In typical Canto-pop fashion, ? is full of slow, ballad-type tracks. A piano features on many songs, such as Aiya Yiya. Chan's velvety voice is on full show on the emotional track and isn't overwhelmed by the music.
The piano is also the main instrument heard on See Through, but instead of creating a sombre mood as it does on other songs, here it is played at a quicker tempo, which gives the track a livelier feel that matches Chan's quicker delivery.
Although labelled a Mandarin album, ? has two Cantonese tracks and one in English (Muffin Man). Mr Cheung's Love Song is a Cantonese version of Aiya Yiya, while Magical Makeup Artist is a Cantonese version of See Through. These last two tracks sound the same, but Mr Cheung's Love Song starts off acoustically with a guitar, rather than a piano. This small, yet brilliant change to an already great song, makes it my favourite of the album.
Chan's vocals are spotless, but the album's tempo and variety are too limited. Plus, if I buy a 12-track album, I expect 12 different songs. Not 10 songs and two versions of the same song in a different language.
YP Rating: 2/5