Songstress

It's late. And they are probably working on their 2008 album...

but but but...I finally finally finally finally got my hand on this:

Woohoo! Now I can be in reverie listening to Faye and Real's voice....

Yeah, call my music taste weird: R&B, rock, pop, ballad, hip hop, alternatives...and the most important thing genre is mixed.

Lala.

However, I must mention one thing.

Usually Taiwan albums now come with extra stuff...

AND disappointingly, 爱.歌姬 doesn't come with extra stuff.

This is all there is: The cover, CD and lyrics book.

Maybe it's the Malaysian publishing company's idea. Warner Music Malaysia, I demand an explanation! Hehe. Just kidding.

I was half-expecting something like Wilbur's 玩酷 (Play Cool) album which has a collection of his photo shoots.


Nevertheless, this is to remind F.I.R's fans that F.I.R is for the music, not photo shoots.


But but but...


Man. I do want to learn how to sing like Faye.


In quick review:

1. 咏叹曲 (Chanting Song)
- This is a chanting song. It's oddest kind of song I've ever heard. It's like as if they played with the joystick on the synthesizer. There's no lyrics, and I hope it's not spiritually influenced in the wrong way. Fans would know what I mean.

2. 第十行星 (The 10th Planet)
- This is almost Linkin Park like. I quite like Linkin Park's music, just not so much the lyrics....why, very shocking meh? But this song does address the poverty of the world. Not poverty as in money, poverty as in soul. The question is: Why 10th planet? Pluto already not the 9th...it's not a planet even! Okay, I'm being too critical. Hahaha...10 would means perfect lerr...

MV of The 10th Planet

3. 需要你的爱 (I Need Your Love -- sang by Xin 信 from Xin Yue Tuan 信乐团 and Faye)
- A duet, ballad-y, but nice to listen to.

MV of I Need Your Love

4. 三个心愿 (Three Wishes -- bubbly love song, not bubbly pop song.)
- Another duet, but with Real instead of Xin. It's almost homophones anyway. Qin Xin...Xin Qin... this is a pop genre song, that's why I said it's bubbly love song, not bubbly pop song. But it almost fall into the category of bubble pop. Almost. This one have a bit more substance.

MV of Three Wishes

5. Change
- Faye singing a bit of English and most of the rest in Mandarin. At first I saw the English lyrics I thought it was a Sheryl Crow song...ahaha...but it's not a rock song. Pop genre. Easy-listening song that you would imagine their MV would have a person on a journey.

6. 真爱地图 (True Love's Map)
- One of the legendary F.I.R trademark kind of musical style. It's really a nice song, and have a bit of similarities like their old songs like Lydia. But of course it's a new kind of flavor. Just think having plain nuggets before and having sour cream to go with it now.

MV of True Love's Map

7. 月牙湾 (Yue Ya Bay)
- Mysterious. Eastern and a bit of Southern influence as well. Their first single of the album that got people like me want to buy the album to listen to the rest.

MV of Yue Ya Bay

8. Forever Green
- A Lee Hom 改变自己 (Change Me) themed. It's all about the earth. I was just okay with the song. Pop genre again. It is written by Japanese, so sound a bit J-pop. But the verse also sound a bit like the 10th Planet song.

9. Blue Doors Ahead
- You would know right when it is written blue doors ahead? Blue? Blue? Yeah, it's a jazzy song. This is a fully English song sang by Faye. Her English is perfect, but if I really want to compare her with other jazz singers, her voice is not really the jazz voice kind. But maybe I don't listen to enough jazz music. At least it didn't sound like a Britney Spears trying to do jazz.

10. 爱过 (Love Once)
- Okay, this song is nice...to a certain extend. This song was suppose to push Faye's vocal limits. Right, I understand that too. However, I think they could drop the key of the song to maybe half-note or full-note. When she reaches the super high notes, I got a little creep out. There was one part where she really blew on the highest notes in the song. If you are a first-time listener, you will get a little shock when she erm...went the highest note in her range. I heard this song twice, and I am still a bit befuddled by Ian's motives on trying to push on the highest note.

11. 彩色拼图 (Colorful Puzzle)
- I almost laughed when I heard the intro. I was thinking of Flashdance or Grease those kind of music. The 70s-80s. I can almost imagine girls wearing those ponytails, big frilly skirts and dancing and men sporting those gel hair and university jerseys trying to woo them. John Travolta! Haha...it's that kind of song.

12. 茶靡时代 (RT: The time when the last flower blooms)
- If the last song was a musical, this one is a Broadway musical. If you have watched Phantom of the Opera, yeah, it's that kind of song. At least they didn't push Faye's vocal limit like in Love Once. I still have chills.

Recommended tracks?
2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 (without the limit) and 12.


Rating: 3.5/5

(Is it just me or there's a tendency for Taiwanese people who speak fluent English to have a bit of accent? Not just American accent...but diction not so clear??)