S$19.90

The blue skies and white clouds of the adjoining CD booklet are spectacular indeed. Looking at the booklet though, you wonder if the people who designed it ever questioned themselves whether it would be extremely untidy or troublesome to handle the collated pages. I certainly found it a chore to fold the pages properly!

Now a little trivia on the singer. Formerly known as Eriko With Crunch, Eriko Imai used to be a member of J-Pop girl group Speed. Eriko has had a good report card the past year, having participated in theatre, Japanese soap Rouge and countless commercials. Now with the release of her debut album “My Place”, she has one more credit to her already embellished career.

Of the tracks in the album, Eriko has put on her thinking cap to pen the lyrics for the song “Darlin”. Surprisingly, “Darlin” is not half-bad. Obvious alternative back-up and screeching guitar sounds (think Jimi Hendrix) make this worth a listen. Apart from the catchy and chirpy hit “in the Name of Love”, most are love songs (however with a tinge of R&B and soft rock influences).

Take note of the shadows of Speed. If you were a Speed fan, this album will no doubt satisfy your J-Pop cravings.

       S$15.90

It is funny how little is said about the music rather than the musician, no matter how adamant she is about her privacy. By adopting an aloof persona, Her Highness Faye Wong has attracted attention nevertheless, even if her intentions suggest otherwise. Well, it must work well for the artiste then - free publicity and still, the power to wield her prima donna status. She never quite fades behind her music, does she? You might have heard of her less-than-typical love life with a certain young stud. Or how big her baby girl has grown. Now she is in the news again - as the lead of Japanese soap opera Usokoi. What would you know? Faye also happens to sing the theme song “Separate Ways” hence the release of this EP.

This EP contains the original version and also, the 128-beat mix of “Separate Ways”. Although it is evident that Faye's grasp of the Japanese language is uncertain, the song still carries her usual ethereal feel and as such, makes it soothing to listen to. It also brings with it an upbeat atmosphere, which may remind you of summer. The other tracks are recycled from previous albums, including the airy “Eyes On Me” featured in the role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII and the Mandarin track “Xiang Nai Er”.

The best thing about this album is the bonus disc. Play it on your favourite PC or Mac and it may just startle you for that split second when your screen blacks out.“Hang again,”you may think; then suddenly you see a simulated theatre on your screen. Click on hyperlink“Open”and the curtains open with a loud applause. After which you get a taste of Fukuyama Masaharu's performance at his“ 10th Anniversary WE'RE BROS. TOUR MAGNUM COLLECTION 2000”concert on May 14th. Cool.

For those of you who have no prior knowledge of Fukuyama Masaharu, take a look at the“retro”album cover and you may have guessed from his pleasing good looks that he is one of those actors who graduated with Japanese soap opera credits. You are only half right, because this lad is not like the rest of the cute guys. Listen to the album and you will realize that he is actually not half bad. Plus, he writes and performs his songs. In fact, his talent has won him legions of fans across Asia.