Cat And Mouse
By2
At the age of 23, Singaporean pop duo By2 are already music veterans.
Twins Miko and Yumi released their debut, 16 Underaged (2008), when they were, surprise, all of 16.
Cat And Mouse, their sixth album, does not mess much with the formula of dance tracks mixed with love ballads.
The good thing is that the icky jail-bait factor is now far behind them when one listens to something like the title track, an invitation to “play some cat and mouse”.
But do not think that they are ones to be toyed with. Instead, they purr: “I’m a wild kitty, the pick of the litter/I’m a wild kitty, keep your eyes on me.”
If You Love Me Say It Out Loud keeps the groove going and these dance tracks throb with energy and a sense of purpose.
Too bad the balance tilts towards the ballads here. These are less successful in part because the duo are not strong enough singers.
The light-hearted album closer How Do I Make Clear My Feelings Now suggests a different direction for the duo to try.
All they have to do is dial down the cutesy enunciation.
(ST)