We all have our specific musical preferences, and I’m a sucker for breathless energy and hard-hitting electro-funk. You can place almost any song over a blazing K-pop beat and I’ll be satisfied. Up to this point, Victon’s discography trended toward more leisurely-paced material, though member Do Hanse’s Take Over hinted at more dynamic sounds.

From the moment I heard the teaser for Chronograph, I knew this would be a comeback to anticipate. The instrumental alone caught my ear, fueled by chugging guitar and driving energy. This specific sound is its own kind of K-pop trope, but it gets me pumped every time. And minus an ill-placed tempo shift during verse two (of course!), Chronograph largely delivers on its promise. When it gets going, its propulsive sound is unstoppable. The chorus is simple but sticky, matching the intensity of the production. And when we reach the song’s truncated climax, Victon deliver the sort of SHINee-esque vocal firepower that makes a song like this really pop.

Yet, Chronograph also cuts a few corners. It will undoubtedly become a staple on my own playlist, but it falls short of unadulterated excellence. The second verse rap is oddly constructed, with that aforementioned drop briefly sacrificing momentum. And at just under three minutes, the song is too short to build toward any truly revelatory moment. But, those are nitpicks. When it comes down to it, that incredible guitar will be enough to keep me coming back again and again. And like UP10TION’s similarly-constructed Spin Off, this may grow even stronger with time.