Capricorn (CD+DVD) (Regular Edition) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region All

Actually, that criticism would be accurate if you only listen to the dance songs on Capricorn. The album starts off with Dragon War Knight (Track 1), an electronic dance track that sounds like every other Jay Chou album opening track. However, the opening tracks of Jay's albums have always been exceptional in capturing attention, and Dragon War Knight is no exception.

One Jay Chou musical trademark is his seamless blend of multiple musical influences, and this is especially apparent in these dance tracks. Snake Dance (Track 3) combines Middle Eastern electronic dance with Jay's trademark slurred rap to energetic effect. He even brings back Nan Quan Mama's Lara as accompanying chorus, but the type of arrangement that could be considered groundbreaking eight years ago has become business as usual for Jay. As a result, Snake Dance will likely get lost amidst Jay's other culture-blending dance songs in the future. Lastly, Uncle Joker (Track 10) opens in the style of a postmodern electronic waltz, but is quickly turned into a playful, but gimmicky dance track that earns more novelty value from its arrangement than any other musical element.

Jay also finds a comfort zone with the ballads of Capricorn. They once again follow the typical formula of a Jay Chou R&B ballad. Give Me the Time of One Song (Track 2) essentially sounds like every other popular Jay Chou ballad, from the bass-driven R&B arrangement to even Jay's slurry singing style. Just like Snake Dance, it'll likely be a fan favorite for a while, only to end up getting lost in the shuffle after a few years. Slightly more special is the mid-tempo rock ballad Flower Sea (Track 4), which features a Celtic folk-style composition blended with a typical power ballad arrangement. However, the song is trapped somewhere between a conceptual masterpiece and mediocre execution. Somewhere in the middle in quality is What About The Happiness That Was Promised?, a more typical ballad that achieves a more effective balance between composition and arrangement. Jay's composition has a very clear flow that is perfectly matched by Vincent Fang's rhyme-driven lyrics, making it a typical, but affecting ballad.

In the middle of the road are the rock ballads. Continuing from a style he adapted with The Unspeakable Secret, Jay provides several pleasant mid-tempo rock ballads. In addition to Flower Sea, there's Time Machine (Track 9), which is pleasing enough, but doesn't offer much else in terms of uniqueness. The album's first single Rice Fragrance (Track 11) attempts to bring more of Jay's established rap style into the mix. However, by the time the track arrives in the album, the formula has already tired itself out, and the song makes for a somewhat underwhelming conclusion to Capricorn.

As expected, the album is far more interesting when Jay breaks out of the box. However, it doesn't happen until the second half with Mr. Magic (Track 5). A big band romp impressively recorded with live instruments, Mr. Magic finds a nice balance between having fun with music and keeping fans happy (something that Cowboys On the Run failed to consider). Blending blues element with traditional Taiwanese folk music with much success is The Vagabond Poet (Track 8). A duet with ex-Nan Quan Mama member Gary Yang, the two's vocals blend fairly well (early Nan Quan Mama music sounded remarkably close to Jay Chou with a band sound anyway), and all the musical elements come together to complement Vincent Fang's lyrics nicely. With a playful sense of mystery and intrigue, The Vagabond Poet proves that Jay is actually actively trying new musical styles, even if they happen to be in small doses.

The truth is that the only way critics will be happy with a Jay Chou renewal is if he breaks into a completely new style and start anew. However, a musician is considered lucky if he makes one musical breakthrough in his lifetime, and no one should expect Jay Chou to be the luckiest musician in the world. So it's unfair to say that Jay has been too lazy to do anything other than what he has done in the last nine years. However, after Capricorn, Jay does need to change up his game a little more often in the future. If his character in Kung Fu Dunk can learn that, he can certainly learn that in real life.

Recommended Track: Dragon War Knight (Track 1), Snake Dance (Track 3), Flower Sea (Track 4), Mr. Magic (Track 5), What About the Happiness That was Promised (Track 6), The Vagabond Poet (Track 8)

by Kevin Ma