Album Review: Dreamcatcher - Summer Holiday

After ending their Dystopia series, Dreamcatcher have come back with a summer album. Now, the group is caught in a weird place. On one hand, many groups are filling in their niche as a heavy-metal girl group, such as in Pink Fantasy's amazing Poison. On the other hand, they can't switch too far, other than going heavier, as that is why fans came. Finally, they can't go too heavy, otherwise, they lose casual fans. That is where Summer Holiday comes out, and this messy situation is clear from the album.

Intro

Compared to the intro for their Road to Utopia album, this intro is remarkably safe. It plays of a classic summer groove. The one cool thing here is the creepy music box throughout the song, adding that horror vibe Dreamcatcher is known for. It sets the stage for the title track well enough.

BEcause

The intro was really just a teaser to BEcause, the title track. BEcause tries to balance Dreamcatcher's creepy vibe with a more commercial single. This is best shown in the chorus, which is reminiscent of 2020's amazing b-side Red Sun. The one thing that differenciates it is the full-on rock post-chorus, which is the only real bit of classic Dreamcatcher here.

There are some atmospheric moments here, as well as an excellent climax, even if the song has a bit of an identity crisis. The growing eeriness is perhaps the reason to come back to this song the most.

Rating: 8/10

Airplane

Airplane is a classic K-Pop-esque song. From the cuter hooks to the poppy instrumental, this song is far from what Dreamcatcher normally do. It has a bit of a 'let's put on a show' energy, but is not really a Dreamcatcher song, nor the best of its style.

Rating: 7/10

Whistle

Whistle, just like the rest of the b-sides, is nothing like classic Dreamcatcher. That said, it is quite appealing, and genuinely sounds like an off-shoot of Dreamcatcher material. It has a sort-of wild feel, explorative and summer-like, just like SF9's Summer Breeze. At the same team, the EDM elements throughout the whole song are classic Dreamcatcher. In a way, it sounds linked to Can't Get You Out of my Mind, just more summer-like. The chorus hook is not perfect, but the members' elegant delivery allows it to stay memorable.

Rating: 8.5/10

Alldaylong

Dreamcatcher and city pop? I love both, but that is a combination that I never really expected. That said, Ollunder goes full in for the vibe, with several productional flourishes, as well as the drive-along feel I love in city pop. Certainly not Dreamcatcher's best song, but a good song nonetheless.

Rating: 8/10

A Heart of a Sunflower

Dreamcatcher is trying to prove their versatility with this album, with City Pop, EDM, rock, and now, an acoustic ballad throughout. All of them sound good, but none of them really capture that spirit I seek with Dreamcatcher. That said, A Heart of a Sunflower has a great, K-Drama-esque melody. The growth and the rock guitar are amazing, and I am surprised to say it, but this is probably now my favorite song of the album. It plays all the expected notes, but amazingly.

Rating: 8.5/10

Overall Score: 8/10

For once, an exact score! Dreamcatcher's new album does not have any real peaks or plateaus, but I enjoy the effort put into the album trying different styles. I just hope Dreamcatcher release their heaviest album next time, with some strong melody.

Image Source: Meaww