Vanillare is a group that sits under the surface. They have released music since 2019 but have been more active from 2021. Smoking with the Angel is their first full length. It’s a rock album but also this pop melancholy and “emo” tone throughout the 10 songs.
Starting with “ALIVE,” Vanillare walks toward electronic rock and pop. It reminds me of the mellow bits of Bring Me The Horizon. The song is alright but offers a slightly muted sound. Things don’t change much with “Looking Away.” Vanillare composes very polished music, but it’s hard to find it really engaging.
“Puppet” is the slow ballad song on Smoking with the Angel. “LEFT BEHIND” is part two of the energy that “Puppet” presented. That’s the difficulty of Smoking with the Angel. The album sounds like a set of singles instead of a cohesive album. Nothing feels connected. “IFEELLIKEGIVINGUP” and “Die Alone, Rot in Hell” sound like a Korean pop band.
After so many releases, I was wondering what Vanillare would present. The majority of this album is quiet without depth and when the music finally opens up on “Save Me,” it becomes a Japanese rock song. I wonder if this fell into the trap of overproduction and mastering to mute a lot of the energy.
As it stands, Vanillare’s Smoking with the Angel is ok but missing staying power.
Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.