Four vocalists singing over bass and drums. That is the lineup, and it should not work as well as it does. LEENALCHI adapts pansori, Korean narrative singing with centuries of history, into something that moves like psych-pop but keeps the storytelling front and centre. The two bassists lock into grooves that feel more like dub than folk tradition, while the vocalists trade lines and pile up harmonies that sound ancient and completely modern at once.
The material comes from Sugungga, a folk tale about a turtle trying to trick a rabbit into becoming medicine for a dying Dragon King. The narrative structure gives the album a through-line most pop records lack. Tracks like Tiger Is Coming and Crying Softshell Turtle work as standalone pieces but also as chapters. The production, led by composer Jang Young Gyu, leaves space around the voices without sounding sparse. Chris Bellman mastered the vinyl, Vlado Meller handled digital.
This is their first proper international release, though they have been drawing attention in South Korea for a while. If you want vocal music that does not behave like most vocal music, or if you have ever wondered what happens when you strip a band down to voices, bass, and drums and then push all three harder than seems reasonable, this delivers.
