Back To Wonderland
Khalil Fong
There is a loosey- goosey laid-back vibe to Khalil Fong’s appealing sixth studio album. It picks right up from his last album 15 (2011), but that is not to say that the tracks sound alike.
Rather, the American-born, Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter displays an assured musicality as he dabbles in R&B, soul, pop, rock, jazz and even funk.
He caresses the Vincent Fang-penned lyrics for Thousand Paper Cranes with a lilting falsetto: “Paper cranes, you fold them gently, happy as free-flowing jazz/Maybe, letting you go, is just changing the way of loving you”.
Love Instantly, with lyrics by Luke “Skywalker” Tsui, is about seizing the moment and it sounds like an instant classic: “My love instantly, wants to prove it’s yours, no need to wait for guesses, there’s only one choice, now”.
These are the more obvious radio singles but it’s all good as Fong’s smooth vocals slip into the groove from song to song.
There are also some pleasant surprises in store. Take his collaboration with hip-hop duo Fama, whose lyrics for Mama Says manage to be both playful and thoughtful.
“Can you feel the music?”, he asks on the opening track. The answer is a resounding yes.
(ST)