Day By Day
Hebe Tien
On the album cover, singer Hebe Tien is pictured ironing clothes. In the pages of the lyric booklet, she paints her nails and does a yoga stretch.
The prettily coloured and carefully styled images of the most successful solo member of the popular Taiwanese girl group S.H.E were taken by award-winning Slovakian photographer Maria Svarbova. In other words, the singer’s fourth album might be about the quotidian, but there is nothing perfunctory about it.
Ren Jian Yan Huo (Every Day Is A Miracle) is a good example of this.
The phrase “bu shi ren jian yan huo” is used to describe someone who is not quite of this world. So I was expecting something ethereal- sounding, but Tien ventures into upbeat electronica territory instead.
Defying expectations is a good thing and so is sounding different from everything else on the radio, which bodes well for Tien.
The tempo slows down on Useless as her voice casts a languid spell and then gently hits the high notes as she croons a series of zen koans: “Uselessness is useful or completely useless, what’s the difference?”
Working with a wide range of musicians here – from China’s Lan Xiaoxie (lyrics for Useless and others) to Singaporean newcomer Boon Hui Lu (music for Every Day Is A Miracle and Your Body Speaks) – she produces an eclectic, electronic collection that will liven up your day.
(ST)