In Control (CD+DVD) DVD Region All

Ng's mid-range vocal is hard to pick songs for, especially when her inability to deliver a powerful high note automatically rules out rock and R&B. Instead, Ng's high range tends to be in a higher pitch, which could easily be mistaken for a lack of energy or a reliance of falsettos on her part. This is apparent in the opening track "Mountain Song", a duet with R&B wonder boy Justin Lo, written by Jerald of former Swing fame. Ng's part in the song is at a pitch where she ends up sounding like she's singing in falsetto for the majority of the time. As a result, the two may be singing the same melody, but they sound like they're singing different songs. With Lo standing out in his choice genre, "Mountain Song" ends up becoming a satisfactory R&B song that would work better as a part of Lo's albums, rather than starting off In Control.

However, the album quickly regains its footing with "Going on Separate Ways" (Track 2), which exemplifies Ng's better handling of the R&B genre. "Excess Pressure" (Track 3), meanwhile, is a masterful contribution from one of Hong Kong pop's premier ballad writers, Dennie Wong. In the style of the classic Hong Kong pop ballad, Wong crafts a simple two-act verse and chorus structure with an elegant yet simple melody for a winning karaoke-friendly pop song. Despite substituting a real bridge with a weak American Idol-style scream, "Excess Pressure" no doubt goes down as one of Ng's best singles, though its lyrics about getting too attached to a significant other seems too inconsequential for its own good. On the other hand, Wong's other contribution to In Control, "Losing Control" (Track 9), is a solid but unspectacular side track in the style of the mid-beat rock ballad, showing again Ng's lack of energy when singing in that particular genre.

The more interesting tracks of In Control are neither ballad nor R&B, but rather fast dance songs. Among the three songs hailing from different production teams, Jerald's contribution, "Let Me Go" (Track 4), is the most intriguing on paper. The song is produced in the fashion of a retro 70s dance number, and Ng performs "Let Me Go" in a perfunctory manner, though her delivery and the melody end up being the uninteresting aspects of the track. In "Control" (Track 5) and "Mr. Sorry" (Track 8), Ng finally loosens up a bit with playful vocals and energetic arrangements that prove to be suitable for her seemingly out-of-breath delivery.

In Control doesn't qualify as a particularly outstanding album because of its abundance of the usual mishmash of Hong Kong pop genres. However, it marks a significant improvement for Ng as she begins to hone into the right vocal range. Despite her previous efforts to find a non-pop musical niche, Ng is most comfortable in the listener-friendly pop world. With further effort, Ng may eventually develop a more mature voice that carries her to a longer career as a pop star (with the right choice of songs, of course). Overall, In Control is surprisingly solid as a transitional album, but it remains only a preview of things to come rather than a breakthrough.

by Kevin Ma