It's no surprise that Zhao Lei's music is known for its compelling emotional resonance—the singer/songwriter drew on his own experiences as a busker wandering across the country for inspiration. The Beijing native's un-burnished vocals are accompanied by acoustic guitar, with haunting melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics painting bittersweet pictures. Deftly blending various genres into a folk foundation, Zhao's lyrical arrangements offer slow, tumbling pop-rock drums, twangy banjo and intrepid moments of harmonica, piano, lively strings and more.