Ayal Komod
Chang Chen-yue
Y4You
Yen-j
Names are important because they are a fundamental part of one’s identity. And after nine studio albums under the moniker of Chang Chen-yue, the Taiwanese rocker steps out under his aboriginal name, Ayal Komod.
The name change promises a back-to- basics, return-to-roots approach. For starters, there is more of a laid-back sun- sea-and-surf vibe here than on his previous records.
He sings on Used Guitar: “A wave comes crashing over, one’s skin is especially dark during summer.” And Welcome To Hua Lian works its homespun charm from the opening lines: “Take you to my hometown for a look/The azure Pacific Ocean lies across from my house.”
On tracks such as Fancy Cars And Tanks, Take It Slow and Frustrated Man, we see him taking stock and shaking his head at the emptiness of material pursuit.
The singer-songwriter paints a stark picture on Man: “Still a little lonely, especially on returning home/I’ve eaten a lot, but my heart is empty.”
Even as he eases into life in the slow lane, fellow Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yen-j is revving up his engine.
Just nine months after Simple Love (2012), he drops a new disc and also recently held a solo concert at the hallowed Taipei Arena.
The theme for the gig, At Least I Have Me, is included here and harks back to the idealistic young man of his jazzy debut, Thanks Your Greatness (2010). He sings: “Many years later, I’ll look back, rejoice that I still have my dreams and ideals.”
Musically, at least, he has changed in some respects. He plays around with electro-pop on Pi. And on the retrolicious Year 2000, he name-checks classics of the era such as Jay Chou’s Lovely Woman and Mayday’s Tender.
The album is least interesting when it veers into commercial love ballad territory with Good Lover. And given that he had a hand in the lyrics on eight of the 11 tracks, it seems telling that the lyrics for Lover were written by someone else instead.
Head instead for album closer The Days That I Am Without You. It starts off light and jazzy, with Yen-j taking on a lower and slightly huskier singing tone, and then flirts briefly with electronica elements. All together, a more surprising, and satisfying, love ballad than any number tailored to be radio-friendly can hope to be.
(ST)
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Rooftop Original Movie Soundtrack
Various artists
The Jay Chou-directed movie was a disappointment – a frothy candy-coloured confection that ultimately fell flat.
At least on the soundtrack, you can just zoom in on the tracks you like and skip the blah moments.
So make a beeline for the dance-rap of Bo Ye, the name of a Chinese physician character played by Eric Tsang.
Vincent Fang’s lyrics are fun and playful and go well with Chou’s music and the flirty choreography in the film: “I hit hit hit your pressure point (Eat grapes, without spitting the grapes’ skin, grapes can’t be eaten).”
And the title track is an ensemble musical number that sets the scene and has a cheery energy to it.
Different characters are swiftly sketched out with a lyric or two and the sense of camaraderie among the denizens of The Rooftop comes through: “I deliver goods, I carry tiles/I hide from creditors, looking good meanwhile/All day long this is how we while away the time.”
Ignore the insipid ballad that is Shutter Slow Dance though. Newcomer Li Xin’ai is a bland presence on screen and things do not improve much on disc. It is not the kind of song you want to belt from the rooftop.
(ST)
Various artists
The Jay Chou-directed movie was a disappointment – a frothy candy-coloured confection that ultimately fell flat.
At least on the soundtrack, you can just zoom in on the tracks you like and skip the blah moments.
So make a beeline for the dance-rap of Bo Ye, the name of a Chinese physician character played by Eric Tsang.
Vincent Fang’s lyrics are fun and playful and go well with Chou’s music and the flirty choreography in the film: “I hit hit hit your pressure point (Eat grapes, without spitting the grapes’ skin, grapes can’t be eaten).”
And the title track is an ensemble musical number that sets the scene and has a cheery energy to it.
Different characters are swiftly sketched out with a lyric or two and the sense of camaraderie among the denizens of The Rooftop comes through: “I deliver goods, I carry tiles/I hide from creditors, looking good meanwhile/All day long this is how we while away the time.”
Ignore the insipid ballad that is Shutter Slow Dance though. Newcomer Li Xin’ai is a bland presence on screen and things do not improve much on disc. It is not the kind of song you want to belt from the rooftop.
(ST)
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Internship
Shawn Levy
The story: Struggling salesmen Billy McMahon (Vince Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson) decide to apply for internships at tech giant Google. There, they find themselves up against eager, tech-savvy college-age kids. In order to come out tops in the competitive programme, and thus land actual jobs, the two men have to win the respect of their much younger teammates.
The last time Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson teamed up, everyone was happy. Wedding Crashers (2005) coasted by on the chemistry between its two leads, reviews were positive and the comedy was a hit at the box office.
The dynamics of the relationship between the buddies strike a familiar note here. Wilson is laidback and easygoing, Vaughn more animated and effortlessly chatty – the kind of people you want to hang around and maybe crash a party or two with.
Too bad they did not pick a better vehicle for their comeback ride. Vaughn is partly culpable since he co-wrote the script.
The entire set-up just feels dishonest. Despite not knowing their html from their http, Billy and Nick manage to rally their team together. They accomplish this with inspirational speechifying from Billy referencing the feel-good movie Flashdance (1983). Score one for the tech dinosaurs.
The comedy 21 And Over (2013) was all about drunken shenanigans, but at least it had no pretensions about being more than that.
In The Internship, anyone who is not Billy or Nick is pretty much a one-note character. From the weird home-schooled guy (Tobit Raphael) to the geek who is too cool to connect with the rest of the world (Dylan O’Brien), they are a collection of walking cliches.
The group also bond over an inhibition-loosening visit to the local strip joint. This turn is particularly dispiriting considering that one of the team members is a woman (Tiya Sircar). But, hey, as long as her male teammates are having fun boozing it up and getting lap dances, it is all good.
Director Shawn Levy (Real Steel, 2011) does not do much with the predictable material and lets it play out to its unsurprising ending.
Nick even gets to have a love interest (Rose Byrne), a Google employee who eventually succumbs to his charm.
The biggest winner in the film has to be Google, as the movie duly notes that it was ranked the best place to work. And the scenes of the everything- here-is-free cafeteria and the cosy sleep-pods corner almost give it the feel of a corporate video.
With Apple getting its turn on the big screen in the recent biopic Jobs (2013), can it be long before Microsoft: The Movie comes along?
(ST)
Shawn Levy
The story: Struggling salesmen Billy McMahon (Vince Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson) decide to apply for internships at tech giant Google. There, they find themselves up against eager, tech-savvy college-age kids. In order to come out tops in the competitive programme, and thus land actual jobs, the two men have to win the respect of their much younger teammates.
The last time Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson teamed up, everyone was happy. Wedding Crashers (2005) coasted by on the chemistry between its two leads, reviews were positive and the comedy was a hit at the box office.
The dynamics of the relationship between the buddies strike a familiar note here. Wilson is laidback and easygoing, Vaughn more animated and effortlessly chatty – the kind of people you want to hang around and maybe crash a party or two with.
Too bad they did not pick a better vehicle for their comeback ride. Vaughn is partly culpable since he co-wrote the script.
The entire set-up just feels dishonest. Despite not knowing their html from their http, Billy and Nick manage to rally their team together. They accomplish this with inspirational speechifying from Billy referencing the feel-good movie Flashdance (1983). Score one for the tech dinosaurs.
The comedy 21 And Over (2013) was all about drunken shenanigans, but at least it had no pretensions about being more than that.
In The Internship, anyone who is not Billy or Nick is pretty much a one-note character. From the weird home-schooled guy (Tobit Raphael) to the geek who is too cool to connect with the rest of the world (Dylan O’Brien), they are a collection of walking cliches.
The group also bond over an inhibition-loosening visit to the local strip joint. This turn is particularly dispiriting considering that one of the team members is a woman (Tiya Sircar). But, hey, as long as her male teammates are having fun boozing it up and getting lap dances, it is all good.
Director Shawn Levy (Real Steel, 2011) does not do much with the predictable material and lets it play out to its unsurprising ending.
Nick even gets to have a love interest (Rose Byrne), a Google employee who eventually succumbs to his charm.
The biggest winner in the film has to be Google, as the movie duly notes that it was ranked the best place to work. And the scenes of the everything- here-is-free cafeteria and the cosy sleep-pods corner almost give it the feel of a corporate video.
With Apple getting its turn on the big screen in the recent biopic Jobs (2013), can it be long before Microsoft: The Movie comes along?
(ST)
Friday, August 16, 2013
Unexpected
Penny Tai
For The Loved
Rene Liu
Despite the title, Malaysian singer-songwriter Penny Tai’s latest album is not as unexpected as, say, her last disc On The Way Home (2011). For something even more radically different, check out the eponymous rock record she put out under the monicker of the band Buddha Jump.
Still, Unexpected is a solid effort that adds to Tai’s body of winning, melodic work with some surprises.
The Right Side Of The Face and Uncuttable are sparer than your average pop ballad and better off for it. On the latter, she sings: “The panic that can’t be cut away/Is the gazing afar in the dream/The him that can’t be cut away/Is in the unknown distance.”
Sing It Out and Strawberry Love offer more upbeat takes on love. Over jangly guitars and a jaunty violin riff, she paints a tasty, if surrealistic, picture of love: “Give me bread spread with love, the taste of strawberry jam, bits of fruit hopping about in bliss.”
Taiwanese singer Rene Liu’s For The Loved does not venture too far off the beaten track either. The title of an earlier album, Love And The City (2002), is a pithy summary of the territory she explores.
Her soothing, relatable voice dwells on the poignancy of love lost on the title track here: “Then, only knew who loved whom most/Forgot who knew how to love me most.”
Cue up I Fell Asleep Thinking Of You for something a little different. The track offers electric guitars in the mix, while Liu muses: “While thinking of you, I fell asleep/While thinking of you, I missed you.” It is as rock as Liu gets, and it will not send you off to dreamland anytime soon.
(ST)
Penny Tai
For The Loved
Rene Liu
Despite the title, Malaysian singer-songwriter Penny Tai’s latest album is not as unexpected as, say, her last disc On The Way Home (2011). For something even more radically different, check out the eponymous rock record she put out under the monicker of the band Buddha Jump.
Still, Unexpected is a solid effort that adds to Tai’s body of winning, melodic work with some surprises.
The Right Side Of The Face and Uncuttable are sparer than your average pop ballad and better off for it. On the latter, she sings: “The panic that can’t be cut away/Is the gazing afar in the dream/The him that can’t be cut away/Is in the unknown distance.”
Sing It Out and Strawberry Love offer more upbeat takes on love. Over jangly guitars and a jaunty violin riff, she paints a tasty, if surrealistic, picture of love: “Give me bread spread with love, the taste of strawberry jam, bits of fruit hopping about in bliss.”
Taiwanese singer Rene Liu’s For The Loved does not venture too far off the beaten track either. The title of an earlier album, Love And The City (2002), is a pithy summary of the territory she explores.
Her soothing, relatable voice dwells on the poignancy of love lost on the title track here: “Then, only knew who loved whom most/Forgot who knew how to love me most.”
Cue up I Fell Asleep Thinking Of You for something a little different. The track offers electric guitars in the mix, while Liu muses: “While thinking of you, I fell asleep/While thinking of you, I missed you.” It is as rock as Liu gets, and it will not send you off to dreamland anytime soon.
(ST)
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Tiny Times
Guo Jingming
The story: Klutzy Lin Xiao (Yang Mi), rich girl Gu Li (Amber Kuo), beautiful Nan Xiang (Haden Kuo) and sporty Tang Wanru (Xie Yilin) have been best friends since high school. The four girls continue to be there for one another as they face challenges in love and life in college. Directed by Guo Jingming based on his best-selling work of the same name.
Tiny Times is really a fantasy.
It is about the lifestyles of the young and rich and fabulous in modern-day Shanghai and audiences in China cannot get enough of it. The movie has been breaking box-office records, grossing over 453 million yuan (S$92 million) so far. A sequel has just been released there last Thursday.
One can perhaps understand the burning curiosity to see how the moneyed and privileged class live. But the movie is so glib and shallow that it rings hollow.
It has also been criticised by some netizens for its unabashed materialism as the women, and men, swan about in branded labels and in luxurious living spaces. In one cliched scene, Lin Xiao and gang cheer themselves up by playing dress-up, thanks to Gu Li’s fabulous walk-in wardrobe.
Tiny Times also feels like a patchwork of ideas which cribs from various sources – from The Devil Wears Prada (2006) to Sex And The City (1998-2004).
Lin Xiao works as an assistant to the chief editor at a high-flying magazine even though she just started college and seems to have no relevant experience to speak of. Naturally, she gets to organise a major fashion event along with Gu Li, who is the queen bee among the girls.
Nan Xiang is a supposedly talented designer bogged down with a deadweight boyfriend, while Wanru is there mostly for grating over-the-top comic relief.
If you think the women are one-note characters, wait till you see the men.
As love interests for Lin Xiao and Gu Li respectively, earnest Jian Xi (Li Yueming) and smirky rich kid Gu Yuan (Kai Ko) barely register. Meanwhile, Rhydian Vaughan is mostly required to be inscrutable and good-looking as Lin Xiao’s eccentric boss.
The red-hot Chongguang (Cheney Chen) seems at first to be the most unbelievable among the characters. A young writer who looks like a K-pop boyband member, wields a ridiculous amount of clout and lives in a lavish bachelor pad? Surely we are deep in fantasy land now.
Actually, he might be modelled after director Guo himself, who, come to think of it, could sneak into a boyband line-up without too much trouble.
But even with a kernel or two of truth, Tiny Times remains too big of a tale to swallow.
(ST)
Guo Jingming
The story: Klutzy Lin Xiao (Yang Mi), rich girl Gu Li (Amber Kuo), beautiful Nan Xiang (Haden Kuo) and sporty Tang Wanru (Xie Yilin) have been best friends since high school. The four girls continue to be there for one another as they face challenges in love and life in college. Directed by Guo Jingming based on his best-selling work of the same name.
Tiny Times is really a fantasy.
It is about the lifestyles of the young and rich and fabulous in modern-day Shanghai and audiences in China cannot get enough of it. The movie has been breaking box-office records, grossing over 453 million yuan (S$92 million) so far. A sequel has just been released there last Thursday.
One can perhaps understand the burning curiosity to see how the moneyed and privileged class live. But the movie is so glib and shallow that it rings hollow.
It has also been criticised by some netizens for its unabashed materialism as the women, and men, swan about in branded labels and in luxurious living spaces. In one cliched scene, Lin Xiao and gang cheer themselves up by playing dress-up, thanks to Gu Li’s fabulous walk-in wardrobe.
Tiny Times also feels like a patchwork of ideas which cribs from various sources – from The Devil Wears Prada (2006) to Sex And The City (1998-2004).
Lin Xiao works as an assistant to the chief editor at a high-flying magazine even though she just started college and seems to have no relevant experience to speak of. Naturally, she gets to organise a major fashion event along with Gu Li, who is the queen bee among the girls.
Nan Xiang is a supposedly talented designer bogged down with a deadweight boyfriend, while Wanru is there mostly for grating over-the-top comic relief.
If you think the women are one-note characters, wait till you see the men.
As love interests for Lin Xiao and Gu Li respectively, earnest Jian Xi (Li Yueming) and smirky rich kid Gu Yuan (Kai Ko) barely register. Meanwhile, Rhydian Vaughan is mostly required to be inscrutable and good-looking as Lin Xiao’s eccentric boss.
The red-hot Chongguang (Cheney Chen) seems at first to be the most unbelievable among the characters. A young writer who looks like a K-pop boyband member, wields a ridiculous amount of clout and lives in a lavish bachelor pad? Surely we are deep in fantasy land now.
Actually, he might be modelled after director Guo himself, who, come to think of it, could sneak into a boyband line-up without too much trouble.
But even with a kernel or two of truth, Tiny Times remains too big of a tale to swallow.
(ST)
Behind The Candelabra
Steven Soderbergh
The story: This biopic about the flamboyant American pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) focuses on the last 10 years of his life and his secret relationship with his lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). The film is based on Thorson’s memoir, Behind The Candelabra: My Life With Liberace (1988). Liberace died of an Aids-related illness in 1987.
Liberace was a showman who knew how to play the crowd as well as he could tinkle the ivories. Excess was his trademark, from the candelabra on his piano to the gaudy costumes he was decked out in.
In this biopic, director Steven Soderbergh strips away the smiley public facade to show us the insecure and controlling man beneath.
While Liberace had to hide his sexuality to the extent of suing those who insinuated he was gay, he was not simply a victim either. He was a rich celebrity who was aware of the clout he wielded and the film explores the uneven power dynamic between Liberace and the much younger Thorson. Creepily, he wanted to remake Thorson over in his own likeness.
Both actors are good, particularly Michael Douglas. The role is something of a departure for him as he has tended to play more strong masculine types in movies such as Wall Street (1987) and Basic Instinct (1992).
Here, he is believable as a showy queen with a fondness for pretty young boys. Remarkably, throat cancer has not halted his acting career.
Matt Damon also gets to show his range – his role of a secret live-in lover here is a stark contrast to the buff hero he plays in the sci-fi flick Elysium, which coincidentally opens on the same day in Singapore.
His Thorson is not a complete innocent but someone who goes into the relationship with his eyes open. Fascinatingly and impressively, the actor appears to change not just his body shape but also his facial shape over the course of the movie.
The relationship between Liberace and Thorson eventually sours and legal wrangling follows as the younger man sues for a share of the pianist’s estate. The process offers up a different perspective as it casts a coolly clinical eye on their all-but-in-name marriage.
Throughout the film, Soderbergh injects sly humour – look out for Rob Lowe, who is a hoot as a plastic surgeon whose skin is stretched so taut, his eyes are hooded slits.
But the film could have benefited from the punchier pacing of Soderbergh’s last film, the continually surprising Side Effects (2013).
It remains to be seen whether the film-maker is merely taking a break from film-making or retiring completely, as he had announced. His recent works suggest he is not quite done telling stories in this medium.
(ST)
Steven Soderbergh
The story: This biopic about the flamboyant American pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) focuses on the last 10 years of his life and his secret relationship with his lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). The film is based on Thorson’s memoir, Behind The Candelabra: My Life With Liberace (1988). Liberace died of an Aids-related illness in 1987.
Liberace was a showman who knew how to play the crowd as well as he could tinkle the ivories. Excess was his trademark, from the candelabra on his piano to the gaudy costumes he was decked out in.
In this biopic, director Steven Soderbergh strips away the smiley public facade to show us the insecure and controlling man beneath.
While Liberace had to hide his sexuality to the extent of suing those who insinuated he was gay, he was not simply a victim either. He was a rich celebrity who was aware of the clout he wielded and the film explores the uneven power dynamic between Liberace and the much younger Thorson. Creepily, he wanted to remake Thorson over in his own likeness.
Both actors are good, particularly Michael Douglas. The role is something of a departure for him as he has tended to play more strong masculine types in movies such as Wall Street (1987) and Basic Instinct (1992).
Here, he is believable as a showy queen with a fondness for pretty young boys. Remarkably, throat cancer has not halted his acting career.
Matt Damon also gets to show his range – his role of a secret live-in lover here is a stark contrast to the buff hero he plays in the sci-fi flick Elysium, which coincidentally opens on the same day in Singapore.
His Thorson is not a complete innocent but someone who goes into the relationship with his eyes open. Fascinatingly and impressively, the actor appears to change not just his body shape but also his facial shape over the course of the movie.
The relationship between Liberace and Thorson eventually sours and legal wrangling follows as the younger man sues for a share of the pianist’s estate. The process offers up a different perspective as it casts a coolly clinical eye on their all-but-in-name marriage.
Throughout the film, Soderbergh injects sly humour – look out for Rob Lowe, who is a hoot as a plastic surgeon whose skin is stretched so taut, his eyes are hooded slits.
But the film could have benefited from the punchier pacing of Soderbergh’s last film, the continually surprising Side Effects (2013).
It remains to be seen whether the film-maker is merely taking a break from film-making or retiring completely, as he had announced. His recent works suggest he is not quite done telling stories in this medium.
(ST)
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Heart Disk
Huang Yida
Kyrie Eleison
Chen Zhiming
That Girl In Pinafore Original Soundtrack
Various artists
Mark this National Day with some home-grown music.
Celebrate with singer- songwriter Huang Yida as he makes a welcome return to the music scene. His future had been uncertain after a best-of collection, Yida’s Journey, was released in 2009 and his record contract with Sony Music ended.
Following an EP, Glimmer, in 2011, he finally delivers a new album. And it is not what one would expect at all. Who knew that he is really a rocker at heart?
From the punk stylings of the cover image to the music, not to mention the title of one track, Set Me Free III, it seems that he gets to call the shots on his latest effort.
Opening number Sparkle is an energetic electro-rocker that sets the stage, while My Heart Disk is a ballad with some revealing lyrics: “How many people can get up again after falling/And discover their true selves.”
Huang boldly takes the unusual move of incorporating instrumental tracks into the album. It all comes together, giving the work the cohesive feel of a tone poem.
Heart Disk throbs with the sound of someone coming into his own as a singer- songwriter.
Also searching for his voice is Chen Zhiming, bass player for local indie bands such as In Each Hand A Cutlass. His lightly husky vocals are promising, and kudos to him for taking on composing and lyric- writing duties as well.
The Hokkien rock number Shiok is bracing, while tracks such as Baby have a more laidback groove.
Some of the sentiment, though, veers towards the prosaic. He sings on Yesterday: “Although I’ll sometimes dream of you/That gentle smile on your face is so sweet/But I know we can’t be together.”
The sentiment on the xinyao tracks of yesteryear ring true.
As Chai Yee Wei, director of That Girl In Pinafore, has said, the songs have been given a fresh coat of paint for the movie.
Yi Bu Yi Bu Lai (One Step At A Time), for example, has been given the rock treatment with buzzing electric guitars added to the mix.
It was originally by Liang Wern Fook and is now remade as an ensemble number with cast members including Project Superstar winner Daren Tan and MediaCorp actress Julie Tan.
Having grown up with them, the folksier, homespun charms of the original versions of songs such as Xi Shui Chang Liu (Friends Forever), originally by Liang and remade here in a cast version as well as a solo take, will always have a special place in my heart.
Still, the makeovers do have their moments, particularly on the joyful female-fronted (Julie Tan, Jayley Woo and Hayley Woo) Li Ming De Xin (Dawn’s Heart) and ensemble number Xing Kong Xia (Starry Sky).
More importantly, the exposure from the movie and soundtrack means that music from the seminal local movement that was xinyao is reaching a new audience. The soundtrack is currently sitting pretty at No. 1 on the album chart on iTunes.
(ST)
Huang Yida
Kyrie Eleison
Chen Zhiming
That Girl In Pinafore Original Soundtrack
Various artists
Mark this National Day with some home-grown music.
Celebrate with singer- songwriter Huang Yida as he makes a welcome return to the music scene. His future had been uncertain after a best-of collection, Yida’s Journey, was released in 2009 and his record contract with Sony Music ended.
Following an EP, Glimmer, in 2011, he finally delivers a new album. And it is not what one would expect at all. Who knew that he is really a rocker at heart?
From the punk stylings of the cover image to the music, not to mention the title of one track, Set Me Free III, it seems that he gets to call the shots on his latest effort.
Opening number Sparkle is an energetic electro-rocker that sets the stage, while My Heart Disk is a ballad with some revealing lyrics: “How many people can get up again after falling/And discover their true selves.”
Huang boldly takes the unusual move of incorporating instrumental tracks into the album. It all comes together, giving the work the cohesive feel of a tone poem.
Heart Disk throbs with the sound of someone coming into his own as a singer- songwriter.
Also searching for his voice is Chen Zhiming, bass player for local indie bands such as In Each Hand A Cutlass. His lightly husky vocals are promising, and kudos to him for taking on composing and lyric- writing duties as well.
The Hokkien rock number Shiok is bracing, while tracks such as Baby have a more laidback groove.
Some of the sentiment, though, veers towards the prosaic. He sings on Yesterday: “Although I’ll sometimes dream of you/That gentle smile on your face is so sweet/But I know we can’t be together.”
The sentiment on the xinyao tracks of yesteryear ring true.
As Chai Yee Wei, director of That Girl In Pinafore, has said, the songs have been given a fresh coat of paint for the movie.
Yi Bu Yi Bu Lai (One Step At A Time), for example, has been given the rock treatment with buzzing electric guitars added to the mix.
It was originally by Liang Wern Fook and is now remade as an ensemble number with cast members including Project Superstar winner Daren Tan and MediaCorp actress Julie Tan.
Having grown up with them, the folksier, homespun charms of the original versions of songs such as Xi Shui Chang Liu (Friends Forever), originally by Liang and remade here in a cast version as well as a solo take, will always have a special place in my heart.
Still, the makeovers do have their moments, particularly on the joyful female-fronted (Julie Tan, Jayley Woo and Hayley Woo) Li Ming De Xin (Dawn’s Heart) and ensemble number Xing Kong Xia (Starry Sky).
More importantly, the exposure from the movie and soundtrack means that music from the seminal local movement that was xinyao is reaching a new audience. The soundtrack is currently sitting pretty at No. 1 on the album chart on iTunes.
(ST)
Monday, August 05, 2013
Electric Pet Shop Boys Live
Resorts World Convention Centre, Compass Ballroom
Last Saturday
Synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys are survivors.
Singer Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe made their debut back in 1986 with the album Please and quickly hit the big-time with indelible tracks such as West End Girls, Suburbia and Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money). Justin Timberlake would have been five then and Justin Bieber was not even a blip on the horizon.
The Boys’ popularity might have dipped from those early giddy heights, but make no mistake, they are no mere nostalgia act peddling past glories.
Last month, they released their 12th studio record, Electric, and they are in the midst of a world tour promoting it as well as their previous album Elysium (2012).
Over the course of their 100- minute-long gig, they flitted between familiar favourites and newer numbers and managed to consistently engage the sold-out crowd of 5,000 fans. And they did it with a relatively straightforward set-up which included two tireless dancers and a huge screen on stage. Meanwhile, Tennant dressed to impress, first appearing in a black spiky outfit that made him look like a punkish porcupine.
The evening began with the more recent songs such as Axis, A Face Like That and Memory Of The Future. Even so, there was a sheen of familiarity to them, thanks to the synth basslines and Tennant’s distinctive high and delicate vocals and crisp enunciation.
The light show kicked in when he later announced: “This show is called Electric.”
Beams of green, blue and white laser swept across the darkened hall and other effects came into play, from a shimmering fan-like projection to strobe-lighting.
Some of the inspiration for the concert came from the songs themselves. There is a line from I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing which goes: “I feel like taking all my clothes off/Dancing To The Rite Of Spring”.
The Boys sample Stravinsky’s ballet of the same name and echo the idea of primitive rituals with the use of animal heads. Tennant wore a giant silver bull head over a dapper suit that made it seem as though the mythical Minotaur was serenading us.
Loud cheers would erupt whenever a classic hook came on, from Suburbia to Rent.
The set ended on a high when the duo reeled off the campily defiant It’s A Sin, irresistible Domino Dancing, joyously anthemic Go West and fabulous Always On My Mind in succession. The fans were up on their feet and dancing and singing along with abandon.
For the encore, Pet Shop Boys bridged past and present.
They played their first ever single, West End Girls, as well as their second single off Electric, Vocal.
It seemed a bit of a gamble to end the night with a new offering but the lyrics were fitting: “This is my kind of music/They play it all night long.”
(ST)
Resorts World Convention Centre, Compass Ballroom
Last Saturday
Synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys are survivors.
Singer Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe made their debut back in 1986 with the album Please and quickly hit the big-time with indelible tracks such as West End Girls, Suburbia and Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money). Justin Timberlake would have been five then and Justin Bieber was not even a blip on the horizon.
The Boys’ popularity might have dipped from those early giddy heights, but make no mistake, they are no mere nostalgia act peddling past glories.
Last month, they released their 12th studio record, Electric, and they are in the midst of a world tour promoting it as well as their previous album Elysium (2012).
Over the course of their 100- minute-long gig, they flitted between familiar favourites and newer numbers and managed to consistently engage the sold-out crowd of 5,000 fans. And they did it with a relatively straightforward set-up which included two tireless dancers and a huge screen on stage. Meanwhile, Tennant dressed to impress, first appearing in a black spiky outfit that made him look like a punkish porcupine.
The evening began with the more recent songs such as Axis, A Face Like That and Memory Of The Future. Even so, there was a sheen of familiarity to them, thanks to the synth basslines and Tennant’s distinctive high and delicate vocals and crisp enunciation.
The light show kicked in when he later announced: “This show is called Electric.”
Beams of green, blue and white laser swept across the darkened hall and other effects came into play, from a shimmering fan-like projection to strobe-lighting.
Some of the inspiration for the concert came from the songs themselves. There is a line from I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing which goes: “I feel like taking all my clothes off/Dancing To The Rite Of Spring”.
The Boys sample Stravinsky’s ballet of the same name and echo the idea of primitive rituals with the use of animal heads. Tennant wore a giant silver bull head over a dapper suit that made it seem as though the mythical Minotaur was serenading us.
Loud cheers would erupt whenever a classic hook came on, from Suburbia to Rent.
The set ended on a high when the duo reeled off the campily defiant It’s A Sin, irresistible Domino Dancing, joyously anthemic Go West and fabulous Always On My Mind in succession. The fans were up on their feet and dancing and singing along with abandon.
For the encore, Pet Shop Boys bridged past and present.
They played their first ever single, West End Girls, as well as their second single off Electric, Vocal.
It seemed a bit of a gamble to end the night with a new offering but the lyrics were fitting: “This is my kind of music/They play it all night long.”
(ST)
Friday, August 02, 2013
Make Sense
Alien Huang
Exit
FUN4
The record might be called Make Sense but there is a definite touch of playful nonsense here.
Taiwanese singer- actor-host Alien Huang’s third solo album kicks off with the title track. The upbeat number invites you to dance while pondering over lyricist Lin Xi’s free-association wordplay: “Really down, it’s like the flu/Hot tears turn into cold sweat, turn around and it’s turned into joy.”
Huang also flexes his lyric-writing skills on electro-rock tune Sugar Tiger. He teases: “Tear the wrapper and stick to your teeth/Give me a bite/Just a taste and you’ll understand/I’m a sweet, are you gonna bite.”
It is not all fun and games and Forgotten Happiness takes a more serious turn: “We’ve all forgotten how to be happy/Do the utmost to drag out one’s life.”
Skip the Cantonese version of Make Sense though. It is presciently titled Annoying and Huang’s iffy accent makes it so.
As a whole, Make Sense harks back to the hip and youthful vibe of his debut album, Love Hero (2009). Coincidentally, his key collaborators on that disc, FUN4, have also released their first full-length record.
Indeed, songs such as Love Experiment Class sound like they could have easily fitted into Love Hero. Further blurring the lines is the fact that lead singer Jess Yang sounds like Huang at times.
Fortunately, Exit is not just Love Hero redux.
It still sounds like youth spirit but perhaps the mood here is slightly sunnier. The title number exhorts you to realise your dreams while Reverse Earth’s Spin wants to “use caring hearts to light up the other half’s darkness”.
The four lads even pose in the nude for the album cover to show that they are serious about being nakedly honest in their music.
It is certainly an entrance that leaves an impression.
(ST)
Alien Huang
Exit
FUN4
The record might be called Make Sense but there is a definite touch of playful nonsense here.
Taiwanese singer- actor-host Alien Huang’s third solo album kicks off with the title track. The upbeat number invites you to dance while pondering over lyricist Lin Xi’s free-association wordplay: “Really down, it’s like the flu/Hot tears turn into cold sweat, turn around and it’s turned into joy.”
Huang also flexes his lyric-writing skills on electro-rock tune Sugar Tiger. He teases: “Tear the wrapper and stick to your teeth/Give me a bite/Just a taste and you’ll understand/I’m a sweet, are you gonna bite.”
It is not all fun and games and Forgotten Happiness takes a more serious turn: “We’ve all forgotten how to be happy/Do the utmost to drag out one’s life.”
Skip the Cantonese version of Make Sense though. It is presciently titled Annoying and Huang’s iffy accent makes it so.
As a whole, Make Sense harks back to the hip and youthful vibe of his debut album, Love Hero (2009). Coincidentally, his key collaborators on that disc, FUN4, have also released their first full-length record.
Indeed, songs such as Love Experiment Class sound like they could have easily fitted into Love Hero. Further blurring the lines is the fact that lead singer Jess Yang sounds like Huang at times.
Fortunately, Exit is not just Love Hero redux.
It still sounds like youth spirit but perhaps the mood here is slightly sunnier. The title number exhorts you to realise your dreams while Reverse Earth’s Spin wants to “use caring hearts to light up the other half’s darkness”.
The four lads even pose in the nude for the album cover to show that they are serious about being nakedly honest in their music.
It is certainly an entrance that leaves an impression.
(ST)
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