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: The Grand Finale Yida Huang

Moments of Drama
March 20, 2007 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
I would never consider Yida Huang to be a good singer in the traditional sense. His pitch wanders when performing live, and his singing technique seems to consist of swallowing his own voice, and letting it back out in short breaths. And yet because of this, he has something that many more technically proficient singers lack - feeling. The distinctive husky voice and singing style give his songs a natural element of depth and melancholy. As a songwriter, Yida Huang has a good grasp of his own style, and a leaning for the dramatic that sets his compositions apart. In comparison to Yida Huang's last album, Exclusive Code, it took a bit more time for me to warm to his new album, The Grand... [read more]

: Lucky 7 Chicken Rice

Mandarin rockabilly, you say?
March 6, 2007 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
The last I saw of Chicken Rice, wily thin lead singer Allan Billy was sporting a nappy ZZ Top-beard, a jaunty hat, and large reflective sunglasses, and the band was bringing down the house at The Wall in Taipei with their own brand of infectious rockabilly. That was almost two years ago, and the night still ranks as one of the best music outings I've ever had. Though Lucky 7 can't possibly capture their live energy-cum-insanity, it's still a jolly good album. Rockabilly isn't exactly the most requested musical genre anywhere, and certainly not in Chinese pop land, so like most Taiwanese bands not called Mayday or F.I.R., Chicken Rice is a name known only to a small subset of music fans. This... [read more]

: Vincy (Version 2) (CD + DVD + Bonus CD) Vincy Chan

An Expressive Voice
February 20, 2007 Picked By Siu Heng See all this editor's picks
It seems a bit outdated to talk about Vincy Chan's debut album while she is now releasing her second one. But it was her first self-titled album that stunned me, and it's never too late to talk about good music, isn't it? When I knew that EEG signed another new singer, I thought she was going to be like one of those starlets in Hong Kong's music scene - there are plenty of them in 2006, all quite all-rounded, but not particularly impressive in any aspect. However, Vincy Chan's debut album broke the rule. She possesses a uniquely clear voice and her skills, though not perfect, fully exemplify her formal vocal training which many Hong Kong pop singers still lack. Her crystal clear voice best... [read more]

: Eric Kwok (CD+VCD) Eric Kwok

Swingin' to Eric Kwok
January 16, 2007 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
A well-known songwriter and a member of the sorely missed disbanded group Swing, Eric Kwok has been one of the few bright lights in the Hong Kong music scene in recent years. Two years ago, he released the Eric Kwok Collection, an album of demos and reinterpretations of songs he wrote for other people, and since then I've been waiting patiently for another album. It finally came at the end of 2006, and the wait has definitely been worth it. Eric Kwok's music always strikes me as being happy. Not in the typical Canto-pop way, but in a carefree, jazzy, light-on-your-feet way, and this new album completely captures that feeling. Titled "Cantonese Album", the album is, obviously, in Cantonese,... [read more]

: Wave Pong Nan (Singer)

Different Music Style, Same Humanity
December 15, 2006 Picked By Siu Heng See all this editor's picks
I first came to know Pong Nan when I heard him singing the cover version of "Wish you Good Health", a song he wrote for Dicky Cheung but delivered a different human sentiment in caring for loved ones. His first two albums, Pong Nan and Almost Happy, with songs composed, written, and arranged by himself, feature soothing piano accompaniment that has almost become his signature. His voice is not really unique, but it somehow embodies a peculiar and almost unnamable emotion which is probably close to what Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince captures. That is a mix of joy and sadness originating from a concern for humanity at large. Indeed, ever since Pong Nan participated in the stage show The Happy... [read more]

: Qing Chun (China Version) Wang Fan Rui

A Call to Youth
November 20, 2006 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Wang Fanrui is an unknown name outside of China. Within China, he is still largely unknown, but his impressive debut album, Qing Chun ("Youth"), has found its admirers, me for one. A poetic fusion of folk rock and British-influenced electronica, Qing Chun is one of the best albums to come out of China in the past year. I first came across Wang Fanrui's Qing Chun in a dusty music shop in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. And by came across, I mean it was one of many albums enthusiastically shoved into my hands by the shopkeeper. Despite having to stand through her sales pitches for everything from Jolin Tsai to Il Divo, I do have to thank her for introducing me to Wang Fanrui. Released by TR Records,... [read more]

: Hins First Cantonese Album (CD+DVD) Hins Cheung (Singer)

Allure of a Subtle Melancholy
November 20, 2006 Picked By Siu Heng See all this editor's picks
Although Hins Cheung has never released a Cantonese album before, he has indeed published quite a few Cantonese songs, and the Cantonese version of "My Way" even topped various pop charts in Hong Kong in 2002. It was "My Way" that caught my attention to his voice, which, despite his young age, possessed a subtle melancholy which normally belongs to a person who have experienced many vicissitudes of life. In the past he usually composed his own songs, mostly jazz and R&B that best suited his unique style of singing. However, in his first Cantonese album he has written only the title track (Track 4), whose Chinese title is taken from Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. The... [read more]

: 12A (Special Edition) (CD+DVD) Endy Chow (Singer) | Zarahn (Singer)

Not Just Endy Chow's Band
November 16, 2006 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
In Hong Kong's pop-idol-oriented, karaoke-driven market, rock is not an easy road to take. In the last 20 odd years, other than the legendary Beyond, few bands have even left an impression on the mainstream audience. For any band to get a release on a major label, in this case Warner, is rare. Zarahn's young, energetic, and slightly messy rock numbers aren't exactly earthshattering, but 12A is certainly an earnest, commendable foray into commercial rock. Like most bands, Zarahn consists of a bunch of dopey guys, and in this case, one of them happens to be Endy Chow. Since his debut three years ago, Endy Chow has not exactly hit it big, but he has made a name for himself as a rockish... [read more]

: Little Universe Sodagreen (Singer)

Little Universe of Sounds
November 8, 2006 Picked By Sanwei See all this editor's picks
Taiwanese band Sodagreen casts a little light of happiness on my daily commute with their second full-length album, Little Universe. Following up last year's equally excellent debut album, Sodagreen continues to make music that is light, airy, and utterly enjoyable. One of Taiwan's more high-profile indie bands, Sodagreen has attracted a degree of attention in the last few years, and this album is another good reason why. Unlike Chthonic, Tizzy Bac, Won Fu, or other more specialized bands that cycle in and out of mainstream favor in Taiwan, Sodagreen's niche is with their music and not with their genre. With six members and at least that many instruments to account for, Sodagreen still... [read more]

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