As usual, Golden Child gets the “bias group advantage” on this site. This means not only their title track and a buried treasure will be reviewed, but I’ll be taking a look at the entire new mini album Take A Leap. Check back over the next five days, as I tackle the songs one at a time.

1. Take A Leap // 2. One (Lucid Dream) // 3. OMG // 4. Moment // 5. Make Me Love // 6. H.E.R // 7. Pass Me By

PASS ME BY

Woollim has a history of ending albums with an upbeat dance track, and I thought that maybe… just maybe… Pass Me By might continue that legacy. But alas, the song continues the mid-tempo streak that characterizes most of the new album. I guess “taking a leap” wore the guys out after the first two tracks.

In all seriousness, though, I like Pass Me By. I think it suffers from having a similar energy to its preceding neighbors on the tracklist, but it’s a satisfying pop ballad with a real classic appeal. It actually reminds me of a b-side that could have been found on one of TVXQ’s early Korean albums. The piano loop that powers the verses feels very nostalgic, and the steady, filtered percussion is pure mid-00’s. It’s weird, because I didn’t realize that I missed this sound until I heard it again. I guess enough time has passed for this to feel almost retro.

Melodically, Pass Me By is pure boy band cheese, but I happen to enjoy boy band cheese so I’m okay with that. Plus, the song has an actual bridge, with a beautifully restrained vocal moment before the final chorus. I think the production could have gone more over the top here, but the track still feels like a great “confetti drop” moment at the end of a concert.

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