Stone Cafe
Leah Dou
With Mandopop queen Faye Wong and Chinese singer-songwriter Dou Wei as her parents, it is pretty much a given that music would flow through the veins of Leah Dou.
At 19, she has released her first album, one that neatly sidesteps comparisons with her mother as it is entirely in English.
Clearly, English is her first language in a way that it is not her mother’s, judging by Wong’s handful of tracks in that tongue, including Eyes On Me.
Vocally, they do not sound the same either. Wong’s pristine, ethereal pipes are unique, although Dou’s voice has its own pull – less delicate and a little more earthy.
She has had a hand in writing all the material, which is indie-pop territory that steers clear of mainstream Mandopop.
Opening track My Days chugs along easily at mid-tempo in which she professes: “I dream in a different kind of way.” Dreaming Of Gregory takes an unusual melodic turn in the chorus.
She might be a teenager, but there is definitely a grown-up vibe to some of the material.
On the slinky Bitter Sweet, she urges: “Lay your hands on me/Give me just enough so it’s hard to breathe.”
This is not an album that is easy to listen to at one go as some of it feels a little indulgent.
Think of this as a new Cafe with potential, albeit one that needs some more tinkering.
(ST)