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Thao Nguyen's Trailblazing Talent Grows

Charlie Young | Down in Old Virginny | 02/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My daughter introduced me to Thao Nguyen's music with her first CD a couple of years ago and I am greatly impressed with the growth young Ms. Nguyen shows on this second fine collection of original songs. It's certainly aimed more at the generation of listeners who have made the "Juno" movie soundtrack a bestseller than at people my age, but I find Thao's music extremely personal and original, and the addition of more musicians and an obviously sympathetic producer make this disc a big step forward.



David Dye of Public Radio International's prestigious "World Cafe Live" broadcast sang the praises of Thao Nguyen and her band last week and music critic David Malitz of THE WASHINGTON POST recently wrote that "a refreshing vibrancy permeates Thao Nguyen's splendid sophomore album." My only complaint personally is that the total time of the disc is a bit short, so maybe next time around Ms. Nguyen and her band can relax a bit and stretch out the songs to add a few minutes.



On the other hand, her "less is more" approach works well with a fragile, spare delivery that draws the listener nearer. The songs not only benefit from repeated listenings, they demand as much."

Stung

Ned Huthmacher | Hill Country, Texas | 06/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ah, the power of YouTube. I was cruising the web a few months back and stumbled upon a video of Thao Nguyen singing her then most recent single, the hand-clapping, foot-stomping, beat-boxing BAG OF HAMMERS. I was pleasantly stung. So, after pulling up all of her other videos and giving them a listen, I bought the CD, WE BRAVE BEE STINGS AND ALL. Take my word, this is an album that you will want to listen to from beginning to end. From the opening chords of BEAT (HEALTH, LIFE AND FIRE), to the closing strains of WE GO, Thao's quirky, original voice, offbeat lyrics and bouncy, diversified melodies will grab your attention and keep it. Her Virginia based roots clearly show through her use of banjo, mandolin and other 'folk music' related instruments. People have labeled Thao an "indie-rock" artist. I have no idea what 'indie rock' means. Back in the 1960's we would've called this "folk-rock". But, like many of the great artists of that bygone era, it's dangerous to try and pigeon-hole Thao's style. There's a hint of rock, jazz, bluegrass, traditional folk, Asian undertones, pure Americana, rhythm and blues, Dixie-land jazz, punk and catchy-pop all folded into a recipe of fairly delectable sounds that come out of the musical oven as purely Thao.



On WE BRAVE BEE STING AND ALL, Thao gets fairly introspective and self-deprecating. This is an album, so Thao says, about growing up and owning up to past mistakes and the sins of omission. While it's unusual, at first, to hear downer lyrics coupled with upbeat melodies, in a way it is a healing process. If you can sing away your blues with upbeat melodies and come out of it whole, what's so bad about that?



In BEAT, (HEALTH, LIFE AND FIRE) and FEET ASLEEP, Thao sings about her parents. "Oh, how could they be liars?" Thao asks, alluding to her father who abandoned the family when Thao was only 12 years old. FEET ASLEEP is a song dedicated to Thao's mother who single-handedly raised the family by working in her laundry business from sunup to sundown without complaining. So in the song, Thao complains for her.



SWIMMING POOLS, probably the most talked about song on the album and its most recent single, is based upon one of Thao's true life experiences where Thao is exposed by some of her so-called 'friends' to witnessing the degradations of a wet tee-shirt contest. Says Thao: "It was spring break and my friends persuaded me to go to this beach town. I don't even like wearing a bathing suit. This was so depressing, total objectification. These incredibly drunk women walked down a runway and got sprayed, and the guys stood on a balcony and cheered or booed them off stage depending on how big their breasts are. The power dynamic was so unsettling." The song is an anthem for women who want to face up to and then change the way females are victimized by society so that future generations will not have to endure the same crap. "We brave bee sting and all," Thao sings, "and we don't dive, we cannonball, and we splash our eyes full of chemicals, just so there's none left for little girls."



It's been a long while since I've discovered a new artist that's worth listening to. And, in a time in music history when the generic sounds of AMERICAL IDOL winners are considered 'music', Thao Nguyen's offerings come across like a refreshing glass of water."

Great second album from Thao

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 04/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Thao Nguyen came pretty much out of nowhere with her 2006 debut album "Like the Linen" which was a pleasant introduction to her folk-rock type music. After endless touring now comes Thao's second album.



On "We Brave Bee Stings and All" (11 tracks, 33 min.) Thao and her excellent backing band The Get Down Stay Down expand on the sound of the debut album, with great result. Check out the opener "Beat (Health, Life and Fire)" and even better the second track "Bag of Hammers", which is just bouncy and beautiful. Many of the songs are short, Thao makes her musical (and lyrical) point, and moves on to the next. Other highlights include "Geography", "Fear and Convenience", the best track on the album (which reminds me of somehow of John Mayer's "Why Georgia") with revelatory lines like "My legs are on your bed so I do not think about her/but tell me/did he hurt you/in a new way?", and "Travel", but there really are no weak tracks on here. And at 33 min. this album clips by in no time, and you find yourself playing this again and again. A terrific album all around.



I had the chance to catch Thao and the Get Down Stay Down in concert last week, and they put on a great show, bringing a lot of the "We Brave Bee Stings" album. Thao was in a great mood, interacting with the crowd, just a terrific set. "We Brave Bee Stings and All" is a great album, and Thao is a talent to be watched."