Album Review: NCT Dream - Glitch Mode
(Glitch Mode teaser images. Bottom to top, L to R: Haechan, Jaemin, Jisung, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Chenle. Credits to SM Entertainment.)
NCT Dream has finally returned after 2021's dynamic duo of 'Hot Sauce' and 'Hello Future,' with 'Gitch Mode.' In fact, 'Glitch Mode' is another full studio album! It definitely seems like an exciting prospect for the group-- NCT Dream was always a bit of an outlier within the overall NCT soundscape, but SM Entertainment finally seems to be acknowledging their popularity and giving them a prominent push. However, within this push lies a foreboding possibility: the threat of becoming generic.
Glitch Mode, despite its creativity and quality, is one of the more unmomentous bodies of work in NCT Dream's discography. As always, I have to hand it to SM Entertainment's creative team for coming up with some of the most thought-provoking concepts and artwork. Here, as the name may imply, the overarching concept is inspired by software glitches and buffering, as attached to imagery of video games and arcades, as well as retro music influences. The namesake title track wittily likens the feeling of nervousness in approaching someone to a glitch, as presented by record-scratching sounds and "buffering" choreography (which is INSANELY cool). This all sounds very interesting... but the song itself really isn't THAT eye-catching.
('Glitch Mode' music video. Credits to SM Entertainment.)
'Glitch Mode' is another SM song that uses the genre-switch-up trope, smoothly transitioning from hip hop to full-on rock. When I was listening to the song for the first time, I wasn't even surprised when the change happened... which I don't think is a good thing? To me, the whole point of the abrupt genre change or jarring sound structure is to demand attention and provide a burst of energy. However, SM Entertainment has been using the technique more frequently at a time when others are beginning to adopt it as well: 'Next Level,' 'Savage,' 'Sticker,' 'O.O,' 'Wa Da Da,' 'Universe,' and 'Glitch Mode' are just a few examples of prominent tracks that have done so, all being released within the range of a year. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but seeing it so often intrinsically softens the drama and impact of the transition.
Even apart from this switch-up, 'Glitch Mode' still isn't anything to write home about. The overall instrumentation and style are pretty much the same as any recent NCT title track (save for 'Hot Sauce' and 'Hello Future,' ironically): lots of futuristic deep synths, shouty refrains, atmospheric pre-choruses, the entire deal. I'm tired of it, though. The overly processed, technological sound is already quite dense, and with the recent slew of NCT title tracks that have all used the style, it is without a doubt stagnating. This is the entire reason why the pop-driven 'Hello Future' was so well received-- it was a breath of fresh air! When NCT first debuted, this sound was something new, something they popularized... but it seems as though they never want to move beyond it. This is a problem exemplified by the dispensable quality of 'Glitch Mode.'
(L: 'Glitch Mode' music video. R: Glitch Mode teaser images. Credits to SM Entertainment.)
The b-sides preach a similar tale. While listening to the album, not a single song stood out until 'Teddy Bear.' Here, an almost Wonder Girls-like R&B groove is complimented by more modern, undulating synths, and delicate falsetto. It's slower, but it still has a sense of momentum to it-- listening to the song is like floating in space. The final product feels magical and nostalgic, and somehow still holds a certain "video game" charm to it. It's inexplicable, but the spatial quality to 'Teddy Bear' reminds me of something off the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon soundtrack, or just some sort of futuristic-medieval game. It's an oddly apt number for this album.
As a whole, the quality of 'Teddy Bear' represents something that holds true for the entirety of Glitch Mode: the pop and R&B songs easily trump the hip-hop-based ones. From the very first notes of 'Better Than Gold,' you know this song is about to be something special. It immediately hits the ground running with fun, explosive verses, and sustains that poppy momentum until the very final moments of the song with an infectious, groovy refrain (it almost feels like 'Butter's long lost brother?). The ethereal character of 'Teddy Bear' returns for 'Replay,' whose playfulness is borrowed by finale number 'Rewind.' This more mellifluous side of the album also better highlights the saccharine vocal line of the group with Chenle and Renjun, might I add.
(Glitch Mode album cover. Credits to SM Entertainment.)
Glitch Mode is definitely a cohesive album, but it lacks the strength of the standout individuality that NCT identifies itself by. While some of the hip hop and trap numbers from early on in the tracklist, such as 'Arcade' (which, still, has a bit of a pop sound?), are catchy, they just do not hold any sort of exceptional quality that would justify being part of their *2nd studio album*. Any of NCT's subunits could've sung the song and no one could've told the difference. NCT Dream's own personality, however, manages to shine through in the latter half of the album, where pop begins to infiltrate the landscape and mature the mood. As a whole, Glitch Mode doesn't really offer any significant development of NCT Dream's oeuvre. For the hefty title of "2nd studio album," it's just another rehash of the sounds and tropes NCT has been using forever, but this time tacked onto NCT Dream, who, ironically, are supposed to be the more youthful, fresh side of the group. They're all good songs, don't get me wrong, but they just feel a bit... low effort. At this point, NCT needs something better than "good" because it definitely seems as though, right now, they're buffering. "Trouble, trouble like a miscode" for sure.