“Show You Colour” (in Chinese ¸给你一点颜色, ‘give you some colour’) is Chinese rock legend Cui Jian’s first album in seven years. He reportedly spent this time studying production techniques, gradually writing material and piecing it together. So is the album worth the wait?

Cui has always been somewhat of a visionary, pushing the boundaries of Chinese rock music further than any of his peers, or even his followers. This album takes his experimental side even further, with most songs being closer to hip-hop or electronic music than to rock-and-roll. Traditional rock instruments such as guitar, bass and drums blend in with traditional Chinese instruments, samples of Chinese and Korean folk singers, and drum-machine beats, all held together by Cui’s distinctive vocals. When this works, as it does on the ambitious album opener ‘City Boatman’ and the Teresa Teng-sampling ‘Small-town Story V21’ it sounds fantastic. However, the best tracks on the album are in fact the most straightforward – ‘Lost Season’ is a beautiful, laid-back song featuring a Chinese zither accompaniment, and ‘Mr. Red’ is a full-on rocker in the vein of Cui’s previous work.

On the whole then this album is a great achievement, streets ahead of the bland ballads that pervade the Chinese mainstream. It’s great to hear an artist who’s been around for so long still pushing forwards and trying something new. Although this album may be too out-there for many, for those who appreciate the eclecticism of Beck or the experimental spirit of Radiohead’s recent albums, this is a must-buy.