I don’t know if it’s just my strange perception of things, but I think the Korean music scene has been rather quiet these past couple of weeks. I think it’s a case of timing – most groups that have had something come out recently are nearing the mid-way or even end of their single’s promotion run, for some artists it’s about time for them to switch to their album’s second promotional track, for other’s it’s time for them to slowly fade back into the background while they prepare something new.

But I also feel like it’s a bit of a case of the calm before the storm, though that is just my own personal view of what’s going on right now – I am, after all, currently holding my breath for the release of Epik High’s new mini album Love Scream and M’s fourth album, both at the end of the month, and 東方神起’s comeback and fourth album MIROTIC in about a week’s time (their first Korean album in about 2 years, since they’ve been spending most of their time in Japan, pimping their career over there). Exciting stuff for this fangirl! 신화’s Eric also promised to release something before he enlists in the army early next month – but the guy’s been promising some solo work for years now, so I’m not holding my breath. I hope he seriously does it this time though, even if it’s just a digital single, or a little mini album. And 비 promised to make a comeback, too, in early October, with his 5th album.

Anyway, today I thought I’d write a little bit about one of my favourite rock (alternative pop-rock, maybe?) groups: 넬, or Nell.

넬 are made up of 김종완 on vocals, 정재원 on drums, 이재경 on guitar and 이정훈 on bass.

I can’t remember when I first heard them … I got into them a couple of years ago, so I guess it was a little while before that when I first heard them. I wasn’t all that impressed. A friend had me listen to Reflection of Nell, their album from 2001. For me, it was too slow and too boring.

Thinking that that’s all 넬 were, a slow boring band, I didn’t pay any more attention to them. Then when I started to get into Epik High, I heard the song Let It Rain and went “Hey, I recognise this guy’s voice …”. I realised that the track featured 넬, and then realised that another friend of mine was getting into 넬 as well. Since her and I have quite similiar tastes in music, I decided maybe I should give them another try.

I heard Healing Process, their 5th album, and promptly fell in love. Definitely a whole step up from Reflections of Nell, and it was much more my kind of music!

Although I find 김종완’s voice rather whiney at times if I’m not in a 넬 kind of mood, his vocals do really suit 넬’s sound. The songs are mostly pretty laid back, and for me it’s great music to chill out to, or if you just need something in the background while you study or fall asleep. I find them really relaxing, but they aren’t the kind of music I’d want to hear all the time. I’ve got to be in the right mood for them but when I am, they are so good to listen to.

After realising that 넬 were pretty cool after all, I went back and listened to some of their older stuff. Their third album, Let It Rain was also pretty good, but I still found Reflections of Nell to be painfully boring. I honestly can’t remember their second album, SPEECHLESS, at all … so I think it’s safe to say I was neutral towards it.

Last year they released Let’s take a walk, which was a selection of older songs remixed and re-recorded (I think? Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong on that!). I wasn’t completely over the moon about the album, but it had a couple of songs I totally fell in love with (it’s okay and Down), and then earlier this year they released another album, Separation Anxiety. It wasn’t as awesome as Healing Process but it still had some really great songs on it, and I really love the track Tokyo, and Afterglow is such a typically 넬 song.

Here’s some MVs if you want to give 넬 a listen 😀

Stay (his hair in this amuses me so much!)
고양이
Good Night
치유
마음을 잃다
it’s okay (the lyrics are so simple, but this song really, really touches me)
기억을 걷는 시간
멀어지다 (this is their latest MV)

And if you like 넬, you might also like 못 or MOT. They’ve got a similiar kind of sound! (Check out 못’s 클로즈)