MV : "Petch nai jai ter" by Namfon Patcharin

Nice melody though the singing is a bit weedy, still a decent song.

CD : Kumwarn Weerawech คำหวาน วีรเวศร์ - warn kung warn

The best way to sum up this album would be to call it a lukthung chill out album. Its very relaxing and slow paced music. Its beautifully sung and accompanied like on the opening track "Nokkamin" with it's sweeping strings. Most artists have taken pop and rock influences to fuse with the base lukthung root to create their music, Kumwarn has gone down the classical music and 60s cocktail music route and the result can be very enjoyable like on "Bua karng bueng" with it's strings and xylophone. Its lukthung to listen to in a poolside bar with a martini, dressed as James Bond.

"Dok mai klai mue" and the following tracks cover the same territory, it does became a big samey but the music is so well done. Its an album to put on in the background and let it wash over you. After a while it does tend to drag a bit but in small-ish doses this is a really good album and certainly very different to most other artists at the moment. Need to calm down, this will do the job.

Rating: 8.2/10

Favourite songs : Bua karng bueng, Nokkamin

MV : "Khoop kun thoo tii hai jai" by Got & Tai Orratai ต่าย อรทัย

Some time since we had a duet. Lets try this one.

MV : "Dork mai rim tarng" by Bua Bunchitar บัว บัณชิตา

Really enjoying Bua's second album, this is one of the better songs over the last couple of months.

CD : Thoo Daranee - bor aow... khon kee ju

Thoo Daranee's album is straight forward lukthung, no pretensions to rock or pop or even classical just good old lukthung. Of course this means its not that original. "Sao kern" which opens the album is a case in point, a good fast paced track with some guitar picking and pretty good vocals driving it along. Good little song but not something you haven't heard 100s of times before and often better too (though often a lot worse too!)

Thoo Daranee's vocals are good enough, better than adequate but again do not stand out. The title track "Bor aow khon kee ju" is quite interesting though with some variations in tone and is driven along with exuberance. "Suam kao" has some nice organ but again travels down well worn tracks. "Jarng mun ter" does have an intriguing intro sequence though that sounds like 1970s prog rock.

So its not original but thats not the point. Does it sound good, yes. Can it pass the time, yes. Will it sound great blasting out of a passing taxi's stereo? Oh yes. None of the tracks are what you could call bad and none are exceptional. Its just a pretty good lukthung album.

Rating : 7.5/10

Favourite songs : Suam kao, Sao kern

MV : "Leh lom luang" by Pure Pure เพียวเพียว

I gave her album a very good review and here is why, excellent song and excellent singing!

MV : "Yak mee ter pen fan" by Pai Pongsatorn ไผ่ พงศธร

Haven't had a male singer for a bit, i like this song and spot the MVs inside the MV.

CD : Pure Pure - kong len pood dai

I didn't enjoy Pure Pure's debut last year, i won't say i hated it but it was pretty forgettable. Her singing wasn't bad, even good at times but i couldn't engage with any of the songs. I decided to give her second album a go though and i am glad i did. "Tung jai ma lhork" starts proceedings off and is a terrific start to the album, a mid-paced ballad of a song with great singing, melody and instrumentation. Easily better than her entire previous album on it's own.

Did she just get lucky with that track though? No, "Leh lom luang" is another slow paced song which starts off with some lonesome bluesy guitar before another great melody. If anything its even better than the first song, Pure's vocals scorching through the music with real bite. "Koi" ups the pace a bit, only a bit and is another well sung country song with tasty guitar chords and another good melody.

"Khon kee ai" and "Kong len tee pood dai" keep the good music coming, the later with Pure's vocals cutting through a flute enhanced background. Its not all good, some of the later songs pick up the pace like on "Jeb eak tee ja dee mai" which is a decent fast lukthung song but Pure's vocals seem more suited to the slower songs where she can add to an atmospheric backing and then cut through with a killer chorus. So here we have it, a brilliant album. I'm so glad i gave her a second chance but i now need to check out last year's one again, maybe it wasn't that bad after all?

Rating : 8.9/10

Favourite songs : Leh lom luang, Tung jai ma lhork

MV : "Chao Nai Tee Hug" by Kat Rattikarn แคท รัตกาล

Off Kat's current album. Its a nice album, i like it a lot more than the previous two which i thought were a bit bland.

MV : "Ruk kon mee fan" by A Zeer เอเซียร์

New RS duo, their album is just out. Of course i will get it!