
Rainbow Syndrome Part. 2 is my next fix, and while it’s not particularly unique, that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying it. The songs are catchy, you’ll want to return to them again and again – maybe because you have them in your head and you want to scratch the itch, or maybe because they’re just so darn fun. The positive energy that flows from this EP is infectious, and on a particularly rainy or depressive day, who wouldn’t want their spirits lifted? This is by no means a classic release, just another enjoyable K-pop EP, but that’s good enough.
The EP starts off groovy with ‘Kiss Me’. One of the best offerings here, it’s a flawless conglomeration of offbeat synth pads, quirky sound samples, and memorable bass guitar slapping. Unfortunately, ‘Kiss Me’ is about as original as the songs get; in fact, ‘Sunshine’ rips off the string section from ‘Call Me Maybe’ (the audacity)! All in all, Rainbow is not a ground breaking girl group, but it doesn’t matter because the music is catchy. You’ll find plenty of disco moments (ex: ‘Chewing Time’) and dance music (ex: ‘Let’s Dance’), the kind of stuff that fill K-pop albums for good reason – it sticks with you and gets you moving!
Rainbow Syndrome Part. 2 won’t change the minds of K-pop haters, but for those already inclined to listen, it’s a fun little ride - expect some mindlessly enjoyable tunes that are great time wasters. Also expect singing with cutesy intonations, this is first and foremost a girl group (with seven members!) after all. Basically, you should know what you’re getting into before you listen to this, (which is coincidently the reason why I wrote this review). What you’re getting into is a great K-pop EP, no more, no less – take it or leave it.