CHAMBER POP/ORCHESTRAL ROCK
OK HUMAN
Weezer
4 stars
On their 14th album, American alternative rock stalwarts Weezer ditch the heavy guitars for a 38-piece orchestra.
The songs have post-Revolver Beatles vibes. This is perhaps not a coincidence as the strings were recorded in London's Abbey Road Studios, where the Fab Four recorded.
The title of Weezer's album is a play on OK Computer, the 1997 opus by another great British band, Radiohead.
Frontman Rivers Cuomo has lost none of his penchant for massive hooks, sweet melancholia and quirky lyrics, and the tunes are still distinctively Weezer.
"All my favorite songs are slow and sad," he croons on opener All My Favorite Songs.
On Screens, he laments the loss of physical connection in favour of online life, but ironically, he also waxes lyrical about audiobook streaming service Audible on Grapes Of Wrath.
DARI KALBUKU OLEH RUDY DJOE - A DIGITAL MUSIC SHOWCASE
Singaporean jazz singer Rudy Djoe delves into his ethnic roots for this online concert.
He will perform original songs from his 2016 album, Dari kalbuku (From My Heart), as well as updated renditions of Malay and Indonesian traditional tunes.
He will be accompanied by musicians such as jazz stalwart Aya Sekine, veteran singer Rahimah Rahim and composer Syafiqah 'Adha Sallehin.
The performance is supported by National Arts Council Singapore and part of the #SGCultureAnywhere initiative.
WHEN Feb 27, 8pm
JJ LIN - BLOOM N' TUNES
Homegrown Mandopop star JJ Lin has combined his two loves - music and coffee - in his latest online show, a fortnightly series titled Bloom n' Tunes.
He starts off each episode by brewing a cuppa in the studio, and then sings a variety of songs and chats online with viewers.
He said on his social media pages: "I was sipping a cup of coffee and doodling on my piano one evening when an idea hit me. Why not share this intimate moment with the world?"
The first episode, which premiered in mid-January, saw him take requests for his hits like Too Bad (2015).
WHERE YouTube
WHEN Every fortnight. Dates and timings on new episodes are announced on JJ Lin's social media pages including YouTube and Instagram.
