Album Review - Key - Gasoline

Key, the SHINee superstar, is back, with a full-length LP. It is consistent throughout, with great Sci-Fi ambition. Plus, the album cover is incredible.

Gasoline

Wow, Gasoline should really not work. A hip-hop stadium hype track, Gasoline is somehow both epic and intensely individual. From the emotive keys of the building pre-chorus to the surprise of the bridge, Gasoline brings a level of intensity and drama, supported by the blaring brass and Key's intense performance. Headed by a solid multi-phase chorus, Gasoline is fantastic.

Rating: 8.75/10

Bound

Bound's Halloween-esque funky sci-fi loop sounds like a modern successor to Michael Jackson's Thriller. I love the creeping feel that Bound provides, though I wish it pushed things even further. Key's quiet delivery is strong, but I wish it exploded a la Taemin's Criminal.

Rating: 8.25/10

Villain

Continuing the haunting subtle beat and style of Bound, Key's Villain changes things up for the melodic pre-chorus. While I wish Villain also exploded, the production here is immaculate, and the groovy chorus is a great centerpiece.

Rating: 8.25/10

Burn

The emotive build-up of Burn is fantastic. The subtle melodic build works great with Key's dominating and powerful voice. It makes the funky drop all the more satisfying, and even more satisfying the eventual merger of both the groove and the emotion. The post-chorus is the peak of this, leading to one of the album's best song finales.

Rating: 8.75/10

Guilty Pleasure

After a while of teasing and hinting, Guilty Pleasure finally sees the album drop into full-on Sci-Fi concepts. I love the cycling MJ-Esque funky beats through the verses, and even if the chorus initially lacks the propulsion required for such a massive song, all is forgiven with the bridge's fantastic trance breakdown.

Rating: 8.5/10

G.O.A.T (Greatest of all Time)

I never thought a song called G.O.A.T would be about the fears and worries of growing up in a ballad format, but here we are! G.O.A.T is not ambitious in execution, but the production is beautiful, particularly later in the song where the strings and drums explode into beautiful segments. I wish the melody was a bit stronger, but the song works.

Rating: 8/10

I Can't Sleep

Continuing the sentimental sound of the second half of the album, I Can't Sleep is a simple pop stomp without much uniqueness, but the performance and production provides a little bit of an edge to this pop stomper. In a way, it reminds me of the songs from Harry's House, emotive little pop love songs with loads of heart in their core.

Rating: 8.25/10

Ain't Gonna Dance

Ain't Gonna Dance has potential. I love the explosion of the pre-chorus, and the anti-drop is genuinely surprising. Unfortunately, many of the elements of Ain't Gonna Dance don't work together that well, leaving the song as a bit of a so-so mid-tempo. Even worse, it lacks the emotional moments of the preceding ballads on the album. Key's falsettos near the end are pretty decent at least.

Rating: 7.25/10

Another Life

From one ofthe album's weakest moment to its very peak, Another Life is simply put, incredible. Emotive, immaculately performed, and dramatic in its every bone. Another Life finally captures the ambition behind the entire album. Great hooks, solid production, and a chorus to die for, Another Life is easily Key's best song since last year's Bad Love. (Full Review)

Rating: 9/10

Delight

Okay, the lyrics reference Castle in the Sky, one of my favorite movies of all time. Instant 10/10! But really, Delight is a fun little emotive dance song, continuing the theme from the second half of the album (excluding Another Life), just executing this little pop style much better than the rest of the album. The falsetto chorus is the main reason for this, with just enough hookiness to stick.

Rating: 8.5/10

Proud

Proud was a pre-release song and earnestly had me worried for the album. Thankfully, it stands as an exception rather than the rule, but it does stand as quite a sleepy ballad on its own. Yes, I may bob my head to it, but there is nothing differentiating this track from many others of the same style, hence it will likely get lost in the shuffle.

Rating: 6.75/10

Cumulative Score: 8.2/10

Overall Rating: 8.25/10

Purchase Key's Gasoline right here!

Gasoline is mostly an album of two parts. A funky first, and a pop-ballad second. While this does effectively leave Gasoline feeling like two EPs, the transition is smooth enough, and Key is more than a solid performer, bringing life to these songs with his energy and bravado. This album is solid, and another incredible entry into Key's catalog.

PS: Great album cover.

Image Source: Deezer