If you were won over by the beautiful voice behind the theme song of local movie 881 “Yi Ren Yi Ban/One Half” you’ve reason to rejoice because he‘s released his self-composed debut album Although I’m Willing.

Although I’m Willing by Malaysian singer Wu Jiahui contains 10 songs, 7 of which are self-composed. In addition, there’s a bonus DVD of 3 music videos and behind-the-scenes footage.

While the majority of the tracks are love ballads, he has strayed out of the genre as evident in a few of his tracks, such as “Hungry”, “Hear! Hear!” and “Fairy Tale Fool”. This is a double-edged sword of balancing proof of some versatility and a clear message of what one is good at. To be fair, this need to try and please more people is a fault many Chinese artistes are guilty of.

His mellow vocals are very pleasant with a slight melancholic quality to it, which vaguely remind you of his countryman Rynn Lim Yu Zhong. The musical arrangements of most of the tracks are uncomplicated, with a strong emphasis on guitars, which makes them an easy listen.

The title track starts pretty soft, but takes off very nicely. He handled the song well, with his voice occasionally breaking into slight falsettos. This track should easily make it to the charts with its soothing melody and heart-breaking lyrics.

The softly strummed guitars in “No Home To Return To”, coupled with harmonica put you completely at ease. This track tailored for him by local renowned music producers Xiao Han and Eric Ng highlights Jiahui’s clean and bright vocals beautifully. Going beyond your typical soppy love ballad, this song talks about not having a place to return to, as the title suggests. With touching lyrics, this song has the potential to be the best track in the album, if not for its abrupt ending.

Instead, that honour goes to “Empty Space” because not many artistes these days successfully bring out the emotion in the song with their mere vocal prowess. You find yourself singing along with him, given the infectious beat and catchy melody, despite the depressing topic of the song.

“Fairy Tale Fool” makes a nice break from the rest of the tracks with stronger beats (which is lacking of in most of the other tracks) and a slight touch of rock to it. You can tell he’s definitely having a good time in this song, with him belting out the lyrics with confidence and keeping his groove steady throughout the song.

The one weak link in the album is “Distance” where he mumbles his way through the beginning as if he was struggling to reach the notes, possibly because the song isn’t within his comfortable vocal range. This results in his voice being overwhelmed by the music. The song’s lyrics are a bit repetitive as well.

Lack of good looks notwithstanding (look at Ocean Ou De Yang after he showed himself?), he has a lot of untapped potential. His musical talent makes him a rare gem in today’s Mandopop industry.

UrbanWire gives Wu Jiahui – Although I’m Willing 4 out of 5 stars.