Music talk: Sandee Chan
I have followed singer-songwriter Sandee Chan’s career from the 90s when she released her first album. I was looking for someone like Faye Wong who was at that time doing something different in the Chinese music scene. While doing my usual music shopping at my favourite music stall at a local mall, on a cassette rack, I saw Sandee’s debut album cover of a hand-drawn girl standing before a backdrop of apples, I thought, “That’s pretty alternative.” So I took a leap, bought the album and I never looked back in my love of Sandee’s music.
Even though Faye Wong pretty much reigns in the realm of coolness, I think Sandee is cooler in the sense that she wrote, produced and performed her own materials. Her lower range and warm distinctive voice was also a standout amongst the sea of pop plastic princesses of the time. With her current cool and polished persona and song choices ala St Vincent, I have forgotten she could go ape shit crazy as she has done on some of her older songs. She once did a song about vomiting which she retched (in sound effect) and sang with style.
Last week, her new album came out. I put off listening to it till tonight, I checked out one of her songs on YouTube, and it was one of those many Sandee music moment that tugged at my heartstring and spoke deep into my soul. Her lyrics have been the primary reason why I keep going back to her, cos’ Sandee always has something thoughtful things to say and saying them in interesting ways.