[Album Review] Catch The Young second mini-album
Follow the five-member Korean band, as they take us on a voyage through our emotions.
Catch The Young, comprised of members Sani, Kihoon, Namhyun, Junyong, and Jungmo, have caught the attention of the group’s fandom, named Catcher, with their new mini album, Catch The Young: Fragments of Odyssey.
“Since it is our second album, we want to include many interesting elements to showcase Catch The Young’s colour more vividly and invite all listeners to have fun, even more than the first album,” explains Guitarist Kihoon.
He continues: “We also anticipate releasing this album, and we look forward to a wonderful promotion.”
The EP starts on a high note immediately commanding the curiosity of any listener. The opening track “Sentimental Journey” is an upbeat song with a jazzy bassline that will have you dancing around your room.
The song’s lyrics remind its audience to follow the dreams they had when they were young: “It’s time to go back there / Back to where we were born / No one will come looking for us / Now, we must rise / Towards the end of the story”. The heavy drum beat also makes “Sentimental Journey” an addictive track.
“Voyager”, the EP’s title track, takes a lighter approach. The members’ vocals are the standout on this track with their sweet voices paired with the airy instrumentals.
The music video shows the group enjoying time together while highlighting their impressive performance skills which perfectly match the song’s sentiment of Catch The Young being able to live harmoniously together.
Fans of anime OSTs will favour the track “The Legend”. The incessant drums and guitar riffs are captivating and make listeners feel like they can conquer anything. The bass and guitar solos in “The Legend” also allow members Sani and Kihoon to show off their impressive talent.
“Always, Forever” and “About Us” reprieve listeners from the more full-on instrumentals on the EP. Both tracks explore complex emotions like love and achieving your dreams. These songs come as a comfort to fans going through a tough time with Catch The Young acting as their personal cheerleaders.
Acting as the group’s first fan song, “Light On Me (1101), explores the gratitude the band feels towards Catcher: “Wherever you are / I’ll always be here / So you can find me / Wherever you are / If it’s just you, I’m enough”. The sweet acoustic guitar and piano instrumentals add gravitas to the emotional value of the track.
It’s clear that Catch The Young are eternally grateful for the support they have received since their 2023 debut.
The EP ends with “Stay By My Side’, a track about the band’s dedication to one another. The lyrics reiterate this promise perfectly: “I won’t let go again, so you won’t regret it / Always by your side / I’ll hold your hand, please stay by my side / I’ll be looking at you with a smiling face.” It’s clear the group’s closeness will help them go far in this tough industry.
Leader and Bassist Sani spoke about how close the members feel to this EP. He says: “This album feels very special because it contains a song we wrote a long time ago as well as a recently written song.
“Some of these songs took extra details and care from the demo, arrangements, and performances, therefore I feel like they’re my own children.”
Catch The Young: Fragments of Odyssey allows fans to see every side of the band. The ups and downs of this EP will have you dancing one moment then feeling sentimental the next. If this EP is anything to go by, we are sure that Catch The Young has a bright future ahead of them.
Edited by Chelsea Cheetham.