Like most marketable pop releases in Vietnam, Khánh Phương’s Nước Mắt Vì Sao Rơi is packed with catchy melodies, contagious hooks and chuckling lyrics. Just pick out any tune on the album and you can figure out the formula. The chorus on “Nếu Không Có Anh Ta” goes: “Nếu không có anh ta em có thấy buồn không? / Lúc trống vắng cô đơn hãy nhớ anh một lần.” Who wouldn’t get a giggle out of conversational lines like that?

But what makes Khánh Phương stands out is his charming, gruff voice combined with his carefree swagger in delivering the words. He’s a reminiscent of Tuấn Hưng in his “Tình Yêu Lung Linh” hey-days. (Tuấn Hưng sings like he had taken doses of Zolpidem nowadays.) Khanh Phuong, on the other hand, sounds energetic on a mid-tempo groove like “Lựa Chọn Một Hạnh Phúc” and so damn sincere on puppy-love, slow jams like “Đừng Hỏi Vì Sao,” particularly on the hook: “Lúc mới khi yêu sẽ buồn lúc mới khi yêu sẽ vui / Lúc mới khi yêu sẽ nhớ / Đến lúc con tim đổi thay chẳng biết được vì sao đổi thay / vẫn thương vẫn yêu vẫn nhớ nhưng nhớ thương chỉ trong vài giây.”

The album loses its strength when he gets too Chinese-sounding on “Người Ra Đi Vì Ai” and “Hãy Ra Đi Nếu Em Muốn.” Nevertheless Nước Mắt Vì Sao Rơi has its shining moments before fading away in the fast-changing pop scene.

The whole week, Stacey Kent was the only voice playing on my commute trips. She helped me relaxed in the morning and eased the traffic jam in the evening. After listening to each indivudual album, Hushabye Mountain, The Boy Next Door and In Love Again, I put all three on random and still loved every song she sings.

Ms. Kent has a very soothing voice with both angelic and child-like tone. She swings in perfect phrasing and she sings ballad in its purest emotion. She has the style of both Billie Holiday and Norah Jones rolled in one. Yet what makes me so addicted to her singing is the way she articulated each word. The clarity in her pronunciation is simply amazing. Each word is so crisp and effortless that she makes you pay attention to every intimate sound she makes. If she was to sing a dictionary, I would have still listened with undivided attention. I can’t wait to set my ears on her French record, Raconte-Moi, even though I only know a few French words.

Sophie Milman’s previous release, one of my personal favorites, Take Love Easy, proved that the twenty-something vocalist could swing, scat and seduce even within a straight jazz combo setting. Her recent release, In the Moonlight, added another layer of sophistication with the backing of luscious strings.

The first two tracks, “Do It Again” and “Oh Look at Me Now,” show once again that Ms. Milman still has the swag to swing gently. The third title track, however, displays not only her deep sensibility for bossa-nova rhythm, but also her sensual confidence with lush orchestration. Yet the sexiest track on the whole joint has to be her interpretation of “Ces Petits Riens.” Her flirtatious French-singing backed up by sensational Spanish arrangement is like Alizé blended with Patrón: sweet yet delicate, strong yet smooth. The guitar and accordion solos are like adding lime and fresh mint leaves to the mix. There goes my very own recipe for “Ces Petits Riens” cocktail inspired by Sophie Milman.

Although I prefer Ms. Milman’s straight swing and ballad translation over orchestral flourish, In the Moonlight is a perfect accompaniment for the cool autumn season. It’s definitely a romantic record.

Damn, Dam Vinh Hung hasn’t sound this good in years. Anh Con No Em is a return to his syrupy signature that once made him popular. Other than the title track, which is passable, and a pseudo-swing rendition of “Bien Can,” the album heads straight to trendy pop shop filled with ear-candy hooks and DVH knows the important of singing the hooks. On the rest of the tracks, particularly “Khong Con La Tre Dai” and “Loi Thoat Nao Cho Nhau,” DVH caresses the hooks, makes luscious love to the hooks and even married to the hooks. Unlike many of his previous releases, DHV knows how to control himself. Instead of belting out at the top of his lung, he gives the notes just enough force and power to let you feel his pain and soul. Sure, Anh Con No Em will be forgotten in the next six months, but right now it is on heavy rotation.

Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV is finally here and well-worth the wait. Weezy is still at the top of his game. His flows are impeccable and his punchlines are as vivid as ever. Tha Carter IV boasted an impressive guest list from Rick Ross, Drake, Nas, Jadakiss, Bun B to Cory Gunz, but Weezy is still in the spotlight. Because even when he rhymes at ease, his guest stars have to push themselves hard to keep up with him. Weezy has his way with the beats on highlights including “Blunt Blowin’,” “MegaMan,” “President Carter,” “John” (featuring Rick Ross) and “So Special” (featuring John Legend). “How to Love” is the weakest track on the album. Weezy needs to get off the Auto-Tune singing.

Ngoc Ha has a powerful voice for such a petite figure, but what makes her stands out is the versatility in her delivery. She could maneuver her way around traditional folks as effortless as pop standards. She even throws in some ballroom ballads every now and then just to prove that she can do it.

Her latest release, Mau Thoi Gian, is yet another album showing off her range and trying to cover all bases. The problem is that too many different flavors just slowing down the show. Mau Thoi Gian begins with an excellent version of Quoc Dung’s “Ru Toi Giac Mong,” courtesy of the semi-classical arrangement. The violin solo and the piano comping heightened Ngoc Ha’s vocals.

The second track fails flat comparing to the impressive opener. From the mechanical production to Ngoc Ha’s lack of personal interoperation, her cover of Lam Phuong’s “Cho Em Quen Tuoi Ngoc” is a huge letdown. The music arrangement gets worse on the third track, Thanh Trang’s “Duyen The.” It’s one of those Thuy Nga’s typical mass productions that could get you drowsy quickly.

On the fourth track, Pho Duc Phuong’s “Tren Dinh Phu Van,” the album takes a sharp turn to northern traditional folks. The arrangement here is a wonderful mix of old melodic strings and new electronic rhythm and spacious vibes. The fifth track takes yet another departure to a safe, constrained version of Nguyen Anh 9’s “Co Don.” The sixth track, Pham Manh Cuong’s “Thu Ca,” takes a dizzy route to the dance floor with the ballroom tango. Ngoc Ha even glides into Tung Duong’s territory with Luu Ha An’s “Con Co,” but she doesn’t have the chops to bend notes and mess around with the melodic lines like he does.

With that kind of a range Ngoc Ha could have crafted each experience with each album. I would love to hear a whole album of her interpretation of Pham Duy’s songbook or an entire work of folks flavor. Hell, I would even jam to her ballroom record if she cuts one. Let’s just hope that she gets it. Making an album requires more than just throwing a bunch of tunes together with various styles and arrangements.

Ha Pham who is new to me has a very nice vocal range. She can reach her contralto or flight with her soprano with ease, but listeners can’t hear that on her new album, Tinh Thu, until they get to the last two tracks. Although her rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Diem Xua” is very poignant, she only uses her low tone. Even on the semi-classical arrangement of Nguyen Anh 9’s “Co Don” that provides the space for her to grab the high notes, she chooses to go for a more soothing delivery.

The breakthrough moment is when she skip a whole octave on Phu Quang’s “Thuong Lam Toc Dai Oi.” She trades back and forth between her mezzo-soprano and soprano effortlessly, particularly in these two lines: “Em van am tham di ve dau de ta thuong lam / Yem rach con ngan duoc gio, tinh em dang do, yem nao che.” Her take on Duong Thu’s “Goi Anh” is astounding. The tune starts out soft then progresses into a powerhouse opera, which is not all that stunning if you’re familiar with the tune or if you have heard of Thanh Lam’s version. What makes the track brilliant is to hear how Ha Pham build her crescendo to the climax. Her soprano on operatic singing is quite compelling.

Because she saves the big surprise for last, you feel like the album is just getting started. If the album were to kick off with “Goi Anh,” the experience would have been a disappointment. Mad props to Tran Manh Hung, Hoai Sa and Vo Thien Thanh for the savory orchestration and arrangement.

Anh Tuyet has a superb soprano and she could hit a G6 with ease, but her alto is even more hypnotic. When she reaches a G3, her voice gets slightly raspy. In a double-disc Anh Tuyet Hat Trinh Cong Son, some of her mesmerizing interpretation of Trinh’s compositions are the jazz-inflected arrangements in the low register.

Using her alto tone, Anh Tuyet intoxicates “Phuc Am Buon” with a bluesy rendition. The saxman has done a marvelous job of accompanying behind her rather than in front of her. Likewise, the subtle sax phrases on “Xin Mat Troi Ngu Yen” enhance the vocals. The comping piano and heartfelt alto remind me of Khanh Ly’s pre-1975 records, particularly “Dau Chan Dia Dang.” The blues fits well with “Vet Lan Tram” and Anh Tuyet’s low tone is so damn soulful that I wish she stays in that range.

In “Hay Khoc Di Em,” she switches back to her soaring soprano, which is a bit above the comfort level. The semi-classical guitar work on “Nhu Canh Vac Bay” is pretty nice, but again her high pitch is a bit too much to bear. The good thing is that only a few tracks get the soprano treatment. “Xin Tra No Nguoi,” “Diem Xua,” “Uot Mi” and Tinh Xa” are sung in low range with simple arrangements. The results are intimate and personal. Trinh’s aficionado would be pleased with this double set. Anh Tuyet has done Trinh’s music the justice in both vocal delivery and music arrangement.

Let’s make it official. I am now a huge fan of Quang Dung. His new release, Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, moved me. Sure, he covered heart-breaking ballads throughout his career, but never as convincing as he does on this album. Each tune shows that the divorce has taken a deep impact on his life.

The key success of Tinh Bong Choc La Khong is its target audience. Quang Dung sings these eleven tracks to nobody but Jennifer Pham, his ex-wife. Right off the opening track, Pham Duy’s “Yeu La Chet Trong Long,” Quang Dung croons like a bird with a broken wing. He means every word when he phrases, “Du toi khong muon tin la het / Tinh yeu nhu la theo mua chet.” Damn, that is some painful shit.

In Tram Tu Thieng’s “Hoi Tiec,” Quang Dung sings and swallows his tears at the same time. He’s already showing his regrets about the split up. Quang Dung’s rendition of Dieu Huong’s “Noi Buon Con Lai,” puts Quoc Khanh’s fake drama to shame with his effortlessness. One can hear his sadness and honesty without being screamed at.

In “Cho Nguoi,” “Tram Nho Ngan Thuong” and “Nhu Giac Chim Bao,” Quang Dung delivers Lam Phuong’s songs with a strong connection, like he could feel what Lam Phuong had gone through with his divorce. Quang Dung’s song choices, including Dieu Huong’s title track and Do Le’s “Tinh Phu,” are so spot on that he has singlehandedly crafted a broken-marriage anthem. If your husband or wife has just left your ass, this album is for you. I am going to buy me an extra copy and lock it in a vault just in case I might need it later on. Hey, you never know.

Tinh Bong Choc La Khong, in my personal opinion, is Quang Dung’s best work to date and Jennifer is the one to thank. She deserves all the credits. In fact, the album cover should say something like, “Album concept inspired by Jennifer Pham.” If I were her right now, I would take him back after listening to this album. Who wouldn’t? Unless you’re a heartless bitch.

Out of the three Clifford Brown’s albums I possess, I revisit quite often his live recordings with Art Blakey and Max Roach for energetic hard bop drives. The Jazz ‘Round Midnight collection, on the other hand, is for after-hour relaxation. Whether accompanying a vocalist or soloing with an orchestra, Brownie’s clear, rich tone brings out the beauty of ballad. His heart-rending rendition of “Willow Weep for Me, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “(I don’t stand a) Ghost of a Chance” makes this set suitable for easy but soulful listening.