After SHINee’s Don’t Call Me album was released in February, I broke it down track by track. And now that we have a repackage on our hands, it’s time to add those new tracks to the in-depth album review!

1. Atlantis // 2. CØDE // 3. Don’t Call Me // 4. Area // 5. Heart Attack // 6. Marry You // 7. Days and Years // 8. I Really Want You // 9. Kiss Kiss // 10. Attention // 11. Body Rhythm // 12. Kind

Days and Years

Songs like Days and Years show just how important a performance can be. On the surface, this is fairly standard stuff. I don’t think there’s anything particularly novel about the melody or production, and in the hands of many idol groups it might come across as skippable fluff. But, when SHINee get their vocals (and vocal harmonies!) on it, the track transforms into something very special.

Days and Years’ arrangement has the hushed quality of an acoustic sing-along, but brings droplets of plucked synth and more robust electronics as the song moves forward. A series of ascending refrains gives the melody an optimistic sense of lift, but Days and Years‘ real centerpiece is its rousing pre-chorus.

The arrangement is pared down to guitar and vocals here, and SHINee take full control of the moment. Their harmonic blend will stop you in your tracks. It’s crisp, warm and far more transcendent than you’d expect from a song of this nature. It also has a nostalgic, almost folksy appeal that brings a totally new tone to Atlantis’s already-eclectic mix. I can’t help but think this would have made an excellent album closer, delivering a lingering message of love as SHINee enter another full-group hiatus.

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