Xuan Nguyen is from Dallas, but that bored her. So she went back to her parents's homeland (Vietnam), and proceeded to wander around. At some point, she started writing songs. And then she met up with producer Salim Nourallah, and the results are electric.

XUAN Have Some Fun (Palo Santo)

The music is perky and twisty, a delicious and slippery pop-esque confection. Xuan's vocals are precise and yet warm. She is at once removed and inviting. These disparate feels inform the whole album, and the effect leaves a listener a bit off-kilter.

Not the normal pop confection, and Have Some Fun is all the better for that. These songs aren't smooth, and they don't travel in the expected directions. I particularly like when the music and vocals change tack at slightly different times--I'm sure this is calculated, but it feels stylishly organic.

Probably too . . . something (weird, off-beat) to really prick the ears of the pop kids, this album is perfect for those of us who prefer more meat. Xuan's travels have served her well. Let's hope she has a lot more left in the tank.

Jon Worley