Ho Ngoc Ha – Tim Lai Giac Mo

On her new release, Tim Lai Giac Mo, Ho Ngoc Ha sounds pretty damn relax for a pop star whose personal life has been caught into the media whirlwind. She delivers each track with such effortless as if she pays no mind to the media circus.

Being a mother could be the reason for the calmness in her. She is more focused and she doesn’t allow the noise breaks her concentration. Even on the heart-aching title track, she just eases back and lets the saxophone does the soaring. Unfortunately, the screeching sax tries to break your eardrum rather than your heart. On the pop-jazz “Tinh Yeu Cua Em,” the sax once again overpowers her raspy voice. Other than the crying sax sounds, the album stays consistent throughout.

Tim Lai Giac Mo is an easy-listening pop album. The opening track, penned herself, is light but catchy. The closing English track should have been dropped. In a live rendition of “Unchain Melody,” she told the audiences to pretend that they all drunk when she sings the tune. I took two shots of Jack Daniel’s and still couldn’t get past her stilted phrasing and mispronunciation.