KNK are a new boy group with YNB Entertainment, home to (highly underrated) girl group Bestie. Because I’ve enjoyed Bestie’s material so much, my interest was piqued when it came to KNK. Unfortunately, I think I’m going to have to wait until their follow-up single before forming a solid opinion about them, because Knock has me scratching my head more than anything.

Knock begins with simple piano, before transforming into a dark, symphonic piece of dance pop. This all sounds well and good, but the track’s muddled production makes it hard to enjoy any of the song’s merits. I’m not sure if it’s a mastering problem, but everything feels compressed. The orchestral elements sound particularly canned, and the harmonies oddly lifeless. Ad-libs are buried in the mix, and a prominent rap section seems especially loud and grainy. Nothing feels remotely organic or crisp or alive.

It’s not that I don’t like this style of music. For comparison’s sake, think about Knock versus Speed’s What U from last year. Both are similar sounding tracks with nearly identical production elements, but What U feels full and dynamically captured, while Knock sounds like it was recorded inside a storage unit. This is not meant to fault the members at all, or even the actual song. The hook is catchy enough, if a bit repetitive, and the guys all appear to be talented and charismatic. It’s just that everything surrounding the track does them no favors. But… I still have hope. I mean, Bestie’s debut song wasn’t that wonderful either, and they’ve gone on to make some pretty amazing music. I hope KNK does the same.