The Solutions are a Seoul-based duo comprised of Park Sol on lead vocals and Naru on lead guitar and backup vocals. Both members have been active in the South Korean indie music scene for several years.

The Solutions joined forces back in early 2012 and released their debut album on Happy Robot Records, self-titled, "The Solutions," later that same year.

The album earned them the Rookie Of The Year honors at the 2012 Mint Paper Awards and a respectable following. Since then, the band has continued to crank out songs with addictive beats, which are worth taking a listen to.

Earlier this month, the group released their second album titled, "Movements" and a music video to accompany the title track. "Movements" showcases a unique blending of several musical influences aside from the ones the band has already been associated with.

Big names in rock, like Joy Division and Coldplay, have been used to compare The Solutions' musical style, which I can definitely hear in the way they layer upon guitar sounds. This process adds a rich and rhythmic texture to the music that is similar to much of Coldplay's music.

The Joy Division element to their songs can also be heard in the performance style of Sol, who showcases an amazing range and vocal dexterity in his singing. Thankfully, he is able to reach those high notes in "Movements" without sounding too whiny.

In the, "Movements" track in particular, the song sounds more like an excellent blending of alternative rock groups such as Peace and All American Rejects.

The song keeps a consistent and upbeat tempo throughout the entire song, which is very similar to "Bloodshake," performed by the English rock quartet, Peace. There are a few fadeouts here and there where Naru chimes in with his solo lines, but for the most part, the song has little downtime. And that's the way I like it.

The track also has an opening snare drum effect (played by Naru), along with the guitar layers, which pulsates throughout the entire song and helps in keeping a steady pace. This, along with upbeat hooks ("Movements" is chalk full of them) reminiscent of American Reject's, "Move Along," assists in making the whole song a danceable number.

The Solutions seem to be compared against everything from American alternative rock to Japanese groups such as, "The Hiatus" and "Art-School". But when asking the band directly what they felt their musical style and influence drew from, they point to a specific time and place

In the past, the pair has described their music as "reinterpreting the British-American music of the 90s and the 2000's."

This can definitely be heard in the fast paced beats of "Movements," which also has a certain melodic quality that I don't seem to hear very often anymore.

The Solutions have also named Radiohead and New Order (the new group formed by the remaining Joy Division members after the 1980 suicide of frontman Ian Curtis) as groups they are influenced by. The duo seems to look up to that very presence.

Particularly for a two-man band, those are some mighty big shoes to fill and so far, they're doing just fine. 

Listen to the album "Movements" by South Korean indie rock band The Solutions RIGHT HERE

Rehnuma Majid is a writer, artist, radio DJ, events promoter, and avid rock climber. Culture, advocacy, and pie are her passions.