For the group's latest studio venture, Level 5, Swingjack has once again brewed up a heap of hypnotic and well-looped rhythms with melodic, at times moody and yet always mesmerizing singsong vocals. Level 5 follows the same musical path as the combo's previous Level projects and is packed with a variety of musical creations that touch on contrasting genres.
From the album's downbeat influenced opener, Devil Queen
Love him or loath him, you have to hand it to TV host and master of the natty one-liner, Chang Fei
Famed for his risque humor, his tight perm and garish outfits Chang is also a pretty capable crooner when vocalizing in Mandarin or Taiwanese. Sadly he tackles his latest album in English and, needless to say, this is where it all comes unstuck.
Chang's somewhat dubious command of the language means that he sounds more like one of those embarrassingly tune deaf and inebriated blokes you hear at a Karaoke bar in the early hours of the morning rather than a respected and talented all-round entertainer.
The backing musicians are spot-on and don't miss a beat, but Chang's delivery of the moody lounge love tunes is somewhat slurred. Vic Damone, Dean Martin or any one of a number of well-balanced crooners, Chang is not. With the exception of a couple of tunes the album has an intoxicated feel to it.
The album does have its moments, though, and Chang manages to pull off two masterstrokes. He hits all the right notes on his renditions of Percy Faith's Theme from A Summer Place and the Frankie Valli hit, Can't Take My Eye off You.
Although hard, if not impossible to take seriously, When I Fall in Love, the album, is still worthy of at least a 7/10 for its sing-a-long value.
RSS