When the single "Nangman Goyangi", or "Romantic Cat", made
Cherry Filter's second album a bestseller in South Korea, the album was touted for its inventive mix of rock and pop with elements of trance music. That's certainly true, but the main selling point of
Made in Korea? is not its crossover prowess, but the simple intensity with which
Cherry Filter deliver their power pop tunes. Sure enough, the band can do all the obligatory tricks that allow Far Eastern bands to make a living: they've got some major key melodies, new wave guitar textures, and a girl vocalist with a strong and charming croon. But
Youjeen also boasts an awesome shouting voice (that doesn't trade melody for hysteria even in the loudest moments), and the guitarists tend to spit out the riffs on a full 12 cylinders. There are a couple of start-stomp numbers, but they are only detours, as
Seo Tai-Ji has got dibs on this sound anyway. The main body of
Made in Korea? is a full-fledged rock groove that seems similar to post-grunge, or even the
Audioslave/
Thornley alternative rock axis, but that is an illusion: the heavy chords are used within simple song structures of pop-punk, so it's actually more of a
blink-182/
Creed mix, or
Avril Lavigne finally given a big kid's distortion pedal.
Made in Korea? isn't as mercilessly catchy as
Lavigne's work, but it still packs plenty of highlights, and the electronic influence, while far from prominent, adds some more quality: the juxtaposition of straightforward rock guitars and techno beats that is not a
Laibach rip-off could've brought the band international recognition, if explored further. As things stand,
Cherry Filter don't qualify for innovators, but the energy, songwriting, and the fresh approach to genre mashing still make
Made in Korea? a highlight of Asian rock scene.