IN2IT’s Run Away popped up on a random shuffle the other day and I realized that I had honestly forgotten about the song. This might sound like a put down, but as the track played, I found my ears lured to its rock-infused dance beat. I couldn’t quite place who the performer was (which probably says more about IN2IT than the song itself) but it sounded better than I remembered. I say this only to note that sometimes opinions on music can change given information you have at hand. With an under-the-radar group like IN2IT, many listeners are less inclined to expect greatness, and this apathy can frame otherwise strong material in an unfavorable light.

With this in mind, I always try to give every new release the benefit of the doubt, and some of my favorite songs of the year have spawned from acts that are low on resources and short on fans. Unfortunately, ULlala: Poisoning will not be joining that list. IN2IT are a talented, appealing group, but they’ve pin-balled from one sound to another without any clear plan. Poisoning switches things up yet again, drawing from both Latin influences and generic, moody boy group fare.

The song ticks most of the boxes you’d expect in 2019, presenting a languid tempo and pre-chorus build that leads to a tepid drop. To Poisoning’s credit, the chorus is actually vocal-driven, though the melody mostly just echoes the pattern of the instrumental. Apart from this central hook, it’s hard to remember much about the track. The verses amount to little more than posturing. They’re melodic, but not in any well-constructed way. Months from now, when ULala: Poisoning pops up on shuffle, I doubt that my ears will be intrigued.

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