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After enjoying success with his solo debut "Dedicated to Love" last year, Peerapat "Be" Tenwong, former vocalist of funk-soul outfit Crescendo, recently emerged from the studio with a second album. With "Medium Rare", he's hoping there will be fewer comparisons to his work with Crescendo.

"Normally, the like or dislike comments come after a change, whether in style in genre," says the singer, at the album launch at Butter Butter, a pub behind the Esplanade on Ratchadaphisek Road.

"But I guess even this new album will suffer from comparisons. Fans will say they prefer the pop, soul and R&B sound on 'Dedicated to Love' to the songs on this one, which are heavier, with a greater rock influence. Old habits die hard and fans like things that are familiar."

Does he feel his fans are addicted to the slow song and ballads he performs so well and that seem to match his character?

"Perhaps, but only out of habit. Actually, I can sing both slow and fast songs equally as well. Like many singers, I use slow songs to emphasise emotions and draw the audience close before entertaining them with faster numbers," he says.

"Medium Rare" has an equal number of slow and fast tracks, among them the fist single "Mai Luea Arai Ja Sia" featuring The Begins. "Phom Kreng Jai" is the second cut.

"Half and half seems a good balance and, in any case, it's based on what I've learned from playing at pubs and concerts over the past year," he says. "I discovered that the first album didn't respond to what everyone wanted. To add zest to my shows, I was performing covers or my own songs rearranged as more upbeat versions."

Be took six months to record the new album. The vocals were recorded at Dynamic, the stage at LoveIs, with the keyboards and Hammond B3 sampling added at Apartment Khunpa's Sexy Pink studio.

"I love the '80s rock of Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Queen and Michael Jackson," he says. "The fastest tracks on the album are 'Phom Kreng Jai', which is '80s rock with a disco beat, and 'Change', an American southern rock number with guitar chords by Oat of Street Funk Rollers. I also had help by Soe of ETC on piano and Khlui, also of ETC, on Hammond organ."

Girlfriend Lina Leenutpong wrote "Phroh Ther Rak Chan", "Khao Khong Khruang Chai" and co-wrote "Chanuan" with Be.

"Also, I got 'Mai Mee Arai Ja Sia' from Phi Boyd [Kosiyabong]. He said it suited for my voice. The Begins' Tong wrote the music and I arranged the original R&B sound to be more rock and soul," says Be, who also produced his album.

So why the title "Medium Rare"?

"At first, it was going to be 'Dedicated to Life', which is a play on 'Dedicated to Love'. I came up with the name while we were out for dinner. To me, 'Medium Rare' is between done like R&B and raw like rock.