[album] Da Mouth: Da Mouth

Artist: 大嘴巴 (Da Mouth)
Album: 大嘴巴 (Da Mouth)
Released: 2007/11/16
Label: Universal Music

1. The Starting 4: This is an upbeat introduction track that introduces the band. I think this track is a great start to the album, because it not only introduces the members of the band, but it also sets the tone for the rest of their album.

*2. Kao Guo Lai / 靠過來: This is such a great song to dance to. There is a lot of rapping in this song, but everything fits together with the awesome beat and rhythm. I liked this song at my first listen, and I still like it.

3. Get You Back: I love the beat of this song! It's a song with an RnB feel to it, and I really like the instruments that they play in the background. The lyrics to the rapping part sounds a bit silly, but otherwise, a pretty good song.

*4. Jie Guo Lie / 結果咧 Intro: An intro to the next song. I don't know why a song needs an intro, because they could have just added it to the beginning of the song. But it's pretty short, and it goes right into the song.

*5. Jie Guo Lie / 結果咧: I love this song. It may have been overplayed, but I still love it. This was one of the first songs I heard from them. It has a catchy phrase, it has a good beat, and it's just so funky and upbeat. This whole song is awesome, from the rapping, the vocals, the beat, and the melody. Even after listening to this song a million and one times, I don't think I'll get sick of it anytime soon.

6. Step On The Beat: Another song that I think follows the funky tone that Da Mouth has set for their album. At first it may not be as catchy as 結果咧 (Jie Guo Lie), but after a few listens, I've grown to like this song. There's just something about the melody that really appeals to me, and I think the rapping is done really well.

*7. Wo Yuan Yi / 我願意: This song has a smoother sound that previous tracks on their album. It's also a slower song, but I think the melody and beat of this song is awesome. I really like the instrumental in the background. I think that's what stands out in this song.

8. Wo Jiu Shi Xi Huan Ni / 我就是喜歡你: When I first heard this song, I thought it was a bit of a departure from their previous songs. It's a bit more pop-ish compared to the previous tracks, and this song really could belong on a boy band's album. My favorite part in this song is the short instrumental in the middle of this song.

9. Mr. Cool Boy: This song starts out with a loud and strong beat. It's a mostly instrumental strong save for the bit of Japanese voice-over at the beginning. I guess this is a song for the DJ Zhong Hua to shine, but too bad it's a bit short.

10. Da Zui Ba / 大嘴巴: This song has a funky beat, and the chorus is pretty catchy. Again, I really like the beat of this song, and the rapping is also pretty well done. I think the chorus the the standout of this song, but I'm also liking the intro of the song.

*11. 119: This song is one of the first songs I first heard from them. I think it may also be overplayed, like 結果咧 (Jie Guo Lie), but the reason for that is because it's so catchy. It's no doubt that the chorus will stay on your mind after listening to this song. I love the beat of this song, it's funky and very well done. I also like the vocals here. I simply can't stop listening to this song!

12. Wu Ke Qu Dai / 無可取代: This song is a nice change from all the faster and more upbeat songs. It's a slow song, and really showcases the vocals of the two main singers. My favorite part would be the last part of the song, where you can hear the two voices together.

*13. Huai Qiu / 懷秋: This is another slow song, and I think the voices of the vocalist really shine in this song. They also make use of good background melody that really complements the vocalists' voices. It's just a really nice song to listen to as well.

*Stephanie's pick for must-hear songs

Rating: 8/10

Da Mouth's first album is a very well made album. I think they've got a really good combination of funky songs that is really fitting with their image, and they've balanced it out with a few slower songs. I am very, very impressed with this album. I think they can really bring something new and different into the Taiwanese and cpop music business. However, I think that their voices are only about average, but this is something which they could improve in time. They also know how to use their voices well in their songs. Also, Aisa's Mandarin really has an accent that can be a bit hard to understand at times, but I think she has really improved on it a lot. They've really made an awesome first album.


(image credit to Yesasia)

[album] Jay Chou: On The Run

Artist: 周杰倫 (Jay Chou)
Single: 我很忙 (On The Run)
Released: 2007/11/02
Label: JVR Music


*1. 牛仔很忙 Cowboy On The Run (Niu Zai Hen Mang): Who ever thought country music and Jay Chou would ever mix? I don't normally listen to country music, but if anyone can make country music sound good, it has to be Jay Chou. It's a fast-paced song, and it reminds me of the cowboys of the west. This song has really grown on me since I first listened to it. I never thought I would enjoy a Western-country song, it's just too bad it's a bit short!

*2. 彩虹 Rainbow (Cai Hong): The acoustic guitar background at the beginning of this song is lovely. It's a very melodic song, and I really like Jay Chou's vocals here. I think he sounds a bit different; perhaps he is trying out a new method of singing, but I like it! Beautiful song.

*3. 青花瓷 Blue Vase (Qing Hua Ci): Track 3 is his 中國風 (Zhong Guo Feng, literally meaning China wind) song. Each of his albums will have one song with traditional Chinese instruments, it's one which I really look forward to hearing each time. It's a really nice song, and it reminds me of old Chinese films.

4. 陽光宅男 Sunshine Homeboy (Yang Guang Zhai Nan): It's a kind of surprising to hear this type of upbeat pop-rock songs on Jay Chou's album. I say surprising because it's not a type of song you would expect from Jay Chou, but he surprises me! Some people have said this is like a Mayday song, and I do agree with them, it does sound like something they would write. I guess Jay Chou is really into trying new musical styles with this album, and I think this type of song works for him.

*5. 蒲公英的約定 Dandelion's Promise (Pu Gong Ying De Yue Ding): This is a slow song with a melody that breaks your heart. I love the piano in the background and how it complements Jay Chou's vocals in this song. I think ballads are his strong and solid songs, and this is no exception.

6. 無雙 Unparalleled (Wu Shuang): I would say this is a typical Jay Chou alternative-rock kind of song, as he has done something similar in earlier albums. This is nothing new from Jay Chou, but I do like the background melody.

7. 我不配 I'm Not Worthy (Wo Bu Pei): Classic Jay Chou ballad. This is the type of song I would associate with Jay Chou, it's really his style. It's a nice song, but it sounds too much like something from his previous albums.

8. 扯 Pull/Ripping (Che): An R&B track with rapping. I like the intro to this song. The beat is really catchy and I find myself having this song on repeat. I've never really been much of a fan of Jay Chou's rapping, but I really like this one.

9. 甜甜的 Sweetness (Tian Tian De): Like the title of this song, I would describe this song as full of sweetness. It's a very happy, cheery, and upbeat song. I think this song is definitely a pop song, and it just seems very cute. I love the little sound effects of kissing like *chuu*. I would never expect a Jay Chou song to be described a sweet or cute, but I can't help but smile when I listen to this song.

*10. 最長的電影 The Longest Movie (Zui Chang De Dian Ying): I've always loved Jay Chou's piano playing, and I really like it in this song. I like Jay Chou's vocals in this song. The combination of the piano and his vocal just makes me swoon. My favorite type of Jay Chou songs are slow ballads, and I think this is a good one.

*Stephanie's pick for must-hear songs

Rating: 8/10

With this new Jay Chou album, we can see him trying out new musical styles, and it does seem like he is going in a different musical direction as his previous albums. The album as a whole is okay, but the individual songs are good by themselves. I say this because what I've always liked about his albums is that each song in the album really fits like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and the completed puzzle is his album. While I do like the songs individually, this album doesn't really have songs that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. I do think it's a good album from Jay Chou, and although the songs are good, I feel like he could have done better on this album. Maybe I'm just biased, but his earlier albums are my favorites, and I really, really love his earlier songs. Having said that, I think with this album is still good, maybe not as good as his earlier works, but I think I'll enjoy listening to it for the next few weeks.

(image credit to Yesasia)