Review Summary: A touch more optimistic than usually.
The pandemic led many musicians to record more music than planned, whereas for Jambinai it seems to have caused an opposite effect. The group’s previous album, 2019’s
ONDA pushed them to a higher level of exposure that got cut halfway, so to speak, when all touring was canceled the following year. During the downtime, the members kept busy releasing solo materials and collaborating with various artists. However, when it came to a new full length effort, things didn’t run as smooth as expected for the Korean quintet. As a result,
Apparition ended up as an EP, featuring only four new songs. Nevertheless, the material is strong, taking a step further down the path its predecessor took. Each tune shares a certain sonic arc, while maintaining the overall cohesive approach. The centerpiece, “until my wings turn to ashes” is the most compelling cut, featuring gorgeous interplay between the traditional stringed instruments and flute during the first segment. They create a lush yet bittersweet atmosphere, until the drums and bass start building up tension behind them. As expected, the coda kicks in with a heavy riff and unnerving haegeum leads.
Meanwhile, “candlelight in colossal darkness” further concentrates on the folk elements, this time playing slowly, minimalist lines. These reminisce an ambient soundtrack to a quiet rural scene in a movie. The other members find their place in the mix through gentle, post rock touches, before growing louder with poignant rhythms and busy percussion. The two remaining tracks are shorter and heavier, “once more from that frozen bottom” being closest to what we’ve come to expect from Jambinai. After a round of intense and haunting bits, the noisy finale with shouted vocals ends abruptly. It feels similar to a radio edit of what should have been an expansive section. We’re treated next with the excellent piece “from the place been erased”, where guest singer Sunwoojunga (swja) does a brilliant job. The band goes from soft melancholia to hard hitting riffs as she blissfully croons along. It only makes you want to hear more and it is a shame the group left
Apparition a mini album. At almost 27 minutes, one or two more songs could have easily rounded this sonic journey. Despite this small inconvenience, Jambinai continue to hone their craft and find interesting ways to spice their music. This EP is a must listen and hopefully a taste of things to come.
