Truc Lam and Truc Linh’s Con Duong Mau Xanh is a perfect example of how not to make old songs sound new. The Truc sisters try to give Ha Huyen Chi and Tran Trinh’s “Le Da” a fresh makeover with a mid-tempo production. They ended up taking the soul out of the tune. Likewise Do Le’s “Sang Ngang” gets an electric cover that sounds as flat as the sister’s ab. The good thing is that Do Le’s so-damn-depressing lyrics no longer make you want to kill yourself. The beat makes you want to dance instead. As a result, the song is not so miserable after all. The sisters also turned Lam Phuong’s “Thanh Pho Buon” into a happy city with the upbeat production.

One of the advantages of making these sentimental tunes into party jams is to mask the sister’s karaoke singing and limited range of less than an octave. The slow songs like Trinh Nam Son’s title track, Truong Sa’s “Xin Con Goi Ten Nhau” and Lam Phuong’s “Phuc Cuoi,” show that the sister’s are more suitable for baring their skin on videos than baring their soul in the songs. They understand the art of seduction much more than the art of interpretation.

Ho Trung Dung has a warm, charming voice, a tad too nice for my taste. In his new release, Hanh Phuc, Ho Trung Dung sings most of his own tunes. Like many Vietnamese singer-songwriters, he suffers the same symptoms: uninspired lyrics with lifeless melodies.

“Khi Nang Chua Day” is sentimental and romantic, but the rest of the tracks also carry similar pop-hook formula. The spotless, mechanical arrangements aren’t doing his clean, good-boy voice any favor either. His songs are so consistent that there are hardly any harmonic changes. “Doi Khi” and “Tinh Khong Muon Mang” stand out simply because he brought Thanh Ngoc and Ha Linh in for the duets.

“Never Too Late” is included at the end as if there’s a new rule that Vietnamese singers have to include an English track on their album. It’s not a bonus. It’s a bogus.

Mai Hoa has a husky contralto that is reminiscent of Le Thu without the pitch issues. In Duong Cam, she covers eight extremely well-known ballads like “Le Da,” “Thu Quyen Ru” and “Hoai Cam.” Mai Hoa brings nothing new to these tunes other than her distinctive voice. As a result, the album becomes boring and predictable by the third track. With such dark, hypnotic vocals, she could do much more than that such as turning these songs into soulful blues rendition.

Last year before Christmas, I was at Lang Van music store in Eden Center looking for some Vietnamese children DVDs for my son and overheard a guy who was at least my age or older eagerly asking the saleslady for Minh Tuyet’s latest album. With excitement, he told her that Minh Tuyet’s newest album should have been released on that day. He appeared to be disappointed when the lady told him that the album was not in store yet.

Over the weekend, my in-laws took a road trip to Foxwoods Casino. I played Minh Tuyet’s Xin Loi Anh in the car and my sister-in-law’s husband who came to the U.S. when he was two and could only understand limited Vietnamese commented on the title opening track, “It sounds like a perfect Chinese pop song.” In one sentence, he basically summed up Minh Tuyet’s collection of bubble gum duets that comes with many artificial flavors ranging from sour (Bang Kieu) to tender (Tran Thai Hoa) to everything in between. They complement well with Minh Tuyet’s sweetener vocals.

From the pure-Chinese “Du Am Tinh Ta” (featuring Trinh Lam) to bittersweet-ballad “Vi Ngot Doi Moi” (featuring The Son) to the over-sentimental “Bai Ca Ky Niem” (featuring Quang Le), Xin Loi Anh is the bubble gum du jour. The melodies are catchy and the story lines are shallow enough for everyone to get hooked. Minh Tuyet is indeed a bubble gum pop queen with a long-lasting flavor.

Pianist Vijay Iyer brings his solo chops to a variety of compositions ranging from Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Michael Jackson as well as his own. Solo kicks off with an elegant rendition of the King of Pop’s “Human Nature.” By taking an opposite direction Monk’s spacious approach, Iyer completely reworks “Epistrophe” with his blazing harmonization. With “Black & Tan Fantasy,” he stays close Ellington’s left-hand stride, but creates some soulful blues melodies with his right hand. “Patterns,” which starts off gentle then progresses into swells of notes, reveals Iyer’s very own compelling style. Solo, as a result, showcases both Iyer’s versatility and personality.

Guitarist Marc Ribot is a minimalist master. In Silent Movies, he makes every note counts. What causes his solo guitar so damn intoxicating is that he picks only the most telling notes and yet manages to squeeze tremendous emotion out of a single string at a time. The opening “Variation 1” and “Empty” are exemplary examples of Ribot’s spare technique. The setting is so closed and intimate that you get the feeling he is playing right in front of you in a dimmed room. From the striking, finger-picking rhythm on “Delancey Waltz” to the gorgeous, distorted glides on “Natalia In E-Bemol Major” to the beautiful ambient vibe on “Postcard From N.Y.,” Silent Movies is a must-listen if you’re in the mood for some pure, atmospheric, melodic and cinematic soundscapes.

“I’m 74 years young, there’s nothing I haven’t done,” blues legend Buddy Guy begins on the opening track of Living Proof before he rips through a frantic, attacking guitar solo that sounds like he’s 21. While “Thank Me Someday” brings back his childhood memory when he drove his family insane with his guitar playing, “Stay Around A Little Longer” displays a soulful duet with B.B. King. Carlos Santana also shows up on “Where The Blues Begins” for some Latin flavor. With a hell of a voice backing by some mean guitar riffs, Mr. Guy is indeed a Living Proof for a bluesman.

Norah Jones sure gets around. Who could resist that soulful, sensual voice of her? Even musicians want a piece of Norah Jones. A compilation of 18 tracks …Featuring Norah Jones showcases her collaborations with a wide range of artists from jazz to country to blues to hip-hop. Whether trading bars with Willie Nelson on “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” supporting Q-Tip on “Life is Better,” “Creepin’ In” with Dolly Parton, mourning next to Ryan Adams on “Dear John,” or “Taking Off [Her] Cool” with André 3000, Norah Jones remains at ease, which allows her smoky timbre to lend its way into the duets. Throughout Featuring, what makes Norah Jones a great partner is that she stands out and blends in at the same time.

The Romantic Kelly finally reveals in Love Letter. On the soulful “When a Woman Loves,” R. Kelly pours his heart out as if he recognizes the power of love and not just sex. R. Kelly has been known for his use of in-your-face sexual metaphors in the past, but on the string-ladden “Music Must Be a Lady,” his choice of comparisons are much more elegant: “Music, hello sweet soprano, Miss Music / I want you to meet Mister Tenor.” R. Kelly pays tribute to Michael Jackson with a heartfelt rendition of “You Are Not Alone,” a phenomenal hit he wrote for MJ in 1995. With sweet, sensual, sentimental ballads, Love Letter takes a break from R. Kelly’s freaky business to bring listeners back to the great old souls like Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke and Frankie Lymon.

Before T.I. could release King Uncaged, he was caged again for another eleven months on a parole violation. Although the album has been changed to No Mercy, some of his deep thoughts are about redemption. On “Get Back Up,” he offers his “apologies to [his] fans and [his] closest friends / I’m sorry for letting you down, I won’t take you down this road again.” As much as he tries to sound sincere, the track turns out to be irrelevant for the obvious reason: T.I. has done some dumb shit again.

No Mercy offers some softer sides of T.I., but with half-assed delivery. He is at his best when he talks shit. He rips through “I Can’t Help It” with his virtuosic swag about getting money. “Amazing” is a compelling track that laced with some of the most pornographic rhymes ever: “Turn her to a dick monster, nut muncher / sperm cum dumpster, left amongst her / Bitches in the past, pretty titties, plenty ass / they just drink up what we give them / Take shots without any glass / fuck her in the face till it fall off her till she gas, gas, gas.” Sure, his misogynistic lyricisms sound so wrong on many levels, but his flow is just too damn incredible.