Malaysia, boleh neh!

Reading KarYan's blog prompted me to write this little review.

If you still think that Malaysian Chinese mainstream music is all about thirty-somethings lip synching at some park, think again. The past couple years saw some decent stuff coming out from the cover. Apart from the unmistakably superb singers like Guang Liang/Pin Guan, Fish Leong, Nicholas Teo et al, we've also got some great talents that are still very much local. Daniel Lee was okay sorta bloke, Quincy is worth a mention too, so as Rynn Lin too, and of course we have Karen Kong lately. But what I discovered lately is a wonderful voice by the name of  Luo Yise (羅憶詩).

Yise hails from UTAR's communication course (my campus really has a lot of talents, seriously) and is one year older than I am. Apparently she started playing music at a young age and sang in competitions bla bla bla. Most of all, her first self titled album which I'm reviewing now, lives up to its claim as the most worthily awaited album of the year.

Now, don't be fooled by the typical 'local quality'ness of its cover and booklet. Plug in the CD, and let yourself immerse at 45 minutes worth of music. Its kicker is a relaxing mid tempo, aptly titled "Fresh". Here, we have a glimpse of things to come. Yise's voice is a bit husky yet doesn't stray into mature territory. Her highs were excellently executed too. "I'm Not You" reminded me of Jaclyn Victor. Funky song and unlike any local Chinese stuff I heard. The A-sider "So Easy" is a fast driven yet easy going number. Watch out for the sudden change of mood after the bridge! "Little Yellow Duckling" is my favorite song of all. A very lyrical rendition of a familiar childhood theme helped from some fine string players from National Symphony Orchestra.

The album has themes of love and nostalgia, and it did made a valid impression thanks to fine lyrics from Yise herself and other big names. For instance, Guan Qi Yuan penned a very meaningful "Ex Girlfriend", though I can guess who he meant. One of the elements I liked was Yise's very versatile voice. I'm not an admirer of singers with multiple tones on a single album, but there's just something natural about Yise's transitions that you'll just ignore and start enjoying. Sometimes you might hear the likeness to Angela Chang, A bit of Faye Wong, some Sarah Chan, and a hauntingly similar Sandy Lam (Track 10 "Great Times"). All of that on top of a voice that is unmistakably Yise's own.

Apart from a great voice singing a great work, part and parcel of a great album has to do with the musical arrangement and the people behind the music. Here, a lot of credit has to go to some of the best musicians in our industry. One prominent feature is Jamie Wilson's cool guitar parts; the entire album is like his showcase. Great work from the people from NSO and drummer Gary too. Malaysian musicians are not what you thought it was anymore, besides, most of them worked for other Asian big names.

All in, Yise's maiden album is something that in my opinion, outshines even some of the latest pop offerings across the region. It is a well prepared and produced album that has themes that are easily approachable by all age groups, and it tells stories close to your heart. I certainly hope that many would have a listen at it, and hopefully Yise carry on with greater works in the future.

no-fark!

P/S:  More local Chinese albums are coming out lately. There's a new one by Superstar finalist Desiree Tan and Orange also had an EP, plus we also have Yang Zhong Wei in the male section.