I disappeared once again this week. I didn’t take a break, but spent majority of the week writing out those ‘Looking Back’ posts (who knew making a YouTube playlist would be so time consuming?). But now I am briefly back to review some albums and other tracks from this week and earlier. First up is Ciipher’s first comeback since their debut with I Like You back in March of this year. Earlier this week, the group dropped their second mini-album, Blind, which featured the title track of the same name.

I Like You had potential, but failed to fully encapsulate that potential in the three minute song. If I had a chance, I would have reserved that song to be a side track and bumped up Blind as the debut title track. It would have been a much better launching pad for the group and surely attracted more attention towards their debut (which is definitely something one would need in this current competitive climate). What really stood out for me in Blind was the instrumental. Blind has this edgy kick to it (via the synth selection), which makes Blind so much more appealing to listen to. This, combined with the other elements I usually focus on, results in an booster version of the group. The guitar riff we hear throughout the chorus makes the song’s centrepiece electrifying, and I thought the plain and simple hook line at the start of the chorus was quite catchy and punchy. I did wish the guitar riffs were a little more pronounced, as this would have heightened the energy and bring forth a much stronger electrifying feeling. I also like the buildup and hype towards the choruses in the song. The drums and concentration that occurs here definitely teases the energy that we got in the chorus. The rapping in Blind is definitely satisfying and adds to the energy of the song. The sequence we get at the end was probably one of my personal favourite moments of the song, as it continued the momentum from the final chorus and helped end the song on a strong note. The vocals were also quite good. While there was some vocal processing, Blind featured clear vocals. I did find it a bit odd that autotune wasn’t used in Blind as much as their debut track. In their debut track, the use of autotune didn’t feel right and its use here instead would have aligned better. Overall, a strong and much better song that I wished was their debut track.

I think with the sound in which Blind had gone for, the music video could have gotten away with a slightly darker concept. I am not thinking horror or dark lighting to the point where you can’t make out the member’s faces. Rather, the producers of the music video could have gone with something edgy, but also keeping it casual as well. Maybe outfits that brings out rock influences, given the guitar riffs we get in the chorus. Or a stage, instead of an office. I understand the more youthful approach of the video, given the energy that comes from the song. but I feel the video as it stands felt more fitting for a pop sound. Some elements within the music video already head in that direction, such as the blue the outfits they wore in the office set for one of their choreography sequences. But like in that example, they looked out of place.

I like the energy they bring to the performance. It definitely works well with the energetic and upbeat side of the song. Other than that, it was a good performance. Not exactly memorable, but it was fun to watch.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10