Thursday December 27, 2007
Alan’s ethnic flair
By SETO KIT YAN
Alan Tam Wing Lun: Be a Joyous Man (Zui Ai Xiao De Ren) (Universal Music)
Cantopop legend Alan Tam returns with his first Mandarin album after almost 10 years, and he does not disappoint.
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Not the first to infuse his music with an ethnic Chinese flavour, Tam has remained true to what he does best – pop.
The first-half of the album features contemporary pop rock tunes like Love Is the Only Request, Heartache and Be a Joyous Man , which fans will find themselves singing to in no time at all.
The second-half features faster-paced ethnic rock numbers such as Major Transaction and 1,000 Years, 10,000 Years, to which Tam gives an edgier rock interpretation.
Well worth the decade-long wait, this album will put the smiles back on his fans’ faces.
Sam Lee Sheng Jie: The Songs About You (Guan Yu Ni De Ge) (Rock Records)
Here is another highly addictive album from Sam Lee, who brought us smash hits Absolute Devotion and Release.
With catchy melodies and lyrics that roll off the tongue naturally, it is no wonder his songs make top karaoke picks.
Composing the tunes for four, penning the lyrics for five, and producing six of the 10 songs, he romances listeners with his sensitive fu mei (beautifully sad) renditions of soft-rock ballads.
His somewhat angst-ridden delivery is part of his charm, though some may beg to differ.
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Latin-flavoured Angel and Right Now hint at the genre he dabbled in an earlier album, Cold Coffee.
For Mandopop lovers, this is a must-have on their racks.
Landy Wen Lan: Hot Wave (Re Lang) (Seed Music)
After a two-year hiatus, hot babe Landy Wen Lan is back looking and sounding just as sizzling.
Proving she’s not just a pretty face, the dancing queen penned the lyrics for six songs.
Expect sexy dance numbers with the latest pop-elements of Vogue and Slam.
Hot wave, Sevilla, Blower and A Happy Symbol are all dance-worthy tracks; two are written by Korean composer Kim Do-hyun.
OS allows her to play with a fusion of rap and Taiwanese music, dueting with Taiwanese aboriginal band Totem’s Suming.
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Listen for local singer-songwriter Gary Chaw’s The Flower Thief, a playful, delightful song that show cases Landy’s repertoire and fun side.
Kym Jin-sha: New Season (Huan Jie) (Halo Music)
Looking for a break from dance-pop and urban hip hop? Kym Jin-sha’s third album makes a good alternative.
The pretty girl-next-door has replaced her image with a sexier, more natural look.
The album has a warm and sunny feel, centring on a young girl’s summer before she leaves school.
The up-tempo Young Lady is followed by the title track and Kym’s composition, New Season.
The fun melody My Superman has hints of bossa-nova.
Worth a mention is ethnic Chinese flavoured Strange or Not from local singer-songwriter Rynn Lim.
Singaporean Hong Jun Yang (Project Superstar season 1 runner-up) duets with Kym in the memorable Taste of Love .
The Last Summer, I Mind and Clay Duck are the soft, slow sad songs her fans will surely lap up.
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