Sweet, saucy, and irresistibly tangy, instrumental pop act Ginger Beef more than lives up to its culinary namesake. The duo of flautist Jiajia Li and multi-instrumentalist MSG (Li’s husband, Warren Tse) produce candied pop bliss from unlikely elements. Funky slap bass and ’80s synths, sure, but also nods to Dutch novelty prog and traditional Chinese melodies. It’s unpredictable, intricate stuff, but more importantly, it’s a blast — sophisticated and silly in equal measures, not to mention absurdly energetic.

The same can be said for the philosophy behind the project. Ginger Beef is serious about having fun, challenging themselves to connect with crowds without relying on the crutch of vocals. Not that you notice the absence — Li’s flute is more than capable of speaking for itself, launching into feats of acrobatic dexterity without ever losing sight of the melody. Combined with the sheer glee of MSG’s production and a murderer’s row of talented guest instrumentalists, vocals would just be overkill.

It's like MSG says: “if evoking emotion is the goal of music, then lyrics are cheating.” It’s a hot take, sure, but sometimes a bit of spice is exactly what it takes to bring a dish together.

— Peter Hemminger