From his bizarre attire to his eccentric musical approach, Nguyễn Đình Thanh Tâm has some resemblances of Tùng Dương. (Speaking of Tùng Dương, what the fuck has he been up to?). The opening track, “Lời Ru Tôi” (Dương Thụ), in Cánh Diều Lạc Phố is definitely a Tùng Dương’s inspiration. From his phrasing to his wordless singing to the mid-tempo, electric arrangement, Thanh Tâm is obviously under the influence of Sao Mai – Điểm Hẹn‘s past winner.

Whereas Tùng Dương is uncompromising, Thanh Tâm is much more accessible. His cover of “Ngẫu Hứng Phố” (Trần Tiến) and “Hòn Đá Trong Vườn Tôi” (Quốc Trung & Dương Thụ) are smart and refreshing. He was able to transform these well-known tunes into his own colorful, electric approach. He also does well with other styles like the rock-up “Cánh Diều Lạc Phố” (Lê Huy Trực) and the jazzy “Tôi Đọc Báo Công Cộng” (Nguyễn Duy Hùng). With the challenging “Tu Hú Kêu Lạc Mùa” (Nguyễn Vĩnh Tiến), however, he has yet to conquer the dead-slow tempo.

The special appearance of Thanh Hoa and Ngọc Khuê give the album a huge boost. Ngọc Khuê is once again mesmerizing on Nguyễn Vĩnh Tiến’s “Lên Chùa” without overpowering her partner. Cánh Diều Lạc Phố is a promising debut for a young star. Keep growing and moving forward, kiddo.

Ánh Tuyết’s new album, Duyên Kiếp, comes in two linguistic flavors: One in Northern accent and the other in Quảng’s enunciation. Yet, all of the ballads being covered are suitable for southern voices.

Ánh Tuyết is one of the few Vietnamese female singers with an incredibly high soprano tone, but she hardy uses her upper register in this album, which is a smart move. With jazz-tinged, classy arrangements, she breathes new life into Lam Phương’s title track and “Tình Bơ Vơ.” Her version of Duy Yên & Quốc Kỳ’s “Mưa Chiều Kỷ Niệm” is elegantly reflective.

On the north side, Ánh Tuyết gives bolero ballads, including “Đừng Nói Xa Nhau” (Châu Kỳ & Hồ Đình Phương), “Chiều Cuố Tuần” (Trúc Phương) and “Em Về Kẻo Trời Mưa” (Ngân Giang) an instant refresh. The effortlessness in her delivery and the intimate arrangements are the key elements in remaking these over-sentimental classics.

The Quảng’s side is quite fascinating. Although the arrangements stay the same, the accent changes the vibe a bit. I must admit the pronunciation is a bit strange at first, but it is growing on me upon several listens. If you want to experience this album, I highly recommend starting with the Quảng’s side first.

Tiếng Thu, a solo piano album from Vũ Hồng Khanh, is growing on me. Even though Hồng Khanh rarely improvises, his takes on Pham Duy’s unforgettable ballads are full of rich melodies and strong harmonies. Hồng Khanh’s lyrical playing in “Ngậm Ngùi” and “Thuyền Viễn Xứ” are instantly recognizable. His slow cadences on the left hand combined with the high, dramatic keys on the right makes “Đừng Bỏ Em Một Mình” so damn hauntingly beautiful.

While “Nha Trang Ngày Về” is gorgeously reflective, he should have left off the sound effects, which are a little distracting. And since the tune clocks in over eight minutes, I wish he branches off and improvises more. “Tiếng Đàn Tôi” is the only slightly uptempo piece. The tango rhythm is very sexy, but I keep waiting for him to swing it up a bit. Nevertheless this is a fine album for an intimate listening experience.

I rarely listen to Vietnamese instrumental albums simply because most of them seem to be recorded for restaurant’s background music. Occasionally there’s an exception, like the most recent Tiếng Sáo Thiên Thai, which is an elegant interpretation of Phạm Duy’s timeless classics from a nameless quartet: pianist Vũ Hồng Khanh, violinist Nguyễn Tạ Thiện, violist Bùi Anh Sơn and cellist Võ Đing Kuân.

Even though the quartet places heavy emphasis on Phạm Duy’s gorgeous melodies and hardly deviates from the written notes, it has dynamic moments of interaction. Vũ Hồng Khanh opens “Kỷ Niệm” with a short, classy intro before diving into the lovely melody. His solo is slow but full of confidence. Nguyễn Tạ Thiện joins in for a brief piano-violin duo. Half way into the tune, Nguyễn Tạ Thiện and Bùi Anh Sơn play in unison while Võ Đing Kuân anchors the beat. Together they painted a nostalgic picture. In “Nghìn Trùng Xa Cách,” Bùi Anh Sơn starts off the low notes on the viola and Nguyễn Tạ Thiện takes over on the high notes creating a magnificent contrast that suggests ocean apart. In “Chiều Về Trên Sông,” Nguyễn Tạ Thiện’s violin soars like songbird flying on the river in a melancholy evening.

Although the ten tracks on Tiếng Sáo Thiên Thai have been covered endless of times from countless singers, the wordless, instrumental versions, which have a wide range of tones, stand out on their own.

An album like Snakeoil from altoist and composer Tim Berne makes the modern jazz scene so damn intriguing. It’s inventive, unconventional and hauntingly hypnotizing. With the superb, engaging support of Matt Mitchell on piano, Oscar Noriega on clarinets and Ches Smith on drums, Tim Berne unveils the dissonant beauty in thought-provoking lyricism and angular melodic interaction. From the opening “Simple City” to closing “Spectacle,” this terrific set encourages closed attention for a rewarding listening experience.

In her debut, Our Version of Events, Emeli Sandé channels her soul into pop ballads with her clear, strong, pitch-perfect voice. Standout moments are when she effortlessly maneuvers her way around various breakbeats. “Heaven” brings back that good old, drum ’n’ bass vibe and “Maybe” sports a thumbing, electric backdrop that lets her tells straightforward story: “When we first moved in together / Couldn’t keep hands off each other / Now we’re lying back to back / And silence in the black.”

Carrying on the Coltrane’s legacy is a daunting responsibility. Yet Ravi Coltrane, the second son of John Coltrane, has proven that he has what it takes to do so on Spirit Fiction, his impressive Blue Note debut. Whether offering his own post-bop originals or reinterpreting Ornette Coleman’s “Check Out Time” or Paul Motian’s “Fantasm,” Ravi defines his artistic statement through clear, delicate and confident improvisations. From “Roads Cross” to “Cross Roads,” Ravi’s demonstrates the clever concept of interaction between tempo and pulse. The two bands, with pianist Geri in one and Luis Perdomo in the other, helped pushing Ravi into stepping up his game.

Unlike her exceptional Lênh Đênh Nhớ Phố, Giang Trang opted for a new sound on her follow-up Hạ Huyền. Still covering Trịnh Công Sơn’s music in her minimalist delivery, but she replaced the simple violin-guitar combo (Anh Tú and Anh Hoàng) for more complex quartet consisted of guitarist Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, flutist Sương Mai, cellist Lê Thanh Long and percussionist Trần Xuân Hòa.

While she gains more textures in the arrangements, she completely loses the interpersonal interaction with the instrumentations that made Lênh Đênh Nhớ Phố so damn intimate. On most tracks, particularly “Còn Tuổi Nào Cho Em” and “Như Chim Ưu Phiền,” she seems to be fighting with the flute. The percussion adds no rhythmic value to the arrangements. On “Như Chim Ưu Phiền,” the flute is indeed sounding like an annoying little bird keeps tweeting in her way making me wish I could slingshot that sucker.

Setting the flute as a main melodic accompaniment is the arranger’s biggest misstep for the album. Perhaps the only outstanding track on Hạ Huyền is “Vết Lăn Trầm.” With the flute and percussion out of her way, she delivers Trinh’s heartfelt lyrics like she lived it.

1. Thu Phương – Hà Nội và Tôi: Thu Phương crafted a concept album of her very own Hà Nội.
2. Giang Trang – Lênh Đênh Nhớ Phố: Giang Trang’s simplistic approach brings out the pure beauty of Trịnh Công Sơn’s music.
3. Thanh Thảo – Nonstop 2012: Bạc Trắng Tình Đời: Thanh Thảo and producer Bảo Lư pumped out one of the hottest club joints in 2012.
4. Thủy Tiên – Ra Đồng Giữa Ngọ: Thủy Tiên returns with a solid Trịnh Công Sơn’s songbook.
5. Quái Vật Tí Hon – Đường Về: A rock album filled with original, engaging storytelling.
6. MTV – Nếu Chỉ Sống Một Ngày: This album marks a tremendous growth for MTV group from being a banal pop-rock boy band to a matured, lyrical rock group.
7. Đức Tuấn & Vựa Lúa: A fun, youthful album with various experimental group singing.
8. Dzoãn Minh Vol.7 – Xa Vắng Người: A solid, romantic album focused on Ý Nhi’s music.
9. Lâm Thúy Vân – Bảy Năm Mối Tình Câm: A soulful, straightforward cover of standards from Lâm Thúy Vân.
10. Hiền Thục – 3:15 PM: This album demonstrates Hiền Thục’s commercial success.

T.I. is indeed a Trouble Man. He goes in and out of jail for all sort of misdemeanors including drugs and weapons. The good thing is that he always bounces back as he reminds us on “Who Want Some,” in which he boasts, “We’ve been through this how many time? Have you nigger forgot? I got locked up get out on top whether you like it or not.”

Yes, like it or not, T.I. remains one of the top emcees in the game. Straight hard tracks like “Trap Back Jumpin’,” “Go Get It” and “Addresses” are the proof that he’s still a dope lyricist underneath all that swaggers. He could kill it without the help of r & b hooks. Unfortunately, Trouble Man is filled with r & b crossovers from the guest appearances including R. Kelly, Pink, Cee-Lo Green and Akon, which turns the album into a big, soft, commercialized product.

“Ball,” a club joint with Lil’ Wayne, comes across like two misogynistic assholes bashing women. T.I. raps, “The club full of bad bitches and they came to play / OK it must be your hair cause it ain’t your face.” Then Lil’ Wayne adds, “Bitch shake it like a dog, hop like a frog, ride it like a horse / I throw that dick like darts.” Yet worse is when T.I. sings on “Cruisin’.” Auto-Tune makes him sound terrifying. Stick with rapping, hommie.