Trinh Hoang Hai – Bien Hat

Nowadays young singers try to cover timeless songs, but with not much success. Trinh Hoang Hai is an elderly man who could almost do the justice to the classic tunes on his debut Bien Hat. Though lack in techniques and range, he has a raspy voice and an understated approach to ballads. Unfortunately, his use of vibratos killed his effortless delivery. On Tu Cong Phung’s “Mat Le Cho Nguoi” and Pham Duy’s “Thuyen Vien Xu,” he sings like a man in constipation trying to push and pull his way through. His rendition of Trinh Cong Son’s “Ru Em” and Anh Bang’s “Hoa Hoc Tro” are the only two tracks where he sounds less shaky. If he dropped the pulsating effect altogether, his flow would have been so natural.