Good Morning, Hard City
Adrian Fu
Hong Kong’s Adrian Fu makes his debut as a singer with this disc, but if you are someone who reads album credits, his name will certainly be familiar.
He has previously composed for top singers such as Eason Chan (We Are All Lonely) and Freya Lim (Wounded).
The vibe here is mellow with a touch of melancholy. This is a record about city life and as befitting a savvy urbanite, he switches easily between Mandarin and English on the songs.
His is no rose-tinted view though.
On the title track, which has lyrics by Lin Xi, he sings: “I’m searching and I’m also lost/Found the meaning of work and holidays/But I’ve lost myself.”
Some of the songs seem to be less metaphorical. He appears to be licking his emotional wounds on numbers such as Cutthroat Lover and What Do You Want.
City life is no breeze and yet his love affair with it lingers. He sings on the title number: “Waking here and sleeping here/Tired of here yet I can’t leave/Oh my hard city.”
Recommended for urban dwellers who have a love-hate relationship with their city.
(ST)