Love Hero

Alien Huang

The third time is the charm for actor-singer Alien Huang.

The host of the popular Taiwanese variety show 100% Entertainment was once part of two short-lived groups.

Both TV Asahi’s Japanese boyband HC3 and Taiwanese boyband Cosmos disbanded after releasing one record each.

His hip, catchy solo effort has topped the album charts in Taiwan.

It has attitude to spare, with compositions from popular band Mayday’s Monster and Ashin, rocker Chang Chen-yue and up-and-coming band Fun4.

The titles Toy Gun And Roses, I Don’t Want To Live Forever and Losers In Love Club place the album firmly within the youthful zeitgeist.

It calls to mind another debut, Achord Hsieh’s Nothing But Achord. While that singer’s vibe is more indie hip-pop, this Alien wants to rock your world.

Poetic Rock

Wu Bai and China Blue

Wu Bai has such a distinctive sound that he often leaves his stamp on material he writes for other people. His collaboration with pop queen Faye Wong for her 2001 self-titled album, for example, was not quite a success for that same reason.

(Incidentally, Wong has made her long-awaited comeback with the theme song to the upcoming film, Confucius. Next, a full-length album please.)

Sometimes, though, Wu Bai manages to surprise. Who would have thought that the polished pop of If This Is Not Love by God of Song Jacky Cheung and starlet Cyndi Wang’s I’ll Be Fine came from his pen? Then you hear his take and it all makes sense.

The album works best if you have heard the versions by the singers the songs were written for.

Otherwise, it just feels like a haphazard collection of songs by Wu Bai.

Forgive Me, I Didn't Say...

Sam Lee

The gymnastics theme of the photos featured in the lyric sheet is misleading because, instead of energetic offerings, you get mostly ballads on Sam Lee’s sixth album.

The first plug, My Grandfather’s Clock, is the Mandarin version of Japanese singer Ken Hirai’s take on the American oldie of the same name. And it had already worn out its welcome then.

Things don’t improve with the bland lyrics on Sorry: “Why only after losing someone does one understand/Does one realise that you are most important to me.”

It is the heartfelt Minnan track The Most Agonising Feeling which saves the day while the karaoke metaphors in Cut Off The Song are at least a sporting attempt to try something different.

(ST)