On their 7th mini album EVERSHINE, CRAVITY employ an array of new sounds to chronicle the consuming passion that defines youthful love. EVERSHINE sits on the precipice of adulthood, where you’re empowered to make bold choices because you don’t understand their gravity quite yet. To the proposition of diving in head first, 90s-inspired opener ‘C’est La Vie’ asks, “What you waiting for?”
Title track ‘Love or Die’ captures the album’s thematic core, professing the all-or-nothing intensity of young love: “My heart is still bleeding…I can’t open my eyes without you / Love or die.” The music video finds the ensemble running through a wasteland, fervently seeking their love for solace before it’s too late. It’s a dystopian anime come to life: the ground is sinking and although life fades around them, their tenacity doesn’t. I’d expect a rap to seem out of place, but Allen’s forceful final verse is a cathartic closer to the restless tune.
Perhaps the most sonically disjointed collection of their discography, EVERSHINE is a genre grab bag, from hints of Jersey club and EDM build-and-drop to dizzying psych pop, shedding some of the bubblegum softness of their salad days. The disco roots of 'Cherry Blossom' are the closest we get to essential CRAVITY, while 'Mr.' serves up 2nd-gen nostalgia on a silver platter, complete with twangy synths and a rubbery beat. It’s whiplash into the languid ‘Worst Thriller,’ a sinister siren song that comes as a fresh surprise from the ensemble. The spacey, disorienting bridge treads psychedelic territory, making for one of CRAVITY’s more alluring offerings to date.
Members Serim and Allen also get to flex some writing chops on several songs, such as the soft, optimistic “Over & Over” (which Allen also co-produced) and the title track, which both boast CRAVITY’s bright determination. Still, they’ve not quite told us exactly what defines them musically, and it’s fun to bear witness as they continue to figure it out. The experimentation will likely make room for the group to further refine their sound.
CRAVITY fans will soon have the chance to see these songs translate live as the group prepares to return to the U.S. in April for the WE BRIDGE Music Festival and Expo in Las Vegas, NV. The lineup also features acts such as MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, NMIXX, and the long-awaited return of Dean.
