Thumping electronic beats may rule the airwaves these days, but Anuar Zain’s latest album doesn’t pander to the music of today.
Instead, Anuar Zain Vol. 5 employs an orchestra and a choir on almost every track, and it’s refreshing.
Cinta Takkan Berakhir, which sees the singer promising his lover unconditional love, emanates grandeur from start to finish. The sounds of the orchestra here are so full and lush and the choir lends such a dramatic flair you forget the ballad stretches over five and a half minutes, a rare feat in today’s increasingly shrinking attention span. Big and extravagant, it is easily the album’s focal point.
This sense of grandness can be heard throughout the album. Anuar’s rendition of Hujan by Sudirman, for instance, is dialled up a notch thanks to the voices of a choir that moves and sways like the whooshing of the wind in the rain.
And when it comes to melodrama, nothing beats lead single Andainya Takdir. Its music video takes the song’s meaning, about pining for an ex-lover, to a whole new level, featuring an elaborate, heartbreaking narrative worthy of its own TV show.
Karena Aku Cinta, a song about being played for a fool, is one of the album’s most memorable numbers and will probably be the singer’s next single, boasting a strong, melodic hook on the chorus that will reel listeners in. Album closer Selamat Malam is another gem. There’s less theatrics here compared to the other tracks. It’s a precious, intimate lullaby for a loved one.
The 46-year-old singer doesn’t veer from the heartrending ballads like Mungkin and Sedetik Lebih that he has built his career on in his newest offering. Save for its opening track Kembali which has a jazz arrangement that makes it a somewhat lighter number, Anuar sticks to the sounds listeners have come to know and love him for – for better or for worse.
Anuar Zain
Anuar Zain Vol. 5
Universal Music
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