The word “normal” should never be associated with Taiwanese all-girl rock band Cherry Boom because they definitely don’t sound or look like any other female band in the Chinese pop market, say the likes of S.H.E or Qi Duo Hua, 7 Flowers.

Cherry Boom’s gothic image for their second album, Guai Guai, Goody-Goody already provides ample clues that they’re neither planning to be the innocent and sweet girls-next-door, nor the hot and sexy babes.

After their 2006 debut album, Dear Prince, the foursome of Cherry Boom have proven that they’re not just a bunch of pretty faces. Consisting of Cha Cha (vocalist), Gua (guitarist), Xiao Qian (bassist) and Da Tian (drummer), the band composes most of their songs, which while bubbly sounding, allows them to mask a darker undertone to their music.

To hear my point, listen to “Qing Xin Zao Chen, A New Morning”, the first track from Dear Prince. Although the title sounds optimistic and the song itself cheerful and energetic, it’s actually about poisoning your boyfriend after finding out that he betrayed you, and enjoy watching him moan in pain. And that’s just one of the 1003 endings that can be imagined on a sweet morning.

Bearing that in mind, it was with caution that I began listening to Cherry Boom’s new album with my ears ready to detect any dark undercurrents that might have been subtly hidden in the lyrics under the sugary mask of their songs.

The first track on the album was upbeat and had a rock-ish vibe to it. The catchy tune appears to be a happy song, but as mentioned earlier about a Cherry Boom composition, you ignore the lyrics at your peril.

Now don’t let the song title fool you, it isn’t actually about being good. Alright, maybe it is, at least only at the start of a budding romance that is. Both parties are nice to each other, and show only their good side. However, as time passes, fights ensue and they shed their masks to reveal their dark side. And with the relationship in tatters, the only option left is to dump that person.

Hence, the songs end aptly, with the advice which when translated into English says, “When it’s bad already, throw the relationship away. Leave the bad guy for others to love”.

After an energetic start to the album, the second track was a slow ballad titled “Do You Love Me”, possibly written to show the band’s versatility. However, there’s nothing special about this song for it seems to be about a fairly typical situation where after some time the relationship becomes bland and one party starts questioning the other whether they still love each other.

The third track on the album “Green” caused me to be reminded of the song “Once upon a December” from the animated movie, Anastasia. It must have been the mysterious and ‘echo-ey’ sounds that made it seem like it was being sung in an old and abandoned castle much like that scene from the animated movie where she was singing “Once upon a December” while wandering around the huge but empty palace with flashbacks of a ball which took place there. Oh, and somewhere at the 1:47min mark, a strangely familiar tune, which I believe is from “Minuet”, the famous tune by the 17th Century composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, managed to wriggle its way into the song. Is this how they inject a touch of class into a rock song?

The fourth track, “? (qi, 7)” is yet another love song. In case you’re wondering why the song has such an interesting title, it’s because it revolves around the number 7. Set over a span of 7 years, the song’s main character is hurt 7 times by the same person, yet forgives him on each occasion. However, in the end she realises the sad truth that she despite giving the person all her love, she could only have 1/7 of his heart.

Breaking away from the monotony of love songs, comes the track “Liar”, which I have to warn you, contains violent lyrics, such as “I wanna bomp your head, I wanna cut your neck”.

But just when I thought that there weren’t any happy songs in this album, the girls proved me wrong. The last track overflows with cheer. So, “Hu-la-la, raise up both hands, practise being happy and give yourself some encouragement. Don’t give up, for who can forever remain as the number 1? Don’t be discouraged, use your own tempo and make huge strides.”

On a whole, while the lyrics are indeed interesting, one of the band’s weaknesses is Cha Cha’s voice. With the Mandopop scene as saturated as it is, her voice which is unspectacular at best, is probably considered unmemorable by many.

But judging by the songs, if you are seeking solace for a heartbreak or even feeling a tad vengeful, this album might be the right one for you.

Strangely enough, with all that violence, the album doesn’t even receive a parental advisory sticker. Guai guai indeed.

UrbanWire givesGoody-Goody 3 out of 5 stars.