Album Review: Yoon Jong Shin – ‘Vol. 11동네 한 바퀴 (Round the Village)’

Album release date: November 2008
Genre: Kpop, Ballad
Rating: 4/5

Review by: jct 

Yoon Jong Shin may not occupy the same seat near the top of the music charts as he did in the 90s, but his latest album, Round the Village, proves that he’s still near the top of his game as a singer-songwriter. Jong Shin is still doing what he does best: creating romantic songs that are not your typical boring ballads. The album’s musical and vocal quality are consistently good from track to track. Although the album falters slightly on some songs, it is still a solid release overall.

Consistently Good

Ever since his debut album, Yoon Jong Shin’s forte has been romantic and lyrical music. Although he began as a ballad singer, he has explored R&B/pop over the recent years. However, on his 11^th album, Round the Village, he seems to shift towards more ballad and pop music. The slower materials are fine though because he has a very distinct voice especially when it comes to ballads as he emphasizes on careful and perfect pronunciation of each and every word of the song.

The album starts off with a slow-tempo pop song called, “A Walk in the Village”, which is about thinking about a loved one while walking down the streets in the neighbourhood. The song has nice melody and smooth vocals as he sings with true genuine emotions.  The title track, “Do It Tommorow”, is a sad love ballad that displays a wide range of his vocals. The song is about the feelings on the day before a breakup. Lyrically, all the songs are very original.  The album only has one upbeat song called “Impromptu Trip”, with the guest appearance of MC Mong. The pairing of the two is a complete natural and the rap complements very well with Jong Shin’s vocals.

The album’s one slight flaw is that the production may be a bit dated. Since Jong Shin produces all of his own songs, he may still be sticking to the same approach. But the dated production isn’t much of a problem since his fanbase probably prefers it as the familiar sounds is much better than today’s soulless and increasingly computerized music.  Overall, his music is a breath of fresh air compared to typical modern-day music.


Track list:

1. 동네한바퀴 (A Walk Around The Village)
2. 夜景 (Night Scene)
3. 즉흥여행(feat. MC Mong) (Impromptu Trip)
4. 내가 할일 (Do It Tommorow)
5. 같이 가줄래 (Will You Come)
6. 벗어나기 (Escape)
7. O My Baby
8. She's Not Here
9. 무감각 (Stupor)
10. 나에게 하는 격려 (I Encourage You To)
11. 즉흥여행(Impromptu Trip)