CD Review: "Anuar Zain" by Anuar Zain

Being someone who doesn’t really follow the local music scene that closely, I got to know about this latest CD released by Anuar Zain from a fellow blogger’s blog entry. Even at that time, the blogger was already raving about the first single from the CD which piqued my interest but being a non-fan of the artist, I forgot about it in the days that followed. It was only after listening to the said first single from another blog site that I caved in and bought the CD for myself to see what all the fuss was about. Having only listened to his debut album before and didn’t really much fancied his work, I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect from it. Having spent some time this past week listening to the CD constantly on my daily playlist, I now understand why this CD could be one of the best local releases of the year.

The CD opens beautifully with “I’m The Lucky One” which in a way spoke directly to his fans who have been patiently waiting for the release of his latest album. The song sets the stage for those that followed by showcasing the artist’s trademarked vocal stylings as well as the wonderful live strings backing the track. The live strings section in particular lifted the song as it progressed to a lovely crescendo of both vocals and orchestration. “Ketulusan Hati” picked up the baton next to continue the spellbinding experience of the CD. The song starts with quiet anticipation before the artist’s vocals started to unfurl a lyrical tale of true love. Haunting strains of piano and strings quickly gives weight to the whole presentation lifting it to a heady height that was simply enjoyable to listen to.

“Tinggalkan Aku” was co written by the artist himself and was lyrically darker in theme that the 2 previous tracks on the CD. It was hard not to empathize with the vocals while listening to the lyrics that tells of letting the past go and moving on with one’s life. This song is definitely an ode to those who had their hearts broken by a loved one who then wants to comeback to patch things up. Personally, the song was more poignant for me to listen to knowing things that have happened around me in recent months. Fortunately my thoughts were sufficiently distracted by the next track, “Kau Bunga Cinta Ku” which was slightly puzzling to me. Lyrically, the song had a darker theme but it was set in a faster paced retro vibe song which caused me to do a mental double take when I first listened to it. I guess I was expecting a less peppy song to accompany the less than cheerful subject matter in the lyrics. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable song and stood out from the tracks that this point as the rest of the track had only been of a slower pace.

The haunting melodies of the live strings at the beginning of “Tak Lelah” beautifully introduce the artist’s vocals in this song. This song, more than others, allowed Anuar Zain to showcase the range of his vocal skills as it stood out more with the subdued musical arrangement. Poetic lyrics about the ache that one feels waiting for a loved one to reciprocate would definitely hit home to his many loyal listeners. There was an ethereal quality to the whole arrangement which also differentiated this track from the others. The next track that followed was the main reason for me to purchase the CD. I fell in love with the song the moment I heard it and have never looked back. Many has said that this song is his best work ever. Having heard the combination of melodies, vocals and arrangement, I have to agree with them. All of the components came together so beautifully that it would be hard to find another song released this year that was as good as “Lelaki Ini”. If you can only listen to one track from this CD then this is the track to listen to.

“Hanya Milik Mu” opened with acoustic guitar that imparted a slightly Latin flavor not heard in the other tracks on the CD. The vibe lasted throughout the song which helped it to stand out of the pack which it had to especially when following the devastatingly wonderful previous track. I can’t really say that it was a successful attempt but the song was a good enough one to listen on it’s own strengths. My only problem is that it felt too bland and too familiar at this point of the CD. The song reminded me of too many similarly Latin flavored songs out there. In “Bidadari”, Anuar Zain attempted to start the track off with an ethereal quality that didn’t seem to really clicked together. Good thing that the rest of the song was delivered confidently with a quiet strength in his vocals which shined through as the track progressed. Guitars were also prominently heard in the track but unlike the previous track, the infused a more local flavor to the arrangement. It was enough to make the track stand out as well from the collection.

“Jangan Pernah Lagi” was the second fast paced track on the album and again it confounded me a bit with the duality between the peppy beat with the less than cheerful lyric subject. It’s hard to think of happily tapping your feet away while listening to the song that was actually about being betrayed by a loved one. It was this conflict that made me stop to think of how I was suppose to enjoy this song. It had both lyrical and aural components to be savored but together it was just too conflicting to enjoy as a unit. It was not the case for the last track of the CD, “Taman Terulung”. One could not ask for a better song to end the CD experience with than this track. It had poetic lyrics, simple but effective, presented with the lovely strings arrangement that lifted the song to be enhanced by the beautifully controlled vocals. It was hard for me to listen to this track without feeling a lump forming in my throat every time as it invoked memories of friends, old and new, lost and found, that have passed through in my life.

It was quite hard to choose my favorites among the tracks on the CD as all of them had something to offer to the whole listening experience. They were individually strong and varied to showcase both the masterful vocal skills as well as the high production values put into the presentation. The common theme of love in all it’s many flavors seem to be the unifying thread that linked all the songs together. Another common thread is the use of live strings in the arrangement if all the songs in the CD which gave the song an aural lift that we don’t get to hear that often in local releases. As a love letter to his fans, the CD would have definitely exceeded all fan’s expectations. Even if you were listening to it as someone who has never heard of the artist before, it would be hard not to be impressed by the end product. It would be easy to recommend this CD to others who don’t already have it spinning on their daily playlist.

CD Review: "Call Me Irresponsible" by Michael Bublé

I have to be honest and admit that I didn’t really like Michael Bublé’s “Call Me Irresponsible” the first time I listened to it. I had bought it mainly for the 1st single released from it that I really liked and to complete my collection of his CD releases. After listening to the last track for the first time, I decided to give it another spin to try to figure out what prompted my initial reaction. After the heights reached by his previous effort “It’s Time”, I was very much surprised by my first impression on the new CD. It was while I listened to it on the second time around when suddenly something clicked and the magic that is Bublé’s dulcet tones came back to be renewed another day, for me at least, with his new CD release.

“The Best Is Yet To Come” starts off in acapella mode before going into the more familiar big band sound that we have been predisposed to expect from the artist. While nothing new is presented here, the track echoes back to his previous albums allowing the listener a familiar point to begin the journey for better things as promised. The more up tempo “It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)” that followed was definitely as good as advertised proudly in the opening number. The heavily Latin influenced sounds on this track was a perfect example of the thing that sets this album noticeably apart from his previous efforts which may explained my initial reaction.

The sultry anthem to illicit affairs “Me and Mrs. Jones” was a by the numbers rendition of the original but with a helpful dollop of the patented Michael Bublé charm and cheekiness. It was both intimate and haunting to listen to which continued into “I’m Your Man” where Bublé returned to form as the formidable crooner that he is well known for. Sounding very confident in the delivery, the song showcased his vocal stylings beautifully.

“Comin’ Home Baby” featuring Boys II Men in a duet put Michael on slightly new territory relative to what we have heard form him before. The up tempo R&B tune was quite a refreshing entry at this point of the CD and the collaboration between Bublé and Boys II Men gelled together very well despite the differences in the genres that they normally operate in. After the renewed shot of energy, the CD turns introspective with “Lost”, one of the two original songs penned by Bublé, Jann Arden and Alan Chang. It’s comforting and lyrical song to appreciate with thoughts of love ones in the listener’s mind.

“Call Me Irresponsible” was quite fun and catchy to listen to. Bublé infused just the right amount of charisma and swagger when he delivered the words that I can’t help being charmed by. In my mind, this song would definitely be a great make up song if ever I would need one (for whatever reasons of course). Ivan Lins collaborated with the artist on a Italian basso nova reimagining of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”. Taking the familiar and turning it on it’s head is a trademark of Bublé and for this track, the effort produced an interesting offering to the listener.

“Everything” was the main reason I bought the album and rightly so as it was hands down the most catchy song that we have heard from this artist ever. The second of two original songs penned by Bublé, Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies, the lyrically poetic song with it’s pop jazz sensibility rocketed this track up the charts and straight into his fans play lists. It would be interesting how would Bublé top this delectable song in his future albums. The swing-influenced “I’ve Got The World On A String” had the unenviable position of having to follow such a memorable song on the album. While the song itself was quite serviceable, it was slight overshadowed by the more remarkable song we heard before it.

Bublé’s take on the familiar “Always On My Mind” was both sweeter and more haunting to listen to relative to the versions sung by Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson. A definitely winning track could easily stand along side the originals as a fresh interpretation of the song. The decision to add a gospel choir to back up Bublé in the next track, “That’s Life”, was a stroke of genius as it made the song much bigger sounding one than the original as sung by Sinatra. Helped by his own addition of winning charm and confident swagger to the words made the song easily stood out among the list of tracks in terms of memorable beats on the CD.

Both “Dream” and the closing bonus track “L-O-V-E” sounded a bit rote as both did not diverge much from the original. “Dream” showcased again Bublé’s skills as a memorable crooner for this generation and made a fitting bookend to the album’s first track. “L-O-V-E” was fun to listen to but did not really break any new ground in terms of presentation.

The spread of genres and interpretations attempted by Michael Bublé in this his third studio effort was quite impressive to listened to. Despite my first reaction to the album, I found myself liking it more and more with each new listening. While some could say that it was disappointingly similar to his previous album, it was the type of sound that Bublé does best and his fans love him for. With a winning singles like “Lost”, “Always On My Mind” and especially the gem of the CD, “Everything”, Michael Bublé’s “Call Me Irresponsible” CD is nigh irresistible to his fans and listener who enjoys the genre.

CD Review: "Semalam" by Sean Ghazi

While I am aware that Sean Ghazi is an accomplished singer who has appeared in international stage shows, I have to admit that I have never heard him sing before. Being the culturally backwards hick that I am, I have also never seen him on stage before but have heard that he is also an accomplished actor. So when word of mouth reached me that he has put out a CD of his reinterpretation of Malaysian classic tunes, I decided that I would give it a try and see what all the fuss was about. From what I was told, the album sounded uniquely distinct compared to what was in the market right now in terms of local productions. That was a good enough reason for me to try it out since you never know if it could be a start for something better in the near future.

“Semalam”, the debut album by Sean Ghazi, tries to break new ground locally by bringing back old Malay favorites and repackage them in a fresh big band/swing orchestral arrangement. Backed by an international cast of collaborators and a live full orchestra recorded in Sydney, Sean Ghazi invites listeners to journey with him as we return to a bygone era with a fresh set of ears. Looking at the long list of contributors, one would not be faulted if they found themselves easily impressed by the distinguished international credentials gathered together for this debut album. For them to pitch in the production of what is essentially an album of untested genre in the local Malaysian market could very well be a testament to their belief in the artist’s great talent.

The CD opens confidently with the title track “Semalam” Sean Ghazi wrote himself with assistance from Izlyn Ramli. From the first note, audiences are made aware that this CD will be like no other that have come before recently. Sean also put his best foot forward out of the gate in this song by stamping the song with his unique crooner trademark. The only issue that I had with this song was that it was a bit weak if seen as a hook song to get casual listener to listen more to the CD. I firmly believe that the 1st song of ever CD can make or break the whole album and this song unfortunately wasn’t quite up to the job to pull people in.

On the other hand, the more up tempo “Ku Impikan Bintang” would have delivered as a hook song much better than the 1st song. The calypso flavored tune was quite jaunty and fairly engaging to listen to. It’s just one of those tunes that will stay with the listener long after the last refrains have faded. Sean’s delivery of the song does get a bit breathy at times when just singing it with just a solid tone would have done the job just as well or better.

In “Rambut Hitam, Matanya Galak”, listeners cannot be faulted if they feel instantly transported to bygone eras represented by the golden age of Malay films of Jalan Ampas. Sean’s solid delivery of this song helped sell it as an old fashion and fun song to listen to. I don’t really know how the original sounded like but I do really like the big band/swing reinterpretation done to this song. I did wish that the song ended on a more powerful sustained note which would have helped raised the level of intensity of the song a little bit.

“I Have Dreamed” solidly showcased what Sean Ghazi is well known for. I don’t know if it is just familiarity with this “King and I” standard or if he is just more comfortable singing in English but Sean’s vocal performance in this song is in a different league from the other songs preceding it. The strings section of the live orchestra beautifully accompanied Sean’s soaring voice leaving behind a simply magical performance.

The first of 3 P. Ramlee songs interpreted by Sean on this album, “Hujan Di Tengahari”, starts off slightly up tempo than the original from 1954. The good thing is that Sean didn’t try to sound like P. Ramlee but instead choose to deliver the song in his own unique way. It is so easy to over use runs to differentiate the two version but Sean has confidently maintain the balance without resorting to over embellishment. Unfortunately they totally destroyed the song by putting in snippets of “Singing In The Rain” that didn’t really make sense why they did it when the original melody was strong enough to stand on its own. The extraneous addition to a perfectly good song made this my least favorite song on the CD.

Fortunately the CD was quickly redeemed by the beautiful reinterpretation of “Jauh Jauh”. The song allowed Sean Ghazi to fully showcase his dulcet tones to its fullest and prove why it has made him a unique voice not heard before in these recent years. A fine balance of clear and breathy delivery help to make his performance a joy to listen to. The dreamlike quality of this piece stays long after the song has ended.

The choice of taking on Sudirman’s “Punch Card” next was slightly jarring considering it doesn’t really fit in time period of the other songs. I definitely missed the level of energy from this original in this remake. The leisure lounge sound in this reinterpretation made it sound too laid back when juxtaposed to the intensity of the lyrics. I think there are other Sudirman songs that would have made the transition better to fit into this collection. It was not as bad as having a separate song added to it’s melody but I must say that I’m not really feeling this reinterpretation.

“Getaran Jiwa” is one of the perennial favorites that people would try to tackle when they reinterpret P. Ramlee. After Sheila Majid’s jazz interpretation and KRU’s boyband version, it was refreshing to hear the song brought back as close to the original as it can. The simple orchestral arrangement further underscore the beauty of the song in it’s simplicity and memorable lyrics. The only minus point that I would call out here is how that a slightly stronger delivery from Sean would have helped to underscore the emotion content of the song more.

The last P. Ramlee song to be reinterpreted on this CD collection was “Dengar Ini Cerita” as told from the male point of view instead of the female point of view in the original. This is a cheeky song that I personally feel woks better in live performances rather than on recorded versions. Unlike the other songs on the album, modern references like Halle Berry and Ikea furniture peppered the new version of the lyrics. The inclusion of the spoken dialogue while fairly funny at first but does get tired after repeated listening unfortunately.

A second English language offering, “Somewhere My Love” from the film “Dr. Zhivago”, again seemed to show how much more competent Sean is when delivering something that he seems more familiar with, There seems to be more energy behind the vocals in this song compared to the other Malay numbers on the CD with the exception of a few. While I cannot fault the delivery of this song, I would have liked a less predictable arrangement for this song.

“Sabar Menanti” was definitely worth the wait for me. Of all the songs on this CD, I love this song the most. With the clear soaring sounds of the strings section giving wings to Sean Ghazi’s best vocal effort, this song remains the most memorable of 12 songs. Sean committed himself fully into the performance and that clearly shows in his confident delivery of it. It was nearly enough to erase the memory of the few clunkers on this CD.

Sean Ghazi’s debut album ends with the English version of the earlier “Ku Impikan Bintang”. While quite similar in melody and lyrical context, “Let’s Never Stop Falling In Love” seems to be a more superior version by virtue of a more confident vocal delivery. Sean is less breathy and more solid when singing this version compared to the Malay version.

Overall, “Semalam” by Sean Ghazi is a uniquely different offering not seen recently from the local music industry. While the selection of songs does seem to be a bit on the scattershot side in terms of quality, there were enough good ones on it to make you forgive the less than memorable ones. I also wished that they could have added a few lines of background information for each song included on the CD since quite a few of them may not be familiar to the younger target audience. Nevertheless I still feel that Sean Ghazi's debut album was all that word of mouth made it out to be and his vocals are definitely one of the more unique voices in the local music business today. Whether or not this album will be a commercial success, it bodes well as a 1st showcase of what we can expect from this artist in the future.

CD Review: "Go Your Own Way" by Gareth Gates

After the hugely successful debut CD, “What My Heart Wants To Say”, Gareth Gates returns with another crowd pleaser in his follow-up effort entitled “Go Your Own Way”. I saw this CD in the music store during the Chinese New Year holidays while looking for the new Josh Groban CD and immediately decided to buy it as well considering how much I enjoyed his previous work. The 14 track CD comes with a slip that you can send in to get your free VCD bonus disk with 4 of Gate’s music video although you can get the bonus disk pre packaged with the CD outside of Malaysia. This CD version is also different from the 2-disk version that they released in the UK and most of Europe. Several of the songs on the original UK release that were critically panned by the critics there were absent from the Asian market version which leads me to believe that the CD was repackaged after its initial release at the end of 2003. I would be interested in getting my hands on the original UK release to find out why those missing songs were so hated by his fans there.

The majority of the songs on this CD were written and produced by the team that worked on his debut CD as well as for other acts like Westlife, Boyzone and Britney Spears. The continued collaboration between this team and Gareth Gates immediately brings forth comparisons between this CD and his debut album. I have to say that while some songs on this new album carried the same tonal signature of the first album, a sufficient number of these new songs have refreshingly branched out to new and interesting avenues that makes the album a decent evolution in his musical career for this 19 year old artist. Listener to this album not only get to hear a more matured and confident Gareth Gates but also get the opportunity to delve deeper into the person through the words that he penned himself for 3 of the songs on the album.

Like the first album, this CD opens with a heartfelt ballad entitled “Say It Isn’t So” which successfully showcases his wonderful soulful voice. As hook songs goes, this particularly heartbreaking slow tune fills the role of aural appetizer that begins the feast that follows more than adequately. With equal sense of longing and heartache, the beautiful vocals on this track lift this song and leave the listener wanting more which Gareth does not disappoints with the next song, “Skeletons”. In “Skeletons” the tempo is kicked up a notch with mesmerizing backbeats that is reminiscent of something that the Backstreet Boys would be equally comfortable in. I did feel that the intro to this song was a bit on the pedestrian side but it was quickly forgiven once the song starts to build to the catchy chorus that left me humming the song for quite a time.

The momentum of the CD would next be pulled back a bit with the next mid tempo song with the unfortunate title of “Listen To My Heart”. I say unfortunate because the title will always remind me of the Roxette song from my secondary school days. Regardless of the song title, the song is actually quite nice to listen to although the Westlife sound influence was quite evident in the song arrangement. In a refreshing departure from the previous songs, opening salvo of trumpets flare and flow into a hypnotic backbeat that signify the arrival of the next song, “Too Soon To Say Goodbye”. The cute and somewhat cheeky arrangement brought forth a playful mood for this light but enjoyable song.

“Lies” follows next with an intro riff that is fairly familiar to those who have listened to his first album. From the familiar strains of the same opening that “Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)” previously had, the song takes on a slightly different route when we reach the chorus. Although the chorus is quite enjoyable onto itself, the similarities to his previous mega hit are too glaring that you can’t help but prefer the previous song over the latter. The same problem also occurs in the song that follows, “Nothing’s Gonna to Stop Us Now”. The song arrangement and tonal signature is so similar to “Lies” that one cannot be faulted to think that they were the same song. I would think that I would be able to enjoy this song more if it came anywhere other than this close to “Lies” as it is actually a good song onto itself.

The next song sounds very much like what bands like “Steps” or “S Club 7” would do for one of their album. “It Happens Every Time” is quite the upbeat tune that should appeal to pre pubescent girls as well as older audience who never outgrew peppy pop songs. I’m feel a bit embarrassed to admit that the song is quite addictive listening and left me humming the tune after a few listens. “All Cried Out” that follows was written by Gareth Gates himself and have the distinction of causing me to pause and ponder the significance of them sampling the popular refrain from the old Human League song, “Human” into this song. Regardless of the strange choice, this song is quite enjoyable to listen to and should go well with his fans.

In “Sunshine”, Gareth ventures into uncharted territory for him by tackling an R&B influenced song. The radio friendly mid tempo song goes down fairly well although at times it seems that he was somehow channeling the voice of a younger George Michael into his performance. His smooth voice does lend itself beautifully to the tune that he does not need to imitate others to carry the song. The next song that follows is titled “Spirit in the Sky” which was recorded for the 2003 Comic Relief Charity event and featured the Kumars of the “The Kumars at No. 42” TV show. Part gospel and part comedic skit on top of the inclusion of sounds of the sitar and Indian style vocalization makes this song a bit weird to say the least. I guess that this is one of the “you need to be there to appreciate it” type of song which when taken out of the context it was performed in is not easy to understand.

In another song written by Gareth himself, “Groove With Me”, we find the invisible presence of George Michael very much present in this attempt to sex up the album. While the effort was somewhat commendable, I don’t think that Gareth has the years or the maturity to pull off this type of song and lyrics in a believable manner. For now, he does not have the right stuff and attitude to make this song work. I also found that the next song that followed, “Absolutely”, eerily reminded me of early Wham! songs to complete the George Michael imitation portion of this CD. Having 2 songs back to back that sounds so much alike was an unnecessary distraction from me enjoying the songs for their own merits.

The last song penned by the artist himself on this album was the head bopping piece titled “Club Hoppin’”. I have to say that the song opens with a somewhat boring intro riff but fortunately for us the excitement kicks up as we approach the chorus. Once into the groove, listeners will find themselves in an amusing and foot-tapping tune that would surely be coming to a dance floor near you in the near future. From the abrupt end of the head bopping song, the album closes with a mid tempo sensual song. The song “Soul Affection” is another attempt at R&B influenced melodies which I found to work better that the previous attempt in this same album. The song allows the listener to savor Gareth’s wonderful vocals one last time before winding down a satisfying finish.

For an album that boldly declares in the album title its intentions of moving away from the shadows of its successful predecessor, I have to say that there is still much work to be done here. The variety of song styles that exist in this album goes to show that Gareth is still looking for his niche to excel while not moving too far away from the style of his debut album that put him on the map in the first place. There were a few missed opportunities for development in this album considering the potential that Gareth shown in his debut CD. Although this follow up effort is an accomplished product onto itself, one could not help but feel that more could be done. Hopefully this potential gets more attention in his next outing.

Rating: 3.5/5

CD Review: "Michael Bublé" by Michael Bublé

I’ve always been partial to American music from the 40’s and 50’s. In my mind, selections from that time period always represented my ideal image of Americana culture. I discovered most of the music from this time period from old American movies that I used to watch as a child as well as some of the newer ones that they shown locally. Most often than not, a song would come through in the movie that would simply captivate me and start me on a journey to discover the artist and their other works. It was by this way that I learned about Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sarah Vaughn among others. Their timeless songs and tunes have been reinterpreted by many and the latest name to put their mark on this illustrious list is Michael Bublé (pronounced boo-blay).

I first found out about this 25 year old Vancouver native from his appearance on a local music variety show a few weeks back. The first thing that struck me about this young artist is how mature he sounds despite his young age. In the show, they showed a music video clip of his rendition of “Sway” that immediately impressed me with the vitality of his interpretation. As an artist, Bublé specialized in covering songs that my grandparents used to hear and unfortunately have been overlooked by my generation. The songs that he covers in his self-titled debut items are best loved standards that have been lovingly reinterpreted for a new generation of listeners to appreciate.

The 13 track album, running just under 49 minutes, starts off with a smoldering rendition of Peggy Lee’s, Fever. His smooth vocals tease out the sensuality of the song with each note and he puts in just enough of an edge in the song that could easily heat up any situation. The slow burn transitions effortlessly into the next song, Van Morrison’s “Moondance”. Bublé’s rendition of this song is backed by an instrumental arrangement that harkens back to the Big Band period that gives the song a very welcomed bounce and leaves the listener with an enjoyable finger-snapping tune.

George Michael’s “Kissing a Fool” is given a slow piano lounge remake as the album’s 3rd song. I have to say that I personally liked the original version better but I have to admit that Bublé did admirable work in his interpretation. His cover invokes the image of an intimate and smoky piano lounge show specially performed for us, his listeners. “For Once in My Life”, which comes next, is an up tempo swing song that showcase Bublé at his best covering Ole Blue Eyes himself, the late Frank Sinatra. Bublé effortlessly channels the same energy and styling of the master with a hefty dollop of charm oozing with each line he sings.

I found that the inclusion of the Bee Gee’s song “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” a bit jarring compared to the rest of the album. I guess this is because I didn’t get the same old time vibe from this song compared to the rest. On its own, this song is a soulful ballad of yearning perfectly presented by this young artist but as part of this album, it sounds tonally out of place. Fortunately we get back on track with the next song, “Summer Wind” which is another timeless swing song. I’m not sure if this song was originally sung by any of the Rat Pack but I definitely am reminded of them at the height of their success while listening to this song.

I was slightly confused by the next song, “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” since it sounded so much like “Now It Can Be Told” by Ella Fitzgerald. I wasn’t sure if this is an original song or a cover of an earlier song that sampled Ella’s song. Although an enjoyable torch song to listen to, the confusion the similarities caused somewhat bugged me in this track. The choice of redoing Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” into an up tempo Graceland-Presley vibe is an interesting choice. It does imbue a level of swinging energy boost that fits well with the theme of the album although some Queen purists seem to hate Bublé’s version with a vengeance.

The song that follows can only be described as the best swoon-worthy rendition of Leif Garret’s (or Paul Anka’s depending on who you ask), “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”. This timeless standard was given the royal treatment that easily stirs the heart and awakens the romantic inside no matter how jaded the audience it. It would easily point to this song as the showpiece of the whole album followed very closely by the next song, “Sway”. This perennial swing standard is given a Latin boost by the percussions and smoothly styling that reminded me of a young Dean Martin. The rhythm and beat easily invokes the sensuality of the song that is hard to resist.

I wished that I like Bublé’s version of “The Way You Look Tonight” that follows but I have to say, although it was an accomplished attempt on his part, I just happen to like the Tony Bennet version better. I guess that I feel that this song is best sung at a slower tempo than the one Bublé covered to better appreciate the mood of longing this song carries with it in its beautiful lyrics. I have the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding” to blame for this preference. I will never be able to listen to this song without thinking about Julia Robert’s character in that movie and how she was pining away for her best friend.

The quintessential Frank Sinatra song, “Come Fly With Me” is given yet another royal treatment by Bublé which further emphasis the fact that he can do Frank better than anybody else in the business today. Bublé effortlessly imbues the song with the right amount of charm and mischief that the listener is left soaring with each foot taping, finger snapping note. As an encore presentation, we are presented with a wonderful slow burn torch song “That’s All” that easily invokes the beauty and glamour of the Big Band era of 40’s Americana. This song is a perfect bookend to a wonderful album that encapsulates 50 years of swing and timeless standard in a package that spans a mere 49 minutes.

Filling in the void left behind by Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé effortlessly steps up to the plate with his good looks and smoldering vocals. In an age of hip hop and nu metal, artiste such as Norah Jones, Josh Gorban and now Michael Bublé are a welcomed addition to the music scene. In their own way, they are showing successfully that not all that are old are to be forgotten and sometimes old can be new with the right touch. As for Bublé, I seriously think that his natural style and flair for this genre of music is refreshing and this debut album is much superior that Robbie William’s effort released some time back. Although there are many who calls this young artist as the next Frank Sinatra but I definitely think that he has the goods to step out of that distinguished label and step out very soon as himself, Michael Bublé, the crooner for this generation.

Rating: 4/5 stars

CD Review: "Yusry" by Yusry KRU

On the last time I took some time off from the office, I decided to go to my local music store to get some new CDs for my collection. Among them was the first solo effort by Yusry Abdul Halim or who is more commonly known as Yusry from the Malaysian boyband, KRU. Yusry is the first of the trio of brothers who make up KRU who has decided to try his luck as a solo artist. This album is being released at the height of his popularity with the recent news of his marriage with an equally talented local songstress, Erra Fazira. In a way, I would think that the current attention being focused on him would help with the album sales and I do believe that this is true as I was told that his album sold well the week it was released. I’ve been listening to this album for close to a week now and thought that I might humbly document my impression of the album. Of course I am not a professional reviewer so most of the things I will write below would mainly be my own opinions of what I have heard so far.

The album opens with an interesting choice that I must admit didn’t really sound hopeful at first listen. The song “Tertewas Lagi” starts off a bit too slow for a hook song for me but then gradually builds up to a nice mid tempo song. One thing that I immediately noticed is the British retro vibe that I was getting from it from the first time I listened. I would be hard pressed to put my finger on what makes this so for me but somehow I have an image of the swinging sixties when I hear this song. Regardless, the album really begins for me with “Dekat Pada Mu” which was a really catchy tune with a chorus that left me humming it the whole day I first heard it. It has a playful melody that flows smoothly into a foot tapping rhythm that is hard to resist. I could actually imagine that this song would be an instant favorite among his fans.

I didn’t really care much with the way the next song “Jika Kau Tiada” started. Fortunately this duet with his young bride quickly moves into gear and develops into a quite enjoyable mid tempo tune. I also got a retro vibe from this song much like the first song of the album. As a couple, the two complemented each other’s vocals beautifully and I can’t help but feel that the lyrics are a reflection of how they felt towards each other. From a duet, we moved to a slightly faster tempo with “3 Minggu” with more retro vibe built in. By this time, I was a bit distracted by it that I didn’t really enjoy this song. I guess that on its own, this song is quite good with its playful beat but as part of this album it felt too repetitive.

The high point for me on this album was listening to “Terbang Tinggi”. As a heartfelt ballad, this song lets Yusry do what in my opinion he is best at. The lyrics pays poignant tribute to his two brothers who have supported him all these years as part of KRU as well as his current venture as a solo artist. As a fan who has been following his career since they first started, I could not help but be touched by the sincerity of the words from the song. If I had to pick a favorite song out of this album, this would be it followed closely with “Dekat Pada Mu”.

I have to say that I didn’t really like the next song “Warna Kehidupan” on the virtue that it was too jarring a transition from the previous song. I guess that if I was listening to an old style LP, this song would actually on the B-side and would make more sense as it starts off on a faster pace from the song preceding it. This song would definitely not be my choice to follow such a beautiful ballad on the CD as the transition is too abrupt for me. Nevertheless I have to admit that this song then sets the stage up for the next up tempo song, “Mengapa?” which I would describe as a bit cheeky. I couldn’t help but be grinning at the rambunctious energy that this song carried with it.

The next two songs “Bermimpi Lagi” and “Hari Ini” let me feeling a bit ambivalent. I neither hated nor loved these two songs which was a bit strange seeing that the other songs managed to provoke a reaction in my mind. Maybe it was because in the case of “Bermimpi Lagi” I found this ballad a bit too dragging compared to the “Terbang Lagi” and in the case of “Hari Ini” I found the lyrics a bit too confusing in terms of trying to understanding the message of the song. Fortunately, the album ends with on a high note with “Tamat” which I must say is an appropriate choice. In my opinion, this song mildly amusing to me as it was about a breakup and yet done in an up tempo beat. I guess that this song was meant for those who went through a mutual breakup rather than those being dumped. It was definitely too cheerful for a song about breaking up.

As a whole, the album was a good effort by this young artist as his debut solo venture. Aside from the distracting retro vibe that reminded me of how old I was, I really enjoyed it and would gladly recommend it to other followers of the local music scene. The whole CD zips along quite fast at less than 40 minutes of play time which I thought was a bit short for a local album but at the new ceiling price recently set by the government, I have to say that this album is a good buy. As for the artist himself, with the talent that he displayed in the production of this album, I have no doubt that we will be seeing greater things to come from Yusry in the future. May his star continue to ascend and brighten the local music scene.

CD Review: "What My Heart Wants To Say" by Gareth Gates

Man ... I had the most difficult time getting online with my ISP tonight. Anyway ... the following was suppose to be Monday's entry.

Monday, Jul 07, 2003
I’ve missed one entry to my online-diary last Friday.

Came back from work and decided to take a short nap before supper like I usually do. It turned out, last Friday, I dozed off longer that I wanted and when I did wake up, “Charmed” was already on TV. Like any good gay boy, I had to choose the power of three over my daily web entry. By the time I was done watching TV, midnight had rolled along and I’ve missed my deadline. I’ve got to be more disciplined about my entries next time.

Last weekend, I went down to the local music store and bought the soundtrack of “Ada Apa Dengan Cinta” like I planned and also a copy of Gareth Gates CD “What My Heart Wants To Say”. Gareth’s music video for his 2nd single “Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)” has been getting some airtime on the local TV and it was on one such occasion that I happened to catch that song. For the moment I heard the song, I was instantly smitten with it. It had a certain catchiness that stuck to my mind long after I heard it. It didn’t hurt that Gareth is also a total cutie in the looks department. He reminds me of a younger Scott Neal who is one of my favorite Brit TV actors.

From the soulful rendition of “Unchained Melody”, Gareth Gates proves that this young man has talent to spare. Discovered in the Brit “Pop Idols” TV series, this young lad went all the way to the finals only to be defeated by Will Young in a hotly contested match up. Gareth’s “What My Heart Wants To Say” CD has a range of fast to slow tempo songs. I have to say that Gareth excels in his mid tempo ballads like the title track, “Too Serious, Too Soon” and “With You All The Time” where he lets his velvety smooth voice stretch out and touch the listener. My favorite song from the CD has to be “Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)”. It hooks the listener in with a very catchy tune that really stays with you especially the chorus. Some songs were written by the same team that wrote songs for the last Westlife album so there is a definite boyband vibe to the CD. Since I’m already a fan of boybands, this didn’t really bothered my at all. Overall, this CD was a good buy and a very enjoyable listen.

Speaking of enjoyable things, I came across the most delicious bit of gossip while trawling about in the TWOP Dawson’s Creek forum. It seems that two of the main actors were reported as not being entirely straight. The consensus seems to be that they might even be bi if not totally gay. Of course all these gossips have to be taken with a big grain of salt but I couldn’t help myself when I read about it. The thought of the 2 of them going for some hot MM action just gives me the vapors (hehee). I have to be truthful that I am more than a little smitten JJ’s roguish charms.