Keep Going
Jeanie Zhang
The debut album from China’s Jeanie Zhang begins with an in-flight announcement to secure your safety belt. Thankfully though, this ride is free of turbulence or vocal histrionics as the 23-year-old takes a more restrained approach.
Her clean, clear voice has a hint of sadness which gives the defiant title track an added layer of emotion when she sings: “Let the wind blow harder/Let the storm lash out/Feel how terrifying the world is/Actually my courage is not lonely/It has company wherever it goes.” She also gets bonus points for composing it.
Equally comfortable with ballads such as I Don’t Understand and uptempo numbers such as I’m OK, the promising newcomer wants you to know that she is in it for the long haul.
Wonfu Loves You
Won Fu
The band emits such a sunshiney, summery vibe it feels a little out of sync to listen to them during this cool, rainy season.
Still, try sitting through such goofy, cheery numbers as Summer Dusk Summer Scenery (“The sun broke the bottle of ketchup escaping/The stars and moon came out and did the cleaning”) and Motorbike (“Sitting on my motorbike/I’ll never exceed the riding capacity/Will the one I like please hurry up and tell me”) without breaking into a grin.
However, two-thirds of the way through, from way out of left field, comes a bizarre Hare Krishna chorus and the mood grows increasingly frenzied and manic. Maybe all that summer sun got to them.
D.N.A Live!
Mayday
It is easy to take Mayday for granted because they are so consistently good. Mayday deliver concert after concert and September’s 2009 Taipei Arena gig was no exception.
The recording captures the excitement of the event as well as the energy and charisma of the band with lead vocalist Ashin in fine form in all 29 tracks here.
For those who were there, this is the perfect keepsake. For those who were not, the accompanying DVD gives you a condensed, tantalising version of what went down.
The Classic
Eric Moo
Harlem Yu, Jam Hsiao, Abin Fang and now Eric Moo. Men doing cover albums of women’s songs? It’s getting old.
They are even starting to record the same songs such as Mavis Hee’s Regrets, which Fang also took on. I prefer Fang’s sparer, more emotionally naked version as Moo’s tendency to belt a song into submission is on full display here. There is nothing delicate about his forceful blasting of lines such as “Rather than let you wither in my embrace” and “Rather than let you grow haggard in my love”.
The disc ends with Too Foolish, a megahit for Moo back in the day but it may surprise you to learn that it was Mindy Quah who first sang the Moo-composed ballad in 1993. He shows some unexpected restraint here but it’s a classic case of too little too late.
(ST)