my life will...

taiwanese indie cds have so much to offer in terms of refreshing musical contents and superb recording. some of these recordings are near audiophile quality. this month's pick is deserts (what a name!) zhang xuan's debut album, entitled "my life will...".

zhang is a regular pub singer who has a sizeable following in taiwan. her style is reminiscent of suzanne vega, the folk pop singer who plays acoustic guitar as she sings. zhang is also nominated in taiwan's golden melody award in the "best newcomer" category. she has strong chance to win this award, judging by the strength of this album.

this cd has has very good recording - airy, raw and pristine. standout tracks are track #1 and #2. i like to play track #2 (bao bei, meaning babe) repeatedly on my system; it simply sounds lovely.