Making The Old New

Nowadays young singers love to cover old tunes, yet they do more damage than good to the beloved ballads. To my surprise, Thy Dung who was unknown to me is not one of them. Her album, Xua, featured a dozen of refreshing reinterpretations including Nguyen Trung Cang’s “Da Khuc,” Le Uyen Phuong’s “Tinh Khuc Cho Em” (a delicious duet with Hien Thuc), Viet Anh’s “Khong Con Mua Thu,” and Trinh Cong Son’s “O Tro.” Switching between up-tempo jams and soul-soothing grooves, Thy Dung exhales a new plume of smoke into the standards with her weed-puffing timbre and slight-intoxicating flow. On the medley “Toi Yeu Cuoc Doi,” she comes out swinging and enjoying every single moment as if life only lasts sixty years. Life sure is short, but she seems to make the most out of it on this album.