Infinity Journey (CD + Moov Live DVD) DVD Region All

Though all the songs are, as always, composed by Ivana herself, eight out the twelve tracks on Infinity Journey are actually covers of ballads she wrote for other artists over the last few years. The draw here is to see how Ivana will reinterpret these works and whether or not she can outdo the originals. Assisting her are Fung Hon Ming and the production group The Invisible Men, whose biggest challenge is to turn an album almost made entirely of ballads (except for two tracks) into something fresh that can also get away from endless comparisons to their original versions. However, because of the popularity of the songs, and the curiosity of potential listeners, comparison here is unavoidable.

In addition to arrangements, the biggest change Ivana makes to some of these songs is their tempo. For example, while Leo Ku's version of Shower is delivered in a slower, more ballad-like tempo that fits his traditional "K-song" style, Ivana's version on the album (Track 4) lightens things up considerably. The arrangement by Tim Ngor opts for a quicker tempo and a style that can only be described as "jazz-rock". The result fits the mood of the composition better than the bittersweet arrangement of Ku's version.

Ivana also slows things down, as apparent in her rendition of Miriam Yeung's Wolf is Here (Track 5). Replacing the strangely intense rock-flavored style of the original, Fung and Ivana give the song an almost complete makeover, making it more in the style of a mid-tempo bossa nova song that belongs on an Ivana album. Again, the result ultimately sounds more fitting to the original composition, showing that the song was really more fitting for Ivana than Miriam in the first place.

The song that undergoes the biggest change is Melancholia (Track 9). Originally written for Andy Lau, the original version follows the slow tempo of a traditional ballad and works on its own terms. Despite Ivana's intention to take away the heavy gloominess of the slower version, her team manages to put the emotions of the lyrics back into the arrangement, resulting in an intense slow-burn rock track that emphasizes even more of the conflicting emotions of the psychiatric disorder mentioned in the song. It also features the most intensely expressive vocal performance of Ivana's career, making it the most unlikely Ivana song on an Ivana album and easily the most pleasant surprise on Infinity Journey.

However, not all the songs have been retooled on the album. Sometimes, the covers remain in the same style of the original, with the only notable difference found in the vocal style. The most notable example is Ivana's cover of “Little Black and I” (Track 6). Originally performed by Fiona Sit, Ivana brings her signature childlike voice to the tragic ballad, toning down Fiona's relatively dramatic vocal delivery. While it doesn't improve much on the original version, it actually says more about how close the producers of the original version were to Ivana's intention for the song.

Since the covers are the focus of the album, it's easy to forget about the three new tracks that open the album. However, they're actually all solid tracks that represent the full range of her compositional style over the course of her career. Opening track I'm From Mars (Track 1) is an energetic rock-dance track that shows a darker side of Ivana that fans haven't seen for a long time. How Far Away is Forever (Track 2) is a traditional ballad with an affecting composition and a more mature vocal performance from Ivana. However, the arrangement hits its emotional peak too early on, making it an overwhelming experience that lacks a climatic point and a satisfying ending. Lastly, the acoustic guitar-driven The Color of Glass (Track 3) is a relaxing ballad that perfectly suits Ivana's natural voice and nicely shows her more playful side.

Though Ivana has been known for her gentle ballads, Infinity Journey serves as a nice reminder of her flexibility as both a songwriter and a performer. Some may expect Infinity Journey to be the album where Ivana shows people what her songs are supposed to be like, but that's not quite what her team has done here. Instead, the album proves that even though her role as composer is important, the key to a song is really how it's produced and arranged once her role as composer is over. By not taking a larger creative role behind the scenes (she's not credited with anything outside of vocals), Ivana puts away the elitist creator attitude and shows that Infinity Journey is more about the potential journeys of her music than the destinations they may reach.

Recommended Tracks: I'm From Mars (Track 1), How Far Away is Forever (Track 2), The Color of Glass (Track 3), Shower (Track 4), In Love With Your Bed (Track 8), Melancholia (Track 9).

By Kevin Ma