My Le has a gorgeous high pitch and a touch of coarseness in her timbre, which has built up over the years. With the right tunes, she could soar. Unfortunately, she wastes too much time chasing that “Van Trang Dem Troi.” With her new release, Tinh, she takes on some standards that suit her voice.

My Le had an interesting interpretation of Trinh Cong Son’s music. Her version of “Ru Em Tung Ngon Xuan Nong” back in My Nhan Ngu stood out from the rest of sugary, forgettable pop tunes. On Tinh, two excellent numbers also came from Trinh’s repertoire. Her take on “Xin Cho Toi” is spellbinding thanks to the smokiness in her voice. She sounds rough on the surface, but sweet and emotional in the core. “Dau Chan Dia Dang” possesses the same sentimental rawness she brings to Trinh’s lyricism.

On Truong Sa’s “Mot Mai Em Di,” she sounds soulful but breathy. Weakest tracks are the cha-cha rendition of Nguyen Anh 9’s “Tinh Yeu Den Trong Gia Tu” and pop-ballad “Tinh.” The mechanical productions make her boring. Pham Duy’s “Tieng Dan Toi” would have been hypnotic if the arrangement is scaled down to just a simple acoustic guitar. The glossy beat reduces the emotion of the vocals.