If you think a prolific, established star like Eason Chan Yik-shun couldn't possibly have anything new to offer on his latest album H3M, you'd be right.
But while you've probably heard Chan sing similar tunes before, that doesn't make this inspirational, well-arranged record any less enjoyable. Chan collaborated with nine top musicians, including C.Y. Kong, Joey Tang and Patrick Lui.
Together with Chan's passionate singing, they've pushed Canto-pop to a new level. The musical experiment starts with the catchy, big band-ish Allegro, Opus 3.3 am. The witty lyrics by illustrator Siu Hark are a tribute to local lyricists.
Chan's dynamic and almost hysterical singing proves there's little his versatile voice can't do. Inspired by the movie Wall-E, the song 700 Years Later is a typical power ballad. Melodic, relatable and highly singalong-friendly, it's set to become a karaoke classic.
Other highlights include What Else Can I Give You, A Traveller and Only Doing One Thing Today.
The best effort on this diverse record is closer Salon. Composed by Chan to fit Wyman Wong's poetic lines, it's an insightful piece about capturing life's precious moments in photos. This is Chan at his resonant best.