Swing: a long-lost quality duo in the industry

In a rash of teenage idols who don't have much to offer besides piles of CD packaging, some futile gossip and brainless statements, Swing stands out as a group that is serious about producing quality music.

Eric and Jerald were both established musicians on their own even before working as a duo, which made it natural that they themselves wrote and produced all the songs in this album. Instead of going alternative and daunting the audience with profound lyrics or music, the songs in this album are relatively friendly and comprehensible.

The first track, "Shut Up", is thought-provoking. It identifies the overuse of mobile phones in modern society by mixing contemporary arrangements with real phone ringing tunes. It is an extremely well-composed track that gained abundant airplay. The second track, "1984", is a nostalgic love song with some pleasant piano at the back that takes you back in time. Another beautifully composed track, "Half A Ticket", is jazzy blues tune that sounds rhythmical, though uncommon in mainstream Canto-pop. It's very encouraging to see someone try doing songs other than those formulated for karaoke.

Swing definitely adds variety to the local music scene. The last time we talked about groups, bands or duos, we must have still been referring to Beyond, Tai Chi, Grasshopper or Raidas, which are all names from the last century. It's about time we had a new group.

The English Channel Issue 2.4