H3M

Musically, H3M is a continuation of sorts from Eason's 2008 Mandarin album Don't Want to Let Go. The general atmosphere of the album is fairly light, mostly with ballads that lean towards easy listening. It never even approaches the heaviness of some of his earlier hits, and most songs are ready for challenging Karaoke renditions. The only exception to the rule is the fun, big band song Allegro, Opus 3.3 a.m. (Track 1), a breezy mediation on lyric writing. Songwriter Gary Tong's twisty composition allows Eason to have fun stretching his vocals, showing his full versatility as a vocalist. The dense composition also poses great challenge for lyricist/comic illustrator Siu Hark, who refers to some of Cantopop's greatest lyricists to tell a story about a lyricist's frustrations while writing the ultimate love ballad, and comes up with something wonderfully self-deprecating, even though the speed of the song makes most of the second half incomprehensible.

The fun ends far too quickly at this point, as the album immediately slows down for its long string of ballads. In Cantopop style, much of the emotions of the ballads come from their lyrics rather than the music. A track that balances the two is Pam Chung's "Shame in the Heart" (Track 3), a ballad that slowly builds emotional impact through repeated listens with its composition and Eason's top-notch vocals. However, those who understand Chinese will find an easier connection thanks to Lin Xi's mediation on guilt. On the other hand, "700 Years Later" (Track 6) is musically one of Eason's strongest commercial ballads in years, thanks to both longtime collaborator Jim Lau's composition and Eason's vocal work. However, Riley Lam's lyrics, a love story about two robots in the future based on the animated film Wall-E, are too gimmicky for its own good, and they end up overshadowing the strength of the song itself for Chinese speakers.

The quieter ballads on H3M find a better balance of the lyrical and compositional elements since neither is vying for attention. Joey Tang's "Doing Only One Thing Today" (Track 4) is very simple in both composition and arrangement, and the syrupy sweet lyrics by Chow Yiu-Fai is similarly simple, speaking words of love without the need for any profound metaphor or ambitious storytelling. Eason's voice is also appropriately relaxed, evoking just the right feeling for the song. However, none of the other ballads on the album are able create the same feeling.

After a long string of ho-hum ballads, H3M does recover with some poignancy at the very end with "Salon" (Track 10), Eason's own compositional contribution to the album. Referring to the classic photography style as a metaphor for the temporal nature of life, both Eason's composition and Wyman Wong's lyrics successfully express an ambition the album lacked during most of its duration. Even though the song wraps up a little too quickly, "Salon" is an exceptional ending to the album, effectively recalling the strongest works of Eason's Capital Artist days instead of the mere imitations heard in other parts of the album.

As an admirer of Eason's versatile musical sensibilities, H3M is naturally a bit underwhelming. This is certainly his most accessible album in years, simply for its resemblance to his early musical style. However, in terms of Eason's 13-year musical journey, this album is one step too far to the past. Eason's music has always been ahead of Cantopop trends, and this album simply follows it. Then again, it would certainly be unfair to judge an album based on a musician's 13 years' worth of music. The favorable response by Hong Kong pop fans so far is not entirely unbelievable, as H3M is an album that slowly grows on listeners with its easygoing atmosphere, Karaoke-friendly music, and sometimes meaningful lyrics. However, an Eason Chan album should be judged at a higher standard than just any Cantopop album. Even on a typical Cantopop standard, H3M earns only a passing grade.

Recommended Tracks: Allegro, Opus 3.3 a.m. (Track 1), "Shame in My Heart" (Track 3), "Only Doing One Thing Today" (Track 4), "700 Years Later" (Track 6), "Salon" (Track 10)

by Kevin Ma