19
19
Do not be misled by the CD cover.
The act 19 is not some young female newcomer but a duo comprising the very seasoned singer-songwriter Sandee Chan and George Chen, noted composer of tunes for theatre, film and advertisement jingles. The album is filled with a sense of adventure and fun that is positively youthful, turning Chen’s score music and commercial work into bona fide pop songs.
Sound-wise, this feels like a natural continuation of Chan’s previous light- hearted foray into electronica on I Love You, John (2011). The soothing romantic ballad Don’t Forget My Kisses was first included on the soundtrack of the hit film Monga (2010) and it is one of many highlights here.
On the ethereal Journey For Two, they muse about wanderlust: “You’d say every time/Sigh, want to go to Bali island/ You’d say every time/Sigh, want to go to Spain and run.”
The restlessness is also seen in the wide-ranging influences on the songs – from the Japanese youth romance film Bataashi Kingyo (1990) inspiring Stupid Goldfish to the ubiquitous leisure activity of karaoke giving rise to KTV Legend.
Meanwhile, the dreamily sultry Boy Boy Girl Girl features two same-sex couples in the blush of nascent love in the music video.
A winning musical experiment from the Taiwanese duo.

Feeling Of Loss
TKB
This is local band TKB’s second EP after last year’s First Step, First Episode.
The emo-rock tracks by the quartet, such as Feeling Of Loss, Mess and Number 17, are the less interesting numbers here, though the inclusion of a violin’s plaintive wails adds some interest to 17.
Head instead for the light-hearted The Last Address, which at least offers a pick-me-up instead of being another downer. Lead vocalist Nicole Teo sings in English for the refrain: “I must be sleeping on a star, let’s not wake up.”
Still, a soporific record is the last thing a band wants.
(ST)