Ever since re-configuring under their own label, the members of Highlight have been freed to release a steady stream of solo singles and albums. Unfortunately, none of these have had much staying power with me. As part of his production team Good Life, Yong Junhyung has been responsible for most of Highlight’s material since 2013, when the group was still known as Beast. Those first few years of self-composition were stuffed with ideas and diverse soundscapes, but his current work has seemed to settle on the specific brand of indie-r&b encapsulated by new single Go Away (무슨 말이 필요해).

Junhyung’s music always has a nice groove — and it’s hard to dislike something as amiable as this — but Go Away’s breezy, subdued composition makes me long for something as idiosyncratic as 2013’s Flower. On the plus side, the track gives Junhyung a chance to display vocals and rap in equal measure, and he delivers both with a laid-back sense of cool.

That’s a pretty good descriptor of Go Away as a whole. The song passes by without much fanfare, driven by a coffee-house style of light funk. The distorted synths that underline the chorus are a nice touch, but other than that the instrumental could have formed the backbone to any number of indie acts. Thankfully, it has more bounce to it than Junhyung’s last effort, and that sense of light-on-its-feet energy gets it across the finish line. Still, we’ve heard Junhyung come up with much more original material than this, making Go Away a slightly forgettable entry in his impressive discography.

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