November's Chopin

Collected it today, and have just listened to it once through. First impression is pretty decent, very "Jay Chouish", as in it does not really deviate from the style of his past N albums (sorry, not his fan so dunno how many albums he has released). Luckily I don't have any of his prior works, so haven't gotten sick of it yet.

The ballads are mediocre, but mid-tempo and fast numbers are pretty good. Wah he's really damn pro with his falsetto, but his mumbling doesn't do justice to Fang Wen Shan's lyrical genius. The overall production is of reasonably high quality, and the arrangement is flamboyant and sophisticated, though never OTT (over the top).

Can't agree with the ST Life! review that his duet with Lara (of 2nd gen NanQuan MaMa fame) is the best duet we have heard this year. I can't stand Lara's sugar-coated vocals, and there's a lack of chemistry between them IMO. Bei Feng Chui Guo De Xia Tian by JJ/Jin Sha easily pwns Jay/Lara.

Recommended for the production quality and the excellent compositions (esp. lyrics), but nothing spectacular enough to be deemed a 'breakthrough' by Jay's standards. But you can't fault him for his style is quite uniquely refreshing in a market drowning in bubblegum pop.