[POPSEOUL! Indie Spotlight] The Melody

It’s finally that time again.

Our first “Indie Spotlight” on Loveholic was very well-received, so here’s yet another one for those of you craving some more “indie” goodness. This time around, we have yet another band featuring two male producing members and one female vocalist, who goes solo. The Melody consists of female vocalist Ta-ru, supporting instrumentalist Gwang-young, and keyboardist Go Woong, who is the band’s main songwriter and lyricist. Why something similar? Because I feel like it.

Under the Pastel Music label, The Melody was initially assembled in 2003, but were predominantly active starting 2006 with the release of a few singles and participation in drama OSTs. You may be familiar with their sound if you have seen Coffee Prince, the 2007 summer drama that boasted a really good soundtrack. Following the drama’s end, The Melody released their full length self-titled album in October 2007. Also might I say, some albums feature a a few good catchy songs accompanied by lackluster filler tracks, but not “The Melody,” the entire album is gold, warranting countless looped tracks and a strong recommendation.

If you wanted to categorize the sound of The Melody, it would be called indie pop rock, but that really doesn’t begin to explain it. The Melody boasts bright, lofty arrangements that carry a lot of sentiment and cheer in their melodies, yet at the same time, providing strong background percussion and guitar chords that create a bit of a hard edge to their music. It’s easy listening that is ideal for when you’re riding your bike through a quiet neighborhood with a light summer breeze, or contemplating life while taking a night stroll when the moon is out but the sky is slightly overcast. It’s good for both the lighthearted folk and the slightly broody.

The highlight of The Melody is really Ta-ru’s echoing, lilting voice. A lot of the songs feature English sections. Ta-ru’s English sounds a bit choppy and slurred, and is probably on par with our favorite ESL student, but the manner in which Ta-ru sings in her staggered, crooning English accent adds an extra layer of depth to the emotion of the songs. Her Engrish is all right by us.

Unfortunately, The Melody appears to have disbanded, and it looks like they are not making any music under that moniker in the future. On June 24, 2008, Ta-ru released her first mini-album titled “R.A.I.N.B.O.W” as the first page of her mini-album series “Music Recipe.” As she was preparing for the album, Ta-ru not only sang, but she also wrote a lot of the lyrics. “R.A.I.N.B.O.W” displays a much stronger lighthearted pop sound and experimentation with an electronica vibe, since it was produced by fellow Pastel artist, Sentimental Scenery, who is making a name for himself on his uplifting, yet haunting electronica sound.

Pastel is currently working very closely with LG for their Cyon Lollipop brand campaign, offering a lot of really interesting, cutesy sounding ringtones and sound effects for their phone. Ta-ru is also part of the campaign, having previously released a single for the LG CanU called “Bling, Bling.” Pastel seems to obviously be pushing Ta-ru more toward a mainstream pop image, but even when they are trying to sell out a little, it still better than most of the stuff pumped out on the radio.

Check out some of their tracks~

Probably the signature song of the Coffee Prince OST, here’s The Melody “La La La, It’s Love.”

Ta-ru, during The Melody “Love Box” live performance, displayed heart-wrenching expression in her song. It’s a little long, but if you enjoy her singing, you can sit through it.

The Melody “Paradise” Live

Ta-ru “Love Today” MV

Ta-ru “Yesterday” Live

Much love to friend Gloria for the help, and kickthebox for the tap on the shoulder.

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