Edmond Leung Hon-man - Stolen Kiss (Capital Artists) In an industry more obsessed with good looks than with talent, it is often sad that some singers end up being rated according to such superficial yardsticks - and being under-rated.
Edmond Leung Hon-man is one of those who have had to struggle to keep up a profile because, while he doesn't look like Quasimodo, he is no Andy Lau or Aaron Kwok in the looks department. Yet, Leung has a strong voice and has had quite a few good hit songs, such as Breath, Three Broken Hearts and What I Need Today Is Love.
Stolen Kiss is the best all-round album to have come from Leung in the past few years. An R & B line permeates all 11 numbers, the strongest of which is The Exalted And The Fallen. Not surprisingly, the song comes from songwriter Anthony Lun Wing-leung, who has been among those who have given Canto-pop a more R & B influence.
The best number, however, should go to Man In The Closet, which plays Leung's voice up to its best advantage, giving it a more mature, smokier sound. The song, written and arranged by Ng Lok-sing, is an excellent melody with an uplifting arrangement. It might finally be a sign that Leung is ready to move from the teenybopper league to the big time.