Album review: 'Story of a City' opens new chapter, blending Chinese instruments with hip-hop, jazz

Finding an identity is something many Asian Americans struggle with. But Dave Liang seems to have found his niche.

In 2006, the music producer reinvented the way Chinese instruments are heard with the album, The Shanghai Restoration Project – named one of AsiaXpress.com's top-five Asian-American albums for the year. Fusing the traditional sounds with modern hip-hop and jazz flavors, he created something he said mirrored his upbringing as a Chinese American.

Continuing with the formula, his latest album, Story of a City, is latest next chapter in his musical journey. Liang teams up a bevy of musicians to create a compilation filled with rich, tranquil tracks that produce chilled euphoria.

The lyrics aren't the strongest elements in the album, but they add an uplifting tone and are a vast improvement over those in its predecessor. For some songs, such as "Voices," the words add to the track's depth: "In our eyes we seek an answer / That our minds already know / That the truth lies not in secret / But the stories that are told."

Only one song, "Touchdown," becomes lost with the ramblings. Rather than having any reason, its filled with verses that simply rhyme. Then at 2:04, it sounds as if Natural Fact runs out of things to say with an awkward pause to the song.

Di Johnston, one of the staples of the debut album, reunites with Liang in the song, "Preface." It opens with simple string plucks overlaying a snapping percussion loop. A rolling piano melody enters with Johnston's synthesized and harmonized vocals, adding to richness of the music.

One of the best songs is "Last Night Of The Dynasty." It opens with sharp horns that are played over subdued rattling percussion with a hollow kick. Low piano notes enter with Julie Anne Sgroi's sweet vocals, as the song adopts a mellow tone. Soft bell notes play along with various synth sounds in the background.

According to his MySpace, Story of a City is based on Shanghai's tale at the turn of the 20th century – a step forward from the '30s Shanghai jazz that influenced his first album. Keeping stride with his album's theme, Liang has himself progressed, creating a soothing set of aurally pleasing songs that sets a new standard in the genre he invented.