A K-pop act’s title track isn’t always the best song on their album, even if it’s the one most people will hear. Sometimes, b-sides deserve recognition too. In the singles-oriented world of K-pop, I want to spotlight some of these buried treasures and give them the props they deserve.

DAY6’s new album may not reinvent the wheel, but it’s a super solid collection of rock tracks that touch upon many different hallmarks of the genre. I could have chosen a few songs to feature as “buried treasure.” The 80’s pulse of The Power Of Love fits most comfortably within my own musical bias, but the melodies of the cathartic Sad Ending hit just a bit harder.

It’s nice to hear DAY6 rock out this way, charging forward with a single-minded intensity that matches the song’s blistering pace. Its opening bars lull you into a false sense of antique, plinky-plonky percussion before guitar comes in to wallop over any nuance. From here, Sad Ending is unstoppable. Its chorus is undoubtedly the centerpiece, swerving through several melodic constructions — each catchier and punchier than the last. It’s a generous approach, with plenty to chew on. Yet, at just under three-and-a-half minutes, the track never feels overstuffed or self-indulgent. That’s largely thanks to the sturdy arrangement, which cuts through potentially dull moments with pummeling power.

Grade: B+