The journalists-turned-pop stars got their big break when a YouTube video of them singing acoustically to late 80s boy band New Kids On The Block's hit song, You Got It (The Right Stuff), caught the eyes of music executives. They got a chance to record an album and haven't looked back since.
The resulting album, Cover Story, will definitely surprise you with its range of sounds. The group gets things started with the energetic Y+M (You + Me). Singing along to the pulsing beats and electro sounds, the boys make sure that whoever's listening to the track will be up and dancing. Lead single Stand First is your typical pop tune with a catchy hook that sticks in your mind. Kevin's vocals stand out as he flawlessly switches keys with his tricky vocals. In the R&B track Luv U 4 Eva, Leon calls on his hip-hop background as he sing-raps his verses, reminiscent of US rapper Drake.
Besides the catchy pop tunes, the group proves that they can do the sappy love tracks just as well. Gone Baby Gone is a mid-tempo track featuring only Chris and Leon. The presence of the piano perfectly compliments Chris's emotional vocals about a lost love. Kevin and Hei get their own duet in Should I Call?, where they voice their uncertainty over a potential relationship. Hei is a man of few words, but when he sings, his silky vocals can melt the hearts of any female listeners.
The album also includes a bonus track of This Just In's reinterpretation of NKOTB's You Got It. They've lifted the tempo and changed the music from the synth-heavy 80s sound of the original to reflect the music taste of today. They also renamed it Write Stuff to reflect their common background.
Although This Just In is a boy band, their eight-track album will definitely appeal to everyone, not just teenage girls. The future looks bright for the group because when every song in your debut album has become a hit single, it can't possibly be gloomy.
It's too bad Young Post only uses a five-star rating system, otherwise this album would surely be the first in the paper's history to earn an amazing six stars.
YP Rating: 5/5