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).
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