Nature Morte (靜物樂團)
Apple and Orange (橘子與蘋果)
Decca Records
Published with a subsidy from the Government Information Office, Apple and Orange (橘子與蘋果) is the debut album from the indie duo Nature Morte (靜物樂團), which was formed in 2007. Vocalist Lisa, real name Hsieh Ling-chun (謝凌君), has already released two full-length solo albums and worked as a backup singer for superstars such as David Tao (陶吉吉) and Wang Lee-hom (王力宏). Drummer Eric, real name Huang Chin-sheng (黃欽聖), is also the vocalist and drummer for another indie band, What? Mulan (花木蘭).
Co-produced by Lisa and Eric Fawcett (the backup drummer for the American rock band N.E.R.D.), Apple and Orange serves up textured tapestries of sound in the dream pop style that was pioneered by the Cocteau Twins. Lisa’s dreamy, ethereal vocals waft over hypnotic strings and Eric’s tantalizing drum chords.
As a concept album, Apple and Orange reflects on modern existential crises and the paradoxical nature of love. In Half Solitude (一分為二的孤單), the narrator moans about being abandoned while celebrating his newfound freedom. In Fly (不降落的滑翔翼), which features a cameo violin performance by Wang Lee-hom, Lisa warns, “don’t make love on thin ice.” In 4 Days (四天), she muses over time’s ability influence the depth of love.
As artfully phrased as these lyrics are, the band made the fatal mistake of not writing its own lyrics, which were penned by four well-known Taiwanese songwriters. Good pop, especially in an introspective genre like dream pop, demands that the singer shares his or her inner emotional world with listeners.
Apple and Orange at first comes across as sonically rich and refreshing, but quickly fades into monotone as it progresses. Riding too much on similar melodic hooks and arrangement, the 10 songs blend into a wallpaper and become undistinguishable from one another. As beautifully crafted as this album is, it might end up for most people as no more than a bedtime soundtrack
.— ANDREW C.C. HUANG
Anson Hu (胡彥斌)
Music Life (失業情歌)
Gold Typhoon
While Music Life’s (失業情歌) tagline suggests that Chinese R ’n’ B singer-songwriter Anson Hu (胡彥斌) has gone all out to duplicate the success of his KTV smash hit Man’s KTV (男人KTV), the album actually delivers something far more complex.
Music Life, whose English title is almost the opposite of its Chinese title, is a mixed bag that merges social commentary (on unemployment) and advertising tie-ins (two television commercial songs) with a rich exploration of music styles.
It starts off with You Pick Up the Bill or I Pick Up the Bill (你買單或我買單), an angst-ridden electronica rouser that rails against hypocrisy. The title track Music Life, whose bittersweet love song melody runs in stark contrast to its socially conscious lyrics, is a catchy KTV vehicle in the vein of Hu’s past ballads. Ink Up for the Stage (粉墨登場) is a gem celebrating the glory of Chinese calligraphy with a titillating mixture of Beijing Opera sound bites and R ’n’ B grooves. A highlight comes late in the album with Father (父親), Hu’s heart-wrenching tribute to his late father. The last song, The Shining Days (閃亮的日子), is an uninspiring by-the-numbers cover of Mando-pop master Lo Da-you’s (羅大佑) classic.
Though Music Life’s ballads are not as catchy as the ones on Man’s KTV and Waiting for You, Hu’s blending of Chinese instruments with the R ’n’ B and hip-hop is almost as impressive as that of Jay Chow (周杰倫).
— ANDREW C.C. HUANG
Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰)
LOVE Moments (愛的時刻自選輯)
Warner Music
The most prolific alumnus of One Million Star (超級光大道), Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) has released his third full-length album in 18 months. Touted as a preview of his upcoming tour, LOVE Moments (愛的時刻自選輯) is also a cover album in which Hsiao puts his own spin on familiar Chinese love songs.
Hsiao cultivates the image of a rocker, but LOVE Moments skips up-tempo numbers and consists exclusively of ballads originally made famous by female singers. These include an inspired take on Jolin Tsai’s (蔡依林) Rewind (倒帶) and the improbable Silent Flower (無言花) by Hoklo pop diva Judy Chiang (江蕙).
LOVE Moments is a tour de force in which Hsiao shows astonishing range by covering love songs of different flavors by different divas. He makes each track his own with his idiosyncratic phrasing and slightly off-key notes at the end of each sentence.
Hsiao manages to surprise with nearly every song. He takes What I Miss (我懷念的), a bittersweet ode to love by pop princess Stephanie Sun (孫燕姿), and recasts it as a pensive contemplation on lost love. Tackling A-mei’s (張惠妹) trademark ballad Remember (記得), he turns a heart-wrenching mourner into an empowering anthem with soaring vocals. He even turns Full Bloom to Decadence (開到茶靡), a quirky rock ballad by the equally quirky diva Faye Wong (王菲), into a jazz-infused reflection on the whimsical nature of love.
Hsiao is the rare Mando-pop star who can jump across genres with equal aplomb. LOVE Moments proves he has more to offer than a rocker’s explosiveness and high-soaring vocals.
— ANDREW C.C. HUANG
Godswounds
Xiaochi (小吃)
Self-released
Godswounds is a recently formed, quirky electro band from Sydney that has been hanging out in Taiwan for the past three months, gigging at pubs and live music venues across the island. In an apparent nod to audiences here, they named their EP Xiaochi (小吃), a do-it-yourself packaging job consisting of a CD-R and a cover adorned with a photographed collage of Chinese newspapers.
Imagine video game sounds blended with experimental rock music, and you have the four songs on this EP. Band mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Lachlan Kerr, aka Herbie Greenfish, cites video game culture from the 1980s and 1990s as an inspiration. He used a Nintendo Game Boy live when the band was in Australia, but now samples the device’s sounds on an 88-note keyboard. The songs are all carefully crafted, and one can imagine Kaiju monsters like Godzilla and Mothra serving as Kerr’s muses.
On Shigeru, frosty-toned, twinkling arpeggios give way to a high-octane guitar and drum romp that cycles through different melodies and grooves, from punk to reggae to metal. Rubbernecker is an electronica number with metalhead soul. Synth sirens, whistles and chirps create a vague melodic outline; the screeching, doom-and-gloom distortion of electric guitars fills the space within. Shoegazers and fans of post-rock may find something novel in the driving groove of Proboner, an instrumental that sounds like it was written for a stoner’s day out at the video arcade.
Godswounds has several shows in Taipei before they leave for Japan. See their Web site (myspace.com/godswounds) for details.
— DAVID CHEN
Chang Kai-ya (張凱雅)
Jazz Promenade (記憶漫遊)
E-Wise Records (彗智唱片)
Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy are among a list of classical composers who receive a jazz treatment from pianist Chang Kai-ya (張凱雅) on her first solo effort, Jazz Promenade (記憶漫遊). While Chang is far from the first to put some swing into classical music, her compositions reflect a genuine appreciation of both genres and are performed by a cast of accomplished musicians.
To be sure, this album is thoroughly rooted in jazz. Those not paying close attention will probably only hear Latin and be-bop grooves, but keen ears pick up familiar melodies such as Beethoven’s Sonata Pathetique, which Chang gives a light swing feel on Sunset In Bonn. She remains faithful to the original melody of Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in Chopin: Ballade, which sways to a jazz waltz rhythm and features beautiful clarinet playing by American musician John Ruocco. Classical purists might have a harder time connecting with Orbit, Chang’s abstract interpretation of Jupiter from Holst’s The Planets suite, which is performed with a modern swing feel on piano, bass and drums. While Chang doesn’t try to match the celestial majesty that Holst conveys, her arrangement still manages to express a sense of awe and wonder, albeit in a snappier rhythm.
Overall the album has an accessible sound and targets general audiences. But this work also has an underlying goal. As educators, Hsieh and Chang aim to demonstrate jazz’s sophistication and versatility to music students, particularly those with classical training. As such, the CD is accompanied by a book with musical scores for each track and musings from Chang on her path from classical to jazz.
— DAVID CHEN
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