Drug Restaurant(드럭 레스토랑)- Pomade Mini Album Thoughts

Track List:

01. Don’t be afraid
02. Drink O2 in the water
03. Ain’t I good to you
04. Starved
05. Escaper
06. Catwoman

  Jung Joon Young has come back full force with his band Drug Restaurant. The boys have decided to release a new mini album titled Pomade. Guessing this titled was inspired by good old lemonade? eh?Anyway, the huge change that took place during Pomade's production is that all the songs were written in English. Finding this new out made me excited to hear the album because I thought that having their songs in English would enhance Drug Restaurant's sound. My problems that existed when I wrote my post on Jung Joon Young's solo album still very much exist with the listening experience of Pomade. Drug Restaurant is too comfortable in their ways. In fact, they are so set in their ways that their music hasn't evolved at all. When they first debuted after Jung had his solo, these boys where a breath of fresh air. Them just jumping on the music scene in a crazy rock and roll fashion took South Korea by storm. From that point their music slowly started to lose it's dynamite flare. Each release wasn't horrible but these songs couldn't be held to the same standard of their debut. Same can be said about Jung Joon Young's first two mini albums. Both of them were really great listens then you have his third album that makes you wonder what the hell happened. I'm going to guess producers thinking about that damn cash cow must have been what happened. Pomade doesn't have that strong creativity to make a solid impact on listeners either. I got bored listening to the same old eighties rock genera that you can get out of a jukebox at a diner for fifty cents. Ain't I Good To You and Catwoman could easily be translated into Korean and put on Young's first or second albums. I did liked these tracks solely for the familiarity of the style that was on the band's first album before the name change. Drug Restaurant singing in English did absolutely nothing for me. I thought that I would love this style choice until I actually heard Pomade. The album doesn't sound better or worse either way. Probably would have sounded the same in Korean to me.

   I have the same problems I had before with Jung Joon Young's vocals. He keeps playing it safe, not trying to challenge his voice vocally. In the past, Young has tried to test his vocals by hitting higher notes above his normal range. I know he has a hard time singing higher notes but I hope he expands his vocal range in the future. You have already shown us that you can do it dude.

   Pomade was a little disappointing. One good thing about this album was that Drug Restaurant seems to be in control of the music they want to perform.  I always have respect for artists that do their own thing regardless of CD sales.