陈绮贞

Chen Qi Zhen - 华丽的冒险 (Hua Li De Mao Xian)





















Cheer Chen Qi Zhen (陈绮贞) have given us some taste of rock music in her previous album. In this latest album “华丽的冒险 Hua Li De Mao Xian” (Magnificent Adventure), there are even more. “Sentimental Kills”, “Hua Li De Mao Xian” and “Self” all have heavy rock feel.

Unlike her signature style where she uses acoustic guitar as the main instrument, there’re a lot of strings and electric guitar in this album. The string harmony in “Lu Xing De Yi Yi” and the electronic sound effect in “Fu Xiu” have added some new element to her music. There is also a taste of bosanova like “Jing Jing De Sheng Huo”.

My favorite song in the album is track 5, “Tai Duo”. It uses only the very low register and very high register of the piano, together with the cello to create a surreal mood of the song. Another song that is closer to her style of music is “Biao Mian De He Ping”, a simple melody accompanied by the guitar.

When I listen to the album, I keep feeling that there’s something different in her vocal compared to her previous album “吉他手 Groupies”. After listening to her previous album over and over again, I finally figured out why. When we talk about Qi Zhen’s voice, it is always sweet, refreshing, comfortable and almost de-stressing. However, it doesn’t seem to have that effect in this album.

One of the reasons is the instrumentation of the songs. The instrumentation of the songs is this album is the most complex among her songs. It’s too heavy for her vocal. It will let down many fans who prefer her simple guitar music.

Another more important reason is the way she carries the songs. It seems to lose that kind of relaxed, carefree and joyful expression it used to have. In some parts, it even sounds like she’s trying to strain her vocal. Her voice is always sweet. However, in the previous album, it sounds very natural while in this album is like an overdose of sugar.

Even though, I feel that it’s a bit unfair to compare this album with her previous ones. Perhaps it’s the expectation I have that leads to disappointment. Overall, it’s still a good album, at least better than many other pop albums we have in the market. Again, Qi Zhen found a balance point between commercialized and alternative music.

Track listing:

1. 旅行的意义Lu Xing De Yi Yi (Significance of Traveling)
2. 腐朽 Fu Xiu (Decay)
3. Sentimental Kills
4. 华丽的冒险 Hua Li De Mao Xian (Magnificent Adventure)
5. 太多 Tai Duo (Too Much)
6. 花的姿态 Hua De Zi Tai (Posture of Flower)
7. Self
8. 80%完美的日子 (Days of 80% Perfection)
9. 表面的和平 Biao Mian De He Ping (Peace on the Surface)
10. 静静的生活 Jing Jing De Sheng Huo (Living Peacefully)
11. 最初的起点 Zui Chu De Qi Dian (The Beginning)

Recommended tracks: Tai Duo, Lu Xing De Yi Yi, Jing Jing De Sheng Huo, Self, Zui Chu De Qi Dian

by ~Jessy~ (cited frm: http://chinesemusicblog.com/female-artist/chen-qi-zhen-hua-li-de-mao-xian)