Thu Minh – I Do

Although Thu Minh’s new album is titled in English, seven of the ten tracks are Vietnamese. Not sure what she tries to prove, but her Vietnamese English doesn’t do the justice. She should have left the last three English tracks off the record.

I Do would have been a perfect ballad album because Thu Minh is a fantastic ballad singer. With her clear voice and big tone, she could make a popular tune her own. With the help of Duc Tuan, she gives Vo Thien Thanh’s “Uoc Gi” a powerful cover and her rendition is as good as if not superior than My Tam’s. Likewise, her version of Huy Tuan’s “Nhung Giac Mo Dai” is so gorgeously romantic.

On Van Phong’s “Giac Mo Mang Ten Minh, ” her voice is constraint to accommodate the jazzy groove, but she sounds best when she could move beyond control. The result is just stunning when she turns up her pitch a bit too high for comfort on the chorus of Nathan Lee and Chu Minh Ky’s “Pho Vang Anh.” I have to cover my ears whenever Bang Kieu pulls out a stunt like that, but not in her case. Her high pitch and shrill seem to work well on big, belt-out ballads.