Infinite: Inspirit 1st Single Album Review

I bought this album from i-Deals Store, a seller on Amazon.com with the lowest price and based in Kentucky.  To my very pleasant surprise, my package arrived on a Saturday, 5 days after I had ordered it, and 3 days before the earliest arrival date!  The album came in a clear, almost vacuum-sealed wrap and then in a thin cardboard envelope.  I'm very satisfied with the price, delivery and package protection.

Inspirit is Infinite's first physical single album, which released on March 17, 2011.  This album's dimensions are the same as Infinite's mini albums, just vertical-wise instead of horizontal-wise.  However the cover isn't as strong as the mini albums because this album is paperback, while the mini albums are hardcover.  The front cover showcases an interesting new font and a fun and unbalanced logo, while listing the definition of "infinite" once again.  The back cover has the tracklist and the authentication sticker placed perfectly aligned with the text.

Once opened, on the left is the photobooklet and on the right is the disc.  Underneath the disc is adorable, with an image of Infinite smiling happily.  I like how in this shot, they reveal their faces while on the back cover they playfully shield their faces.

While the overall concept of this era is very cute and adorable in the I-want-to-pinch-your-rosy-little-cheeks kind of way, this album consists of two distinct photoshoots that fit this theme. These two photoshoots are displayed in the 38 page photobooklet.  Because the photobooklet is simply stapled together instead of bounded together at the spine, the quality is lower compared to Infinite's mini albums.  The first and main concept is like an adorable schoolboy look.  The only reason I don't like this concept is because all the outfits are mismatching, and there isn't a single pattern in outfit that flows from member to member.  Some of the solo shots also include what I'm guessing is a message composed by that member, such as the top image of L.  The bottom image's configuration is similar to that of Paradise's photoshoot, where the members in the background are unfocused.  Throughout this photobooklet, I see one or two more comparisons to Paradise's photobook as well.

The second photoshoot is so fun, bright, summery and just plain adorable.  The boys have fluffy, natural bedhead hairstyles, white boho-beach tees and bright skinnies.  The back cover looks like the members are having so much fun, which is such a contrast from their predecessor Evolution and successors Over The Top, Paradise, and now Destiny.  The bottom photo shows the uncommon pairing of Hoya and Sungjong, which is also seen on the last page of the Paradise photobook with a similar pose.

This album consists of 3 tracks.  Here is the tracklist from the photobooklet.  The three songs on this album are all from different genres, illustrating how Infinite can perform a wide range successfully.

1. "Nothing's Over" is a very cutesy and fun song that shows Infinite's youthfulness and innocence.  The music video matches this concept perfectly, with its playful settings.  This main track isn't as powerful as Infinite's other main tracks, but it has its own unique personality that adds to Infinite's wide range of concepts.  This era is definitely a nice refresher from the harsh and dark Evolution era.
2. "Shot" is a song that never gets much attention.  It's not performed on stage or in concert often, though it does have potential.  This song is a bit edgier than the other tracks, balancing out the overall cuteness and gentleness of the entire album.  It is definitely very different from usual, yet varied, Infinite sound.  I myself have never given this song much attention because the beginning sounds too much like Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4."  These two songs are very different in many more ways than they are the same, but I love Chicago and felt this a bit too conflicting.  Other than that, "Shot" is a great song that I hope will get as much attention as other Infinite songs.
3. "Can You Smile (Remake)" is a beautiful ballad rendition of the more upbeat original version in Evolution.  This is the song that truly made me fall in love with Infinite, more so than any of Infinite's main tracks.  "Can You Smile" is a remake that really showcases each member's unique and amazing voice.  The tune is very soothing, which is why I always come to this song when I need a pick-me-up or when I'm feeling very sad.  This is a very meaningful song that concludes this short, yet worthy album.

Though Inspirit contains only 3 tracks, each track is very high quality and significant.  The overall packaging is nice as well, making this album an equal part in my collection and a beauty in anyone's Kpop collection.