Ardently Love (CD + Karaoke DVD) DVD Region All

The first two singles from the album can be misleading, as neither actually represents the general tone of the album. Opening track, the hit song "Ardently Love" (Track 1), is an instantly addictive mid-beat R&B track that surprisingly makes use of a rarely heard lower pitch in Hins's voice. The melody is also pleasantly reminiscent of Taiwanese R&B songs of late 90s/early-2000s (even with the repetitive chorus and the spoken lyrics at the end), playing to Hins's best genre without sounding recycled. Second single "Lost in Omotesando" (Track 3), named after a major street in Tokyo, is the biggest surprise of the album. Written by frequent collaborator Chang Shi-Lei, "Omotesando" is a dark dreamy mid-beat track that successfully recreates the feeling of being lost and isolated with an atmospheric arrangement by C.Y. Kong and melancholic lyrics by Lin Xi. The track also refreshingly doesn't take advantage of Hins's sometimes-showy delivery, opting for a calmer pitch to avoid overpowering the atmosphere of the arrangement.

However, the rest of Ardently Love is much different than the two singles. While C.Y. Kong (who also co-produces the album) has proven himself to be one of the most versatile songwriters in Hong Kong pop, his sole songwriting contribution, "Acting with Emotions" (Track 4), is surprisingly mediocre in its clashing sets of melodies. The same goes for "Boys Hurt the Most" (Track 5), which starts off with a promising verse, but quickly changes into what sounds like a completely different song altogether. An album full of sad love songs is perfectly fine, but these two tracks offer clashing sets of melodies that can't agree on a singular sound, making them instantly forgettable.

However, the ballads here do stand out once in a while. "The Child That Chases Kites" (Track 2) sounds like a typical commercial Taiwanese ballad (probably because it is the cover of a Taiwanese ballad), but it is nevertheless well-written and well-produced. It's even further elevated by Hins's stellar vocals, replacing vocal theatrics with an emotional delivery to make for an affecting ballad. Meanwhile, songwriter Vincent Chow is two-for-two after "Ardently Love" with "My Sky" (Track 6), a solid late-90s style ballad that lets Hins over-sing his heart out, making it one of the more memorable ballads that will no doubt have many fans at the karaoke.

The biggest surprise of Ardently Love is the presence of Dan Lap Man (also known as Sin Lap Man). Dan was a member of the hit 80s pop group Blue Jeans that attempted a reunion in 2004 and is best known for the classic song "Rainy Days". Here, Dan contributes to the album with the obligatory "Chinese folk song meets modern pop" track "A Poem of Repentance" (Track 7). Despite playing along with the overused pop cliché (a guitar solo!), "Poem" stands out effectively in the same way the two singles did - by deviating from the overall style of the album. While the song is no breakthrough in Hins's discography, it's a successful effort in an underwhelming album.

Ardently Love represents Hins's transition from a pop artist to a pop singer, losing what made him such a unique young pop star in the first place. Nevertheless, one can always fall back on Hins's exceptional singing when there's nothing else, making it the biggest strength of the album. However, Ardently Love is a step back in quality from his Cantonese debut Siu Mon Su. While that album was also a safe commercial album, it excelled enough in song choices to make it one of the best Cantopop albums that year. Hins may still be one of the best young pop artists in Cantopop, and his presence in an album still automatically warrants a listen, but Ardently Love relies too much on late 90s pop clichés to live up to his past musical accomplishments.

by Kevin Ma