發行 Label：滾石音樂 Rock Records
製作 Production Unit：本色音樂 True Color
製作人 Producer：張震嶽 Ayal Komod
By：小信豬
小信豬一邊在聽張震嶽的新作時，一邊在筆記本裡重複打上「率性」二字。這形容詞對熟知他的作品的聽眾來說一點也不意外。但仔細聽完 EP 裡的五首歌卻發覺每一回的感受都不同，且對這詞有更深的體會。
率性的他依然那麼的任性和孤雁出群，發片了卻不進行任何宣傳也不上通告，更別提及與專輯有關的訪問。不善言辭的他則選擇在臉書上發文解釋錄製這張《遠走高飛》EP 的心得：從退伍後組團表演到6年前得金曲獎，踏踏實實的他真正在意的是如何推翻他人對他的印象，每一次都無畏無懼地主導專輯的方向，最最抗拒的就是內省時發現作品停滯不前，因此從未為了迎合大眾的口味而寫歌。在十一月舉行的《情歌岳遠走高飛 Live》演唱會中，他說到這段日子個性改變許多，但筆者認為骨子裡的他還是那名帶著痞子作風的創作歌手，一開口還是那邊吟邊唸著人生對話的阿岳。
率性的他在製作 EP 時決定把重心放在編曲上，你也許和我一樣察覺幾首歌有幾段同音反覆的情況（如〈念念不忘〉和〈遠走高飛〉），那應該是因阿岳老師同時把詞曲、編曲和配唱的部分一同完成的結果。以嘻哈和電子元素編寫曲調徹底改變了我對創作的瞭解，包括在〈念念不忘〉裡以爵士作為基調，交疊著的是嘻哈節奏的架子鼓和底鼓，切換的十分流暢。當然最惹爭議的就是在歌曲裡使用了Auto-tune，意圖要凸顯歌詞裡那非昔是今的心境。
率性的他在演繹這5首作品時完全釋放自己。聲線裡的粗糲更為清晰，尤其在詮釋〈貪心〉時的口氣變得隨性鬆弛，那無助惶然的味道油然而生，也讓一首典型的「岳式」情歌依然能直擊心靈。在主打歌〈酒鬼〉裡，時而聽到阿岳慵懶的唱出醉酒時那處身在虛幻邊緣的軟弱、浮躁和麻痺。選擇毫無修飾的演唱方式顯然是要找回那質而不俚的感覺，就如這回重投情歌的懷抱一樣，不怕啁啾唱的是大同小異的感情經歷，不怕用來拾取愛情稀落的鱗片是你我熟悉的場景描寫手法。
五首歌，除了一首表達的是歉疚之外，都是與遠走高飛有關。因為孤注一擲去愛，所以分開後總留下一抹眷戀（原本以為事過就忘記/那麼多年我還沒忘記——〈貪心〉）。即使不顧一切的離去，也會發覺自己並不如想像中那麼坦然（其實脆弱裝不在意/現在變得好焦慮——〈遠走高飛〉）。只是這次樸實直白的辭藻雖生活化，但結構上還是不夠嚴謹，如「要即興 還是跟著劇本如同宿命 如果人生是出戲 掌聲如雷或沉默的 ending」裡的「宿命」和「Ending」對應得太彆扭了。仔細分析編曲上的各個細節，亮點也沒想像中那麼突出。
最後筆者也來一次任意的總結。這張專輯的錄音相當優越，人聲平衡，定位清晰，貝斯的部分還可以更豐潤些，但是日後若推出黑膠，發燒友可以考慮收藏。就這樣。
The word “carefree” comes to mind often when listening to Ayal Komod’s (better known as A-yue) new EP Gone Away. His fans are well familiar with his easy and straightforward approach to music. However, when listening to this EP on repeat, I find myself being rewarded with a different sentiment (as well as a different introspective understanding of the word “carefree”) upon each listen.
His carefreeness comes through in his unceremonious approach of promoting this EP: Instead of the usual television and radio interviews, he instead chose to express his experience and reflections on producing this EP through a post on his Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/ayuechang/photos/a.178829372131068/3547070651973573/?type=3&theater). Recounting his journey from forming the band “Free9” in his early days up to his previous album I am Ayal Komod in 2013, he reflects on what mattered to him most all these while: To take charge and move forward, to constantly reinvent himself and his music, and not to get stuck in the moment and what the audience expects of him. In turn he has gained introspection. Similarly, he recounts his changes during his “Gone Away: Live” showcase in November. But I feel his inner core and attitude towards himself and his work has not changed: Be it A-yue or Ayal Komod, he still sings and dwells on life in a truthful and unrestrained manner.
His carefreeness comes through in his musical arrangements. Astute listeners might have observed that a few tracks (such as “Never Forgotten About Her” and “Gone Away”) carry repeated melodies. My postulation is that this is a by-effect of writing the song, arranging the backing tracks and recording the vocals at the same time, a practice he has adopted from his days as a hip-hop and electronica musician. The hip-hop and electronica influence also extends to his choice of instrumentation, such as the smooth layering and mix of jazz and hip-hop sounds and elements in the drum track of “Never Forgotten About Her”. With carefreeness comes polarized opinions: The use of auto-tune effects are quite contentious, though one could explain it as a method of creating a contrast between the “then” and “now”.
His carefreeness also comes through in his candid and easy vocal rendition for this EP. While one can nitpick the flaws in his vocals, these flaws are often used to good effect on this EP. The loose vocals expresses a sense of helplessness on “Greed”, yet brings forth a state of impetuous stupor in “Lasang Bastard” (or directly translated as “Drunkard”). The EP seemingly attempts to recall the simple and unadorned sensibilities of his early days, not just through the oft-straightforward rendition, but also the aesthetic: A regardless return to A-Yue’s simple love songs, with cliched-yet-familiar fragments of love and relationships that you and I can relate to.
Out of the five tracks, one touches on regret, while the rest are about flying away. The narrative: Because I have loved with everything I have, the breakup is mired with a tinge of reluctance (“I thought I had forgotten with the passing of love, but still I had not forgotten with the passage of time”); Even if I leave everything behind and fly away, a sense of indeterminateness still lingers in me (“I pretended that I didn’t care, and now I got anguish in return”). While the colloquality appeals to ordinary persons and ordinary experiences, there are still a few areas of awkwardness in the rhyming between phrases.
A detailed listening to the instrumentation also reveals the lack of details in the instrumentation. Nonetheless, the recording is top-notch and balanced (though the bass could be more well-formed), which makes it an ideal purchase for audiohpiles should a vinyl for this EP be released in the future.
Fresh 指數：7.5 /10
推薦Replay曲目：
〈酒鬼 Lasang Bastard〉 詞曲：張震嶽 編曲：張震嶽 製作：張震嶽
〈貪心 Greed〉 詞曲：張震嶽 編曲：張震嶽 製作：張震嶽
〈遠走高飛 Gone Away〉 詞曲：張震嶽 編曲：張震嶽 製作：張震嶽
建議 Skip 曲目：無 None