Artist Name: Chet Lam
Release Date: 2007
Language: Mandarin

To listeners in many parts of the world, Chet Lam may be foreign name. However, Chet is no new comer to the music scene as his debut album was released in 2003 and to date has 6 full-fledged albums to his name. Prior to this release, his works are mainly in Cantonese, with the exception
of one English cover remix released last year. Apart from writing songs for himself, Chet has written songs for other artists, authored books as well as acted in plays. This multi-talented artist can be considered one of the foremost independent song writers and singers in Hong Kong’s music scene today.

{The Private Life of Chet Lam} took a painstaking 10 years to complete and follows his personal journey across the globe to places such as USA, Slovenia, Canada, Czech Republic and Kenya. The cosmopolitan nature is evident from the songs collected here. Of special mention is the collaboration with singers from Emotoroki Primary School, Kenya, for the song {Take Away Only Memories, Leaving Only Footprints}.

The opening theme {Private Life} is an acoustic song that prepares one for the potpourri of music styles found in the 2 CDs. One can hear Chet humming softly against the back drop of guitars, cymbals, accordion and piano. It is a relaxing number much suited for lounging around and relaxing. Following that introduction, {Kitchen Blues} is a down-to-earth country folk song that documents the loneliness of living alone.

Another of my favorite is the quirky song {Love Sea in the Office}. The dreamy humming throughout the song reminds me of floating adrift in a pool of water, keeping all troubles at bay. That is, until one hears the distinctive toilet flashing sounds at the end of it all. Quirky? Certainly, but upon reflection, this song aims at digging fun at the monotony of the workplace where sometimes the only respite one can get is in the toilet breaks between the hectic work pace.

{Smoke Ring and Soap Bubbles} is another heart-warming song dedicated to Chet’s father, describing the complex relationship between the man and his boy. I like the way the lyrics describe this father-son relationship where sometimes a simple action brings to mind their love for each other. Another note-worthy song is {Drinking with the Stranger}, this is a song for all the nameless strangers that we meet in the pubs/bars. As the song played on, one is able to picture a pub filled with melancholic strangers drowning their sorrows and seeking solace in each other’s company. Sounds familiar?

The selling point of this CD is not in fanciful packaging or radio friendly songs. What it has is a sincere musician singing with conviction as well as lyrics reflective of life that one can relate to. I applaud Chet Lam’s music for its down-to-earth quality and for drawing out the extraordinary in things we normally take for granted. From an update on his personal website, there seems to be plans to market this CD (which currently is available in Hong Kong) to other overseas market. Let’s hope that it will not be too long before the Chinese music community get to hear more from this talented musician.

To find out more about Chet Lam and his music, visit his website here

Track listing:
CD 1
第一季 - 自嘲式的自戀 (Season One- Into the Dark)
- 私生活 - 紐約 (Private Life- Astor Place, New York)
- 廚房 (Kitchen Blues)
- 與你共枕 (Sharing a Pillow with You)
- 公路, 塵埃, 四合院 (Highway, Dust, Siheyuan)
- 公司裡的愛琴海 (Love Sea in the Office)
- 有一種朋友 (Some Kind of Friend)
- 晚睡 (Sleep Late)

CD 2
第二季 - 自虐式的自省 (Season Two- Into the Light)
- 魔鬼與我同生 (The Devil Grows with Me)
- 煙圈和肥皂泡 (Smoke Rings and Soap Bubbles)
- 燃 (Burn)
- 曼克頓的最後一夜 (Leaving New York)
- 與陌生人喝酒 (Drink with Stranger)
- 兩支牙刷 (Two Toothbrushes)
- 私生活 - 慕尼黑 (Private Life- Marienplatz, Munich)
- 留下腳印, 帶走回憶 (Take Only Memories, Leave Only Footprints)

Recommended tracks: CD1 (1, 2, 5, 7), CD2 (2, 4, 5, 8)

Click here to purchase this album.