Looking for a New World (找一個新世界)
The Chairman (董事長樂團)
Click
It's been almost three years since Teh Chairman has graced record store shelves with a new batch of tunes, but the wait has been well worth it as the long serving rock combo is not only back with a new lineup, but, more importantly, with a new sound as well.
In a break from tradition, the group has veered away from the tried and tested punk/rock-based buzz-saw guitar and snarling vocals-driven format and instead opted to explore a more sophisticated post-rock oriented style of vibes.
Looking for a New World is a well produced, tight and, in keeping with all Chairman albums, an expertly executed piece of work. The combo successfully blends aspects of electronica, downbeat modern folk and post-rock to create what is by far its most expressive album to date.
Those familiar with The Chairman of yesteryear might be a bit put off by the opening track, New World (
Tunes like the high-octane, post-rock Just Give Me a Chance; the unhurried, hypnotic and stylized Tsunami (
Exposed
Coco Lee (李玟)
Epic
Having disappeared from the music scene for two years, Coco Lee is back with a new spicy image in which her cleavage and rear end both play big -- no pun intended -- parts. Along with her new more adult-oriented image, Lee has opted for a more fashionable musical route.
The one-time queen of Mando-pop has gone from bubblegum pop to mild dance/hip-hop. While it has its drawbacks and is not without its many faults, the sound on Exposed is far more befitting of the new mature Lee than that of the cutesy image she used to cut her teeth in the music business.
To ensure that everyone knows she's now grown up, the album sleeve is awash with titillating photos of the singer and every song revolves the same subject -- sex. Exposed is a racy album. Lee waxes lyrical about everything from her "belly dance" -- which we won't get into here -- to how "it's been too long since I've had some."
Lee weaves her sexual poetry over a backdrop of mild electronica and slow hip-hop loops. The album certainly has its entertaining moments, but sadly the tunes don't make as much of a lasting impression as the lyrics themselves.
Even with the help of Grammy-winning producer Rick Wake, the programmable smarts of Joon Park and several other members of the team that produced hits for Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez, Lee's latest album fails to impress musically.
The problem is that it's almost impossible to take the material seriously, especially when Lee croons her way through tunes like So Good, the lyrics of which read more like a piece of pornographic literature than a would-be top-1 hit -- "lay back and just relax/don't mind the candle wax/with nails upon your back/I'll just do it like that/lust sitting on your face/tongue kisses my inner place/and as I start to shake/a sensual escape."
Unlimited (無限)
FIR (飛兒樂團)
Warner
Released only two weeks ago, FIR's second studio album, Unlimited has already shot to the number-one spot in MTV Taiwan music charts and looks poised to conquer charts in China, Hong Kong and Singapore in the coming weeks.
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