Album- Girl Who Got
Away
Artist- Dido
British singer-songwriter Dido garnered international
success way back in 1999 with the release of her debut record No Angel, and in
particular garnered attention for the stellar track and controversial ideology
of her and Eminem’s collaboration “Stan”. Since then Dido has continued to have
success, most recently with her work being nominated for an Oscar. This, her
fourth studio album, comes as a sort of comeback to the music industry and
presents a growth in sound, apparently. But is this really the album we want
from Dido, or is it perhaps the signal that she is no longer the bright music
star that she once truly was?
Track 1- No Freedom
Describe by Dido as not a relationship song but more about
love in general in all its forms, the opening number and lead single is one of
those songs that when it begins you can pretty much tell that it is a Dido
song, as it has that ethereal, folk energy and simple sound that she has really
cultivated. Here we find the singer speaking about this relationship which can
only exist in a loving state as long as there is freedom, whilst she can’t be
free without love at the same time. The tracks lyrical content is really nice
in its simplicity, with the verses having this storytelling quality, whilst the
chorus finds the singer just repeating the hook, changing it slightly for the
last line. The chorus has the potential to become annoying in terms of the repetition,
but vocally Dido brings her fragile and distinctive vocal that makes for a
warmth but vulnerable quality within the track. The vocal layering in the
chorus also makes for a catchy quality that will make you sing along in your
head, and you just get caught up in this chilled but quite deep spirit of the
track. The simple drum beat, strings and guitar melody in the production all
just combine to create a mellow sound that is both light enough to enjoy but
sad enough to get the emotion of the track to come through, and so this is
definitely a great opener to the record.
3.5/5
Track 2- Girl Who Got
Away
The album’s title track is definitely something that shows
that she is evolving as an artist in terms of the electronic base of the
production and the modern sound that she brings, whilst still maintaining that
sense of artistry that we really know her for. Lyrically the track is great and
it has that almost diary like quality, as if we are listening to Dido’s inner
thought. And she also really brings a relatable quality to the track in terms
of the wishful ideology that she employs, as she things about wishing for just
one day to be this other person, in the process suggesting that there is bad
things in her life and tapping into that thoroughly human condition of
vulnerability and daydreaming. Vocally the singer is really strong within the
track, building with every section and having a really nice tone, with the
rising of her voice towards the end of each song making for a really memorable
tune. The track has this subdued and dark undertone in the production, which
builds as the track plays out to be joined with this steady back beat and
electronic undertones that almost make the song seems like it is about to turn
into a proper club stomper, particularly in terms the velocity of the bridge,
which is really powerful.
4/5
Track 3- Let Us Move
On (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Kendrick Lamar is one of the rising stars of the hip hop
scene, and so it may seem a little weird at first to think that he has created
a track with Dido. But it’s not the first time she has made a tune with a
distinctive rapper, and so it is simple to believe that the track will work.
The song finds Dido in her typical sombre tone, and this track does have that
kind of “Stan” feel to it in energy. However lyrically this is more of a
hopeful message, focusing on the idea that life is short and so we should just
forget about the bad things, a message that sounds both universal in tone, but
also has this sense of Dido focusing upon a specific relationship. The subdued
quality of the track makes it a nice listen, and in keeping things between this
dark and hopeful place we can ignore the lyrical repetition that slightly
hinders the chorus. Lamar provides a strong rap section for the bridge that
gives a cool intensity to the track and complements the quite spiritual vocal
of Dido, who imbues the song with this sincere quality. The production is also
strong, drawing a line between the old, traditional Dido with the piano melody
and simple sound but also showing how she is evolving in terms of the hip hop
beats and the transitions between sections, which feel thoroughly modern.
3.5/5
Track 4- Blackbird
Dido up’s the tempo more with this track and offers some
nice diversity in terms of the overall sound of the track and the kind of sad
but almost bitter edge of the songs tone. Lyrically the track acts as this tale
of a bad relationship in which this guy seems to have changed and now Dido
feels that she can’t give her love anymore because she just gets pain in
return. With her heart being like a blackbird wanting to be free. Dido creates
a strong track in terms of how it has this potentially bitter side but really
just is based in fragility, which powerfully comes out in the smooth vocal
delivery, particularly with the key change of bridge that acts as that nice
emotional centre. The track’s production is strong in terms of its electronic
influences and swishing, dj rhythms mixed with potent strings and almost
melancholic melodies that combine for a simple yet powerful sound.
3.5/5
Track 5- End of Night
Album track number 5 and the record’s second single is definitely
one of the songs that have a modern feel attached to Dido’s typical delicate
vocal and sad message. And this is to be expected when the track was produced
by Greg Kurstin, a man who is one of the leading people in today’s music world
(he did co-write and produce Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” after all). Written
about a friend of Dido’s, the track finds the singer telling us of this
relationship with this person that was built upon bad qualities and potentially
lies, and now she feels nothing and juts wishes to celebrate, in this case the
end of the night. It’s a powerful metaphorical tone that is given substance by
the smoothness of the vocal performance and the use of vocal layering in and a
high key in the bridge to emphasise the passion, fragility and power of the
song, showing that the singer has firmly moved on. Production wise Kurstin
brings a nice simply electronic energy to the song with the bubbly electro
beats and the small synth notes that give a touch of light to the dark energy
of the track. The production is also strong in terms of giving this almost
dance energy to the song but still keeping in line with the stripped back tone
that we know Dido for, and so this is definitely a good musical collaboration.
3.5/5
Track 6- Sitting On
the Roof of the World
From that electronic energy of the previous track we are
transferred to a simpler, stripped back tone that finds Dido at her acoustic
best and sort of reminds you why the public found her really appealing in the
first place. Lyrically the track has this retrospective feel and once again has
that personal touch as if we are reading the singers diary, as she sings about
being in this great place in life after this journey, with the track having
substance perhaps through how the singer alludes to her husband, who helped
create the track. The lyrics have this kind of two fold quality, as at times we
can feel that she is happy in the place that she is in, but at others it seems
she feels uncomfortable. It’s this conflicting tone that highlights the power
but price of the lifestyle of a well-known singer and “star”, whilst also
emphasising how people who can ground you can make it all feel better. But the
great thing about the song is that Dido doesn’t have to make things obvious,
and instead allows us to take things in and get to grips with what she is
saying, thereby connecting with the track more. The singer has such a smooth
vocal tone that almost makes the song feel like a daydream, with the bridge
being powerful in terms of the layered tone that gives the track an almost
ethereal quality. She never needs to over sing and just keeps the song really
simple, all the while keeping us interested. And in terms of the production the
track is quite beautiful, with that simple guitar melody that feels very
delicate and sweet but also potentially sad at the same time and just adds to
the intriguing layers of the track.
4/5
Track 7- Love to
Blame
As the track changed in sound from the previous tracks, we
get another change here, which shows how Dido is really an interesting artist.
And this track has a very different, perhaps more alternative tone than the
previous track that feels a bit more laidback and also is much different
vocally. This is because her vocals are continually layered throughout the
track, and the key is much higher in certain sections, making for a nice
listen, although the layering is perhaps a little annoying. The track finds the
singer telling us about how you search for love and it can be a dangerous kind
of journey in which the only thing we can really blame our feelings on is love.
It is quite a cool lyrical concept that is hook driven and catchy, however the
lyrical content is perhaps a bit weak here as there is a little too much
repetition. However the singer definitely makes up for the lyrical content
through the sound of the track, with the production having a reggae groove that
gives a nice dance energy to the track (e.g. you can really sway back and forth
and get lost in the song a bit). The purely instrumental section between the
second and third minute of the track is also really cool, featuring a great use
of tins and horns to give a nice rhythm and getting you to love the track by
the end.
3.5/5
Track 8- Go Dreaming
Dido keeps the tempo on the same level and doesn’t indulge
in the simple level that we know she can do really well, but instead shows this
cool modern edge to her sound. This new level of Dido as an artist is brought
out prominently by the clattering energy of the production that is very catchy,
with the electronic sounds working well in the transitions between sections,
and the beats having a kind of acoustic feel that has this sense of Dido almost
just walking along a street and strumming various objects to create the sound,
which really brings us interest into the song. Vocally it is a little bit safe
in my opinion, but it still has enough of a light tone to appeal and feels like
the vocal is really attached to the lyrical message, in which Dido seems to
play this role of this woman who just wants to kind of let go.
3.5/5
Track 9- Happy New
Year
The title of this track has that potential to signal to you
that here we have a happy musical offering from the singer. Yet if you actually
listen to the track, this is far from what she gives us. Instead we are treated
to the quite down in love Dido that we have heard before. And this is perhaps
the downfall of the track. The lyrical content is strong, with Dido putting on
this performance of a fragile woman who cannot celebrate because her love is no
longer what it once was. Vocally the singer is strong, with her tone having
that breathless fragility that elevates a track like this. Production wise
things are kept simple with a nice back beat and smooth transition. But when it
all comes together, it feels like this is a track that Dido can easily produce,
and so whilst it is not a terrible song, it just doesn’t have that spark of
vibrancy and something new that other songs on the record have shown.
3/5
Track 10- Loveless
Hearts
Starting off with a stripped back tone that makes the vocal
performance a little more powerful and then building the electronic base, the
penultimate track is one in which Dido brings this sense of searching for
meaning. The lyrical content of the track seems to bring across this message of
the end of a relationship in which Dido is in quite a bad state and asks why
her world was created in such a nice way only to crumble down. It is a potent
subject matter that is given gravitas by the searching tone of the chorus with
its memorable lyrical content, and the sound of the track also builds with the
production in terms of the intensity of the electronic beats and the employment
of drum beats to allow for a climatic, quite heart-breaking finish. The only
bad thing about this track is the vocal performance, as although Dido brings
this sense of being fragile through her vocal tone, sometimes it feels a little
disjointed and more as if she is just complaining.
3/5
Track 11- Day Before
We Went to War
The final track is this potent sombre note that has a kind
of cinematic feel from the very beginning. The track opens with the sound of
rain falling and birds tweeting, before dying down and being replaced by
xylophone like electronic beats that are subdued and nice, being mixed with the
powerful use of strings within places. The production is really simple but
effective, and works powerfully well in terms of how it allows the vocal
performance of Dido to really shine. Dido brings a real delicacy to her vocals,
with the singing of the title being a poignant and pure moment within the song.
Lyrically this is a track that has a storytelling quality and shows the singing
focusing on quite mundane life in the verses and emphasising that something is
about to change soon, seemingly being that moment when you know the end of a
relationship is coming, and as a final track it works beautifully.
4/5
Final Review
I wouldn’t say that I was never a fan of Dido’s, but I
wouldn’t say that I have ever really followed her music closely. Yet in
listening to this album, I really think that Dido deserves her place in the
music world and still has something to give as an artist. Certain songs are a
little jarring vocally, and sometimes the record border on being to samey, but
otherwise this is an intriguing album that blend cool electronic notes with
powerful lyrics and a beautiful vocal tone that comes together for a cool
record, and the new modern sound of the singer is also great in terms of how it
straddles the line of dance floor but never goes into stereotypical, bland
territory. A worthy contender for one of the best albums of 2013.
7.5/10
Best Track- Sitting
On the Roof of the World
Worst Track- Loveless
Hearts
No comments:
Post a Comment