Black and Blue - Black and Blue (D.I.Y) Watchdogs of the new generation of local indie bands should not hold high expectations of Black and Blue's second album. This self-titled cut, sad to say, has not delivered the progress expected after their debut Hope in Just One Day, released last year with mostly English scores.
Black and Blue holed up in their factory-workstation-turned studio for several months for this new album. But perhaps confined by the promise of a Cantonese album, the 10 tracks here lack the melodic lustre and arrangements that made its predecessor more successful.
In numbers such as Afterward . . . and Depressed Prairie, the line between the chorus and verse is so blurred that one wonders if it exists at all.
And, at some points, the bulk of the Cantonese lyrics in songs such as Flee, Innocence and I, end up messing up the weak melodies even further.
The lyrics, when comprehensible, shoot off the usual damnation against the world and philosophical soul-searching questions.
The prime track may be the opener, The Cut Song, which is reminiscent of the British rock sound found on their debut. A subtle manifestation of their viewpoint on the handover, it tells of the confusion and the delight they feel in getting closer to their roots.