The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1778 Leading the Madman
"From the beginning of 'illusory love' to the end of 'voyage', the emotions undergo a transformation and growth through melody, lyrics and singing, forming a perfect closed loop."

A journey of self-discovery, a return to one's original aspirations, a rebirth from the ashes.

Anson Wood is completely focused on himself, rediscovering himself amidst separation and pain, isolation and loneliness, and embarking on his life's journey once again.

Everything finally came to the moment of 'dawn'.

No wonder!
No wonder the album is named that way, no wonder 'Sunflower' wasn't officially included, but appeared as a hidden track.

'Sunflower' was like a beautiful accident, and also like a bright future. It could have been the next step in 'Sailing', but Anson refused. The album only stopped at 'Sailing', leaving the dawn conveyed by 'Sunflower' outside, quietly enjoying the tranquility of the blue moment before dawn.

If you imagine Anson's entire album as a midnight road trip, setting off in the dead of night and arriving at the sea at dawn, sitting quietly in the driver's seat as the sun bursts forth, the emotional threads of the songs can easily touch the softest part of your heart.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best albums of the year so far.

Not only is it complete and fluid, but it also oscillates seamlessly between the concealment and expression of emotions, while possessing a direct and impactful force. When the entire album is finished playing, the lingering emotions in your mind are layered and continuous, and you are already captivated before you even realize it.

Even within the context of the new millennium, 'Dawn Breaks' can still find its place at the pinnacle.

From the youthful exuberance of 'Midsummer Night', which relied entirely on intuition and talent, to Anson Wood, he demonstrates his growth and maturity as a creator, his understanding of music and creation, and the gradual formation of an artistic personality, which is the most commendable part.

Because this makes me start to look forward to Anson Wood's next move.

Praise.

Moreover, it's not just ordinary praise; it's fervent, passionate, and surging—the sheer volume of emotion can be felt even through the words themselves.

Of course, a perfect score of 100 is also a resounding testament to its quality, emerging unexpectedly as 2004 was drawing to a close and winning the title of best of the year.

"Rolling Stones," without reservation.

A small group of music lovers may not buy it, because Rolling Stone's authority has been declining in recent years. Gradually moving towards popular trends is not the core issue. It is disappointing but understandable and not all bad. The real disaster is the increasing amount of gossip news that is entertainment to the death, which has caused the magazine to lose its professional brand image. Even with 100% praise, it no longer has the impact and shock of earlier years.

Anyway, it's nothing new.

However, this time it's a little different; the Rolling Stones aren't the only one.

On the very first day of "Dawn Breaks" release, professional music critics flocked to it. At the time, "Midsummer Midnight" was released quietly and without fanfare. Warner Music did not send out albums to professional music critics in advance as usual, inviting them to listen, comment, and promote the album. But this time, "Dawn Breaks" received completely different treatment. Music critics were all eager to join the frenzy of early listening.

There's no doubt that Warner Music has shown its ambition. The first batch of reviews exploded, with a total of forty-seven reviews appearing, leaving readers overwhelmed and accolades pouring in one after another.

“Beautiful and sorrowful, light yet profound. Anson Wood reveals a touch of sincerity and vulnerability in ‘Breaking Dawn,’ allowing the audience to enter his world and cautiously peek into that mysterious and profound universe. Incredibly, he is indeed able to touch the softest part of the heart.”

"Pop. Rock. Folk. Jazz. Hip-hop. Anson Wood explores different elements and textures in this album, but there is no chaos or noise as expected. Instead, he finds inner strength and tranquility in the midst of the noise, like a gentle stream flowing through the jungle. He is creating his own artistic personality."

“Everything goes back to basics, and Anson Wood is trying to explore his own voice—he’s done a great job.”

"People may not agree, but in this album, I heard Anson Wood's ambition, an ambition to completely break away from the band August 31 and explore his own musical world, an ambition to find his own voice in different musical genres; but what is truly admirable is that he found the boiling point of chemical reaction in the collision of melody and lyrics."

"The beautiful and moving melodies are undoubtedly a major highlight. Anson Wood is really good at writing melodies. The collision of chords is always intoxicating. But what is truly captivating is the lyrics. The poetry and elegance that Anson Wood reveals between the lines give this album its soul."

"Ten songs, nearly forty minutes of wandering, Anson Wood found breathing room in the gap between the 'vase' label and the 'musical genius'."

“While everyone is talking about Anson Wood, he is searching for himself in fame, money, home, and memories. ‘Dawn’ is definitely more than just a solo album.”

"When 'Sunflower' pushed expectations to a whole new level, Anson Wood made a fearless turn, delivering an unrelated album and dropping a bombshell, quietly watching us panic. This was undoubtedly the most interesting and fun moment of 2004."

“‘Midsummer Midnight’ is a wild run, an outpouring and release of emotions; ‘Dawn Breaks’ is a wandering, a carefree drifting and wandering in one’s own thoughts. Anson Wood creates a completely different yet exceptionally real self in the world of music, making people want to explore more.”

"Best of the Year!"

Excellent, excellent, and excellent again.

One hundred points. Ninety-nine points. Another one hundred points. Another ninety-nine points.

Unanimously, with one voice, a full-blown outbreak.

The excitement is relentless, one wave after another, dominating social media. Simply browsing through the comments of these professional music critics has turned into a party, a brand new carnival, with adrenaline constantly surging. People can't believe their eyes and can't help but marvel at the endless frenzy.

The collective enthusiasm of those professional music critics may stem from slightly different perspectives and feelings, but this is precisely the charm of music and art. Just as there are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand people, the music leaves echoes and feedback for each listener, awaiting the collision of art and soul. This moment also becomes an important moment for the collective to witness the occurrence of art.

The highest score was 100 points, and the lowest score was 98 points. Professional music critics reached a high degree of consensus, with little difference between them. However, compared to these cold, hard numbers, the words behind the scores were the real, warm communication, like a conversation between music critics and Anson on different channels.

Ultimately, "Dawn Breaks" received a media score of 99, just one point away from a perfect score, making it the highest-rated album of the year. It swept the market and even created a more frenzied and intense wave than "Midsummer Midnight," spreading its influence far and wide.

(End of this chapter)