La Valse
Peggy Hsu
The album is exquisitely packaged to resemble a music box though its colour scheme of pink, purple and glitter seems tailored for little girls. But thankfully, Taiwanese singer-songwriter Peggy Hsu’s latest concept album has greater appeal than that.
The lyrics for La Valse, which means The Waltz, come bound in a lovingly illustrated booklet and it all unfolds like a fairy tale, one which begins with a pair of magical dancing shoes.
All the songs here are set to the three-beat rhythm which characterises the waltz. And Hsu manages to evoke a child-like sense of wonder, whimsy and innocence on tracks such as If Everything I See Was Mine and Sleep Together. Count To 3 has a humorous riposte: “Go to her, you’re pitifully silly, she can’t even count to three.”
There are darker themes lurking though. On the duet Love Is... with Tizzy Bac singer Chen Hui-ting, there is a line which goes: “What should I give you, a poisoned apple.”
Hsu has come up with stronger concept albums such as the winter-themed Snowman (2009) but you can still enjoy a twirl with La Valse.
(ST)