CLC or CrystaL Clear

CLC released a Digital Single 'Eighteen' [AUDIO]

NEWS
APR 16, 2015 | 19:04 PM EDT
Review: Newly Formed K-Pop Girl Group CLC Bring Back The Searing Synth Sound Of Classic Prince On The Single 'Eighteen' [AUDIO]

The term "bold production" gets thrown around a lot these days. But what does it really even mean?
When the different elements of a song jump out at the listener in a way that is nearly impossible to ignore, as they do in "Eighteen," the latest single from the freshly formed K-pop girl group CLC, it's certainly a good start.

Chocked full of enough throbbing 1980s synthesizer sounds to seem as if they raided Prince's storage space, on "Eighteen," released on Tuesday, CLC dials in the analog screech of some of the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as's seminal work, like "Little Red Corvette" or "Let's Go Crazy."

And the daring studio production on "Eighteen" isn't just an isolated event for CLC (short for CrystaL Clear, according to the group's label Cube Entertainment). The group's previous single "Pepe" is another distinctly original song with a sound that is as difficult to tie down to any one genre, as it is infectious.

Where "Pepe" used horn licks to propel the song forward, "Eighteen" relies on both the aforementioned grinding synth sound and a backbeat that is as big as a house.
However, in both cases, beyond the inventive studio production and impassioned performances from the five band members, there is something else-sold songwriting.

Though they only released their debut EP "First Love" on March 19, CLC has clearly assembled a team worthy of their talent. They are easily one of the most original and promising groups to come out of South Korea so far this year.
And the fact that CLC already released a new single, less than a month after their first release, it sure seems like there's plenty more fuel in the tank.