Thanh Lam – Noi Binh Yen

Thanh Lam and Le Minh Son reunite once again on a new release, Noi Binh Yen. Thanks goodness that Thanh Lam has toned her vibrato down a notch. The first two tracks, Le Minh Son’s “Noi Binh Yen” and “Em Yeu Anh,” are the proofs. Over the soothing semi-classical arrangements, she delivered each song in a relaxed, laid-back approach.

Even though she whipped up her pipe on the classical-pop “Goc Nho Rieng Em,” she did it just about right to bring out the emotion of the tune. The smartest move she made was abandoning her operatic screaming. On Nguyen Vinh Tien’s “A Nho Anh,” she recruited an opera vocalist to do the soprano soaring for her and Bich Thuy has done a damn fine job of wrapping her ghostly voice around Thanh Lam’s smoky timbre. Unlike Bich Thuy’s opposite attraction, Tung Duong is a perfect match for Thanh Lam. Their duet on Le Minh Son’s “Buon” is simply luscious and Trung Dong’s seductive trumpet added a sensational sadness to the jazz flavor.

Thanh Lam sounds most sincere on “May Trua Da Ngu.” Through Duong Thu’s lovely lyrics and Duc Tan’s delicious piano playing, she gives us a glimpse into the heart and soul of Thanh Lam as a mother. Glad to see Thanh Lam got over her dramatic hump. Noi Binh Yen is an indispensable comeback since Nang Len.