On sabbatical from originality

Published: 
Sunny Tse
Listen to this article
Sunny Tse |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

Hong Kong schools to hold National Security Education Day next month

Hong Kong to showcase about 100 masterpieces from the Palace of Versailles

Hong Kong English teachers to undergo IELTS instead of local assessment

DSE 2024: To ace English Paper 1, pay attention to details and use ChatGPT to study

Australia’s ‘earless dragon’ faces extinction due to climate change

iii
by Sunny Tse

On their second album If I Am ..., local band Mr show how far they've come in terms of musical craftsmanship and technique. It's frustrating to see them replace the musical diversity of their debut Mister with catchy, likeable but far-from-original Canto-pop.

If I Am ... picks up literally where the debut ended: opener Back is a Cantonese version of 15, the last track on Mister. It starts gently with simple chords, but once the full band comes in, it becomes more dynamic.

Then comes the energetic, Brit-poppy Swing which urges you to shake your troubles away by listening to rock music.

Frontman Alan Po's vocals have been frequently compared to Eason Chan yik-shun's versatile voice, which inspired the five-piece to write If I Were Eason Chan. The playful number would sit comfortably on a Chan album and even features a cameo appearance by the star. This song, and anti-development anthem Forest, sum up how much the band has improved in writing relevant, poetic lyrics.

But the rock stops there. What's left is decent, but not especially impressive Canto-pop. Slow ballads like Encounter and Searching for a Thousand Times are cheesy, sentimental numbers young female listeners will like.

The album (bizarrely) comes with the debut, music videos and behind-the-scenes footage - a bargain for potential fans.

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment