Missing Person
Lala Hsu
Taiwanese singer-songwriter Lala Hsu’s last album, Ideal Life (2012), was an impressive high point in her career. Missing Person does not quite match that high, but it is still compelling and moving.
In the title track Missing, a spare ballad composed by Europa Huang and with lyrics by Hush, Hsu gently caresses the words, crooning tenderly: “How I wish to find you, gently cradling your face/I would open up my arms, and caress your back.”
Steady (Ming Tian De Shi Qing) is a wry look at the unpredictability of love. “We book in advance next year’s summer trip/We book in advance next month’s play/We book in advance the restaurant for Valentine’s Day/But who knows, if I’ll still love you then.”
Retro-dance number Miss Worry and the playfully titled Candy Crusher, which features indie singer-songwriter Ellen Loo, show a more colourful side of Hsu.

The Free Show 2014
Wang Leehom
What’s better than a gig by your favourite singer? Why, a free show, of course.
Since 2012, US-born Mandopop star Wang Leehom has been giving his fans a treat each New Year’s day.
This year, the freebie was a cosy, intimate affair held here at Klapsons The Boutique Hotel, captured on The Free Show 2014.
The singer-songwriter is relaxed and in good form as he serves up laidback versions of his songs, from Love Rival Beethoven from his 1995 debut album to the more recent Heartbeat (2008).
The focus, though, is on lesser known numbers such as All I Think About Is You and covers such as the classic track Lean On Me.
It gives fans a chance to relook his songs that may have been overlooked and to hear a different side of Wang beyond the familiar hits.
What’s better than a free show? A good free show.
(ST)