Thanh Hà – Đến Bên Anh

Thanh Hà’s Đến Bên Anh is neither groundbreaking nor cohesive. Her delivery is straightforward and her song choice is all over the map. What makes the album enjoyable, however, is the productions.

Most of the arrangements come from Roland Casiquin Jr., her lover. Unlike Thúy Nga’s typical producers, Casiquin brings some fresh vibes to the table. The title track, for example, is groovy as hell with uptempo rhythm made up of energetic percussions, sweet keyboard comps, and slick guitar riffs. With “Anh Muốn Em Sống Sao” (Chi Dân), he wisely turns up the base drum to drown out Chi Dân’s cheeseball lyrics. Thanh Hà is also smart enough to make it less campy than drama queen Minh Tuyết.

Casiquin’s guitar chops and dance production skill are displayed on “Huyền Thoại Người Con Gái” (Lê Hựu Hà), but the best track on the album goes to Minh Hoàng. His string arrangement and bossa nova flavor make “Xóm Đêm” (Phạm Đình Chương) so damn hypnotizing. Thanh Hà’s alto is also so fine and sexy floating along the swaying rhythm. Although I don’t mind her youthful pop covers, I would rather hear her taking on the more mature level.