It is time for another album review! And for this album review, we are going back in time to before October! Laboum made their comeback on the 19th of September with Firework and their first studio album, Two Of Us. This is their first full-length album after being active as a group for five years. Two Of Us also features solo songs from each member, which makes the album sound so exciting to fans, like me. So let’s get this album on the road!

2. Firework (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Firework. (8/10)

3. You’re The Light (잡아줄게) – Firework, along with their previous two title tracks, has a slight monotone appeal to them. You’re The Light is the first track in a long while from Laboum that has a bit of colour to it. Unfortunately, the track does come across as a standard b-sidetrack on a female group’s album and is slightly bland. Thankfully, once saving the element of You’re The Light is that it gives us an opportunity to listen to the vocals, which was definitely highlighted strongly during the chorus. The instrumental is nice dance-pop style that gives off a pleasant vibe. But once again, plainness is a persistent issue. (7.5/10)

4. Satellite – Satellite is ballad that can be sung for a lover. But it can easily be passed off as a song for their fans. It is rather simple overall, but I can guarantee you, you won’t be disappointed. It showcases explosive vocals from Soyeon, ZN and Yujeong. While Solbin and Haein do appear to be the weaker vocalists of the groups, they do bring their own touch to their own parts. The song has a nice melody that really caught my attention. The English lyrics were presented in a way that made it very catchy and this was another likeable aspect of the song. (9/10)

5. Stay There (이별 앞에서) – Kicking off the solo tracks on the album is Yujeong. She is one of the main vocalists of the group (if you don’t know who she is yet). At first, I thought she was singing a ballad. The song was presented that way. But the song picks it up and reverts a nice pop track. I really like her vocals in this song. I have known her to be a good vocalist but I too did not expect this quality from her. It did feel like her vocals were a tad too loud for the instrumentation and I thought if they were somehow more together, this would have made for a great song. (8/10)

6. Two Of Us – Next up on the solo track series is Soyeon. Despite being the main vocalist, her solo track doesn’t conform to what I have noted in past reviews when it comes to main vocalists and ballads. Two Of Us is quite synth-heavy and feels more like a dance track. The instrumental is very typical of EDM and it doesn’t offer much in that regards. What I thought was very impressive was the vocals, which is expected from her. I liked how piercing the ‘Two Of Us‘ during the chorus was and this made the track very memorable for me. (9/10)

7. Actually, This Is A Secret (사실 이 얘기는 비밀인데) – ZN’s solo track, Actually, This Is A Secret, is an R&B number. This stylistic choice doesn’t necessarily surprise me as she gives off an impression that R&B might be her thing. I have to admit the instrumental to this song is extremely boring and it really drags down the song for me. I did like her vocals. They were balanced. I appreciate that she didn’t go powerhouse, like the two previous members. It gave a slight relief and adds a pleasant tone to the mix. (7.5/10)

8. HUSH – HUSH is Haein’s song. Haein doesn’t come across as a strong vocalist when she sings in the group’s tracks. But her voice is distinctively unique and she sometimes is able to add her own colour. Her solo song was actually quite good. Her vocals were showcased in a nice light for this seductive R&B dance number. I really like the ‘Baby Hush Hush’ line that she sings at the start of the song, reminding me of the many pop divas we had in the early 00s. I was a little perplexed when it came to the pepper cracker during the chorus and thought the chorus itself could have been a little more melodic and smoother. (7.5/10)

9. Diary (일기) – The final member of the group that we have yet to discuss is Solbin. Interestingly, Diary was a ballad number and I had not expected that. I honestly expected a dance number from her, since she also doesn’t come off as a great vocalist compared to some of her fellow members. I find this a nice song but that is the best thing I can say about it. Her vocals are so-so. She does handle her higher notes well. Like ZN’s song, I found the piano instrumental in this track to be rather typical and bland. I wanted there to be a little more to the track. (i.e. more instrumentation to really enhance the song, like other ballads). (7/10)

Overall Album Rating – 7.9/10