Day 23: Diễm Xưa by Ngoc Lan // 7.5

-
Image result for diem xua ngoc langenre: soft rock
drink: chicken noodle soup
A byproduct of my search in Vietnamese metal led me to what is generally considered to be the ultimate Vietnamese love song.

 Actually, Ngoc Lan is one of my favorite Viet artists too. Popular in the 80's (just look at her hair), her voice is iconic and classic within her domain of influence.

 Again, you might have to develop an ear for the way people sing in Vietnamese. It can be, in short, off-putting. Moreover, you'll have to bear with the predominant synths throughout the piece. Undoubtedly, this sound was popular (and still is, quite frankly). 

 What I really want to say about his piece is that it was originally written by one of the more famed Vietnamese composers from the 70's. His lyrics are incredibly poetic within the context of the Vietnamese language, and are incredibly hard to translate and preserve the meaning due to the incredible amount of metaphors. Nonetheless, I find the beauty in the song to be in the lyrics and the particular emotions of the singer. 

Rating: 7.5/10


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 311: holy terrain by FKA twigs // 4

-
Image
GENRE: electronic I regarded FKA Twigs  as a more experimental electronic, modern artist. Today's song feels quite grounded in conventional techniques. Nothing stands out to me as groundbreaking or pushing the boundaries of the genre. I did not expect someone else to be featured on this album either. Unfortunately it doesn't add up to much on the album. In the best case scenario, it adds to the already plain and monotonous sound. Rating: 4/10
Read more

Day 309: White Gloves by Khruangbin // 5

-
Image
GENRE: indie I can't quite my finger on why I find this three-piece so alluring. They've got a style to them that evokes a carefree sensibility. That much can be seen in their song, White Gloves . Apparently it's part their first album to feature vocals, and it's a welcome addition to the canvas. No one instrument stands out any farther and more unique than the others. Each instrument is featured and mixed pretty evenly, giving me a sense of noiselessness and soothing comfort. However, I think part of that plays against their favor. It plays more like a lo-fi ditty than a fully realized song. At about 3 and a half minutes, I would expect a bit more to be fleshed out. Rating: 5/10
Read more