Lovelorn Aesthetics
Ming Dao
Previously part of the short-lived boyband 183 Club, which disbanded in the late noughties, Taiwanese actor-model Ming Dao is only now making his debut as a solo act.
The surprise is that he has a pleasant singing voice, one that can stand alone without blending with four other voices.
Unfortunately, the material here, a hodepodge of songs about love, is too generic.
The singer tries too hard to cover all the bases – from the title track that sounds like a synth-heavy Show Lo-lite number, to the ballad Tears Dried By The Wind, on which Ming Dao seems to be channelling Jay Chou (an impression strengthened by lyrics written by Chou’s regular collaborator Vincent Fang).
At least the opening track, Kiss Me, does something different with its big-band sound.
And the breezy pop of I Suddenly Want To Love Her is a theme song crying out for an idol drama.
The album cover has Ming Dao showing off his biceps while clutching a bouquet of roses to send the message that he is both manly and sensitive.
Maybe more lovelorn facets and less aesthetics would have made for a better record.
(ST)