Go Chic landed a performance slot at the South By Southwest Festival in the US earlier this year, and this party-on-a-disc testifies to their notable talent and confidence as a band.
—DAVID CHEN
Classically trained jazz musician Yen-J (嚴爵) has established himself as one of the most polished newcomers in Mando-pop this year with the brilliant, eye-raising jazz-pop fusion of his debut album Thanks Your Greatness (謝謝你的美好).
The album, for which for which Yen-J served as producer, singer, songwriter and musician, kicks off with the jazz-pop Love is Curry (愛就是咖哩), a classic that adroitly blends energetic b-bop grooves, a Mando-pop melody and Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) lyrics into an ebullient elixir of pop brilliance.
Lifesaver (救命恩人), a track that features the rapping of singer Delia (丁噹) and indie group Cosmic Man (宇宙人), is an electrifying hip-hop rouser that rages against the cliches of conventional pop. Need Time to Cool Off (需要點時間沉澱), a rocker driven by hypnotic electric guitar chords, is an inspirational anthem that advises people to be patient for change. I Didn’t Give Enough (i 給得不夠) is a hugely infectious tribute to Stevie Wonder with soulful falsetto and ad-libbing that offers the singer’s apology for not devoting enough love.
Other songs that stretch the borders of Mando-pop include the hip-hop inspired title track Thanks Your Greatness (謝謝你的美好), Summer Romance (夏日羅曼史), a romantic tune layered over a big band sound, and My Love 438 (我的愛438), in Yen-J uses a lengthy jamming session recorded in Los Angeles on which to build an ode to unconditional love.
All in all, Thanks Your Greatness is among the most ambitious Mando-pop albums of this year. With photogenic looks and talent to burn, Yen-J is definitely a star in the making.
— ANDREW C.C. HUANG
Award-winning actress Rene Liu (劉若英) is so candid as a singer that sometimes it seems there’s no difference between her public persona from her private life. Her latest outing, Together (在一起), is a splendidly executed concept album whose tracks read almost like chapters from a diary.
The album opens with a troika of brilliant singles. In the opening track Continue—For the 15-Year-Old Self (繼續 — 給15歲的自己), the 39-year-old entertainer engages her younger self in a dialogue about failed dreams and why one must remain optimistic to continue on. “There is no map/We simply must follow these dreams on our palms,” she croons. “People must dream/They must dream bravely and dream wildly.” With We Are Not Together (我們沒有在一起), a bittersweet ballad that laments the development of a friendship instead of a romance, she sings, “We are not together, but your caring lasts longer.”
Lu has never been a powerhouse as a vocalist, but on Together she nevertheless croons in such an emotionally naked voice that she sounds as if she is confessing to friends. The album doesn’t offer an eclectic array of styles, but it doesn’t aspire to do so. Rather, it uses a variety of Mando-pop balladry techniques to weave together a dazzling tapestry of soul-searching.
— ANDREW C.C. HUANG
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