Clap & Applause

From K-drama on Netflix to K-beauty in Boots, South Korea has been on a remarkable rise to prominence in the Western mainstream. Springing forth from the Trojan Horse of the K-culture juggernaut come Coreyah, standard bearers for K-counterculture. On Clap & Applause the group deftly weave traditional elements into an anarchic art-rock opus.

Opener ‘Baksusori’ introduces us to each member of the six-piece group in turn. The gritty twang of the geomungo (zither) provides a foundation to which beguiling vocals and playful percussion are added. A daegeum (bamboo flute) solo segues into a crisp electric guitar feature, before the song climaxes in an accelerando-powered chant. The understatement and traditional grounding of the first track is soon swept away by a series of energetic alt-rock anthems. Each is built on the off-kilter grooves of dual percussionists Kyungyi and Kim Cho Rong. Standout ‘Yellow Flower’ sees vocalist Ham Boyoung adopt a disinterested delivery that recalls Alanis Morissette. This reminds us that K-culture, whether alternative or mainstream, is in conversation with our own. Coreyah have given voice to an infectious fusion that demands attention.