#moreso than the songs that sample it oops

[techtechonmymind]

Okay now that time has allowed it to marinate, here are my thoughts on Golden Age like three days later haha.

Baggy Jeans - For me, Ten, Doyoung, and Taeyong are just incredible in this song. Now that the harsh shock of the chorus has blunted, I really do think it’s a beautiful track. Ten underneath Jaehyun’s lines at around 0:30 is absolutely breathtaking. This kind of vocal directing is what makes NCT so fucking special. What a gift. This is the first of kind of a running theme of very stage musical theatrical sounds that so consistently run through the album, which I think is really impressive and cohesive! When they sing as a chorus before the bridge, these five sound so beautiful together. The bridge itself - stunning.

Listening to the track itself, it’s a bit challenging to really understand the final fifth without the performance. Like if I had no idea this had a video and choreo, I would be extremely confused about the section where Ten dances in the center, for example. I hadn’t really thought about that. I don’t really think a song necessarily needs to stand without its performance, but it’s just something to keep in mind. Anyway, I do like it, but it can never break into full marks category because the lyrics are nonsense and not in a fun way lol. Also, I love Mark to pieces, but I find the rap in this song uncharacteristically forgettable. 7/10

Call D - This is another song where the performance is playing in my head as I listen. The instrumental is so good, with what I think sounds like a melodica. Both Ten and Taeyong sound absolutely beautiful. I don’t really have notes. Again, this song is very much like a stage production - we saw that at NCT Nation. 10/10

PADO - Haechans and Junjun - a perfect partnership. The brass instrumentation is gorgeous. Haechan’s lead into the final chorus is beautiful, as is Xiaojun’s adlib out of it. 10/10

Interlude: Oasis - Chenle and Jisung sound lovely. Jaemin’s kinda deadpan delivery works for something like this. The ultra high chimes at the very top end are so grating to me though. 7/10

The Bat - I both love the chorus and feel it drilling it into my skull haha. I love Jeno performing this song, and I am enjoying his foray into more challenging rap verses. Yuta is the highlight for me here. After a few days, I actually find it a bit boring. I really liked it at first. Kind of a shame. 7/10

Alley Oop - More brass! Extended sports metaphor. Yuta sounds so lovely. I actually also really like Jaemin in the choruses and Jeno at the end of the bridge. Their boyish tones work well for a song about being a basketball team or whatever. 8/10

That’s Not Fair - This is such a theatrical track. This is the song where that running theme really peaks for me - even moreso than in Golden Age. It very much feels like it should be in a musical on stage lol. It’s a weird but very familiar little number. Ten sounds great. 7/10

Kangaroo - So cute. Weeooweeoo! I loved this song as well when I first heard it and still do now, but it doesn’t leave me with the strongest impression. 7/10

Not Your Fault - Beautiful, lovely backing harmonies. Would have liked more dual shared lines like Xiaojun and Kun’s. But NCT have many gorgeous ballads. This doesn’t stand out that much above most of them. Except that it has my beloved 96 line… singing beautifully… but independently haha. 6/10

Golden Age - If it was up to me, I would have chosen not to use such a present Beethoven sample. It never works. I am also not an enjoyer of Red Velvet’s Feel My Rhythm lol. My gut says to me that NCT’s team feel unconfident with full group songs, so they’re opting for weird mash-ups (Resonance), the safest soft jammer on the planet (Beautiful), or a song that relies on SUCH an overwhelmingly present sample. I think they would truly benefit from just taking the plunge and seeing how weird they can get. They have such depth of talent, they can do it.

But I do think the rest of the song works very well. I love the glitch and change up, and the back and forth throughout the rest of the song. I love how anthemic the chorus feels. The pre-choruses are a bit too Christmastime lol. Xiaojun and Yangyang’s “everybody! say are you ready? arrrre you ready??”, Doyoung’s stunning line, the busy drum fill and Taeil’s closing line are a lovely stretch to the finish line. Also just happy Tennie has such a big presence in this, even though it’s in my behated pre-choruses lol. I kinda wish Taeyong was in this more, oddly enough lol. I think it would benefit from even more of a counter to the inclusion of a classical sample in the form of Taeyong’s weirdness. 6/10

[aconstantode]

Remember My Song (1975, USA)