Lesson One

Anthony Neely

This is turning out to be a pretty good year for Taiwanese male newcomers. On the heels of well-received debuts by Weibird Wei and Yen-J comes Anthony Neely’s anticipated Lesson One.

Taiwanese-American Neely, 24, had his break, like so many others these days, on the singing competition show One Million Star. His version of Damien Rice’s ballad The Blower’s Daughter wowed the judges and got a record- breaking high score. It is included here as a bonus track but, thankfully, Lesson One is not a grab bag of covers.

Neely sounds earthier than his boy-next-door looks suggest, and that dose of grittiness is perfect on rock tracks such as Happy Armageddon and Brawl. It also adds an interesting grain to more conventional love ballads such as The Last Embrace.

He also shows his versatility by contributing lyrics to the English track Sorry That I Loved You, a radio-friendly emo number that would not sound out of place on, say, a One Republic album.

While Neely’s sound comes across as being less distinctive than Wei or Yen-J’s, the overall verdict would be: Lesson One, nicely done.

Back In Control

Gary Chaw

On the nostalgia-laden opener Grandpa, Malaysian singer-songwriter Gary Chaw shows us a kinder, gentler side.

He croons: “You led me through winding alleys/Where the wind blows and leaves fall/You said child, venture forth bravely/See what the world is like.”

It is all rather sweet and heartwarming. Or it could just be damage control.

This is Chaw’s first album after a highly publicised drunken brawl with Hong Kong singer-songwriter Justin Lo last year and he wants to show that he is, well, back in control. Apparently, showing vulnerability doesn’t hurt either.

You wonder, though, if he is singing a reminder to himself on the jazzy Champagne Times: “This is just nice, no need for another glass/Don’t go beyond this slightly buzzed feeling.”

Perhaps, he could consider being the designated driver next time.

Da First Episode

Da Mouth

Taiwanese hip-hop quartet Da Mouth have sweetened their best-of compilation with an additional disc of new material that makes this release a savoury deal.

They cheekily mouth off on Impolite – “Don’t forget to put on cologne when going out/Watch your spittle when talking” – and on Big Composer: “Where can I find inspiration, please, please/I don’t want to steal it from anywhere.”

Less successful is the English track Secret Life. To clear up any confusion, “I’m addicted like an addict” does not qualify as a simile or as a good lyric.

But past hits from their last three albums, including tracks such as Rock It and The Outcome?, make it clear that they can be counted on to provide the good-time, party vibe.

(ST)