A woman in a black jacket.

Dido – Girl Who Got Away (Album review)

Comments(0)

January 7, 2014

Born Christmas day 1971, British Pop singer Dido has been a household name since the late nineties. Her debut album, No Angel (1999) gradually became a worldwide success nearly 2 years after its release in the USA. Like any fine piece of art, appreciation occurs over time and No Angel became the top-selling album of 2001 spawning 4 Top 25 hits, including “Here With Me”, “Thank You”, “Hunter”, and “All You Want”. Dido’s second album Life for Rent (2003) included tracks such as “Life For Rent”, “Sand In My Shoes”, and “Don’t Leave Home” and hit number 1 in the charts in many countries. Taking a 5 year break, Dido released Safe Trip Home (2008) which also had major success. Looking to change things up a bit, Dido announced shortly after the release of her third album that she would be taking things in a different direction on her next release. Five years in the making, the much-anticipated new album entitled Girl Who Got Away came to light in 2013.

The album opens with the single “No Freedom”, which had a moderate tempo reminiscent of Dido’s earlier material. Complimented by a gentle guitar and Dido’s trademark voice, the song prepares you for a different listening experience from here forward. This song prepares you for Dido’s new experimental electronic venture. On the album title track, “Girl Who Got Away”, you’re hit with a different poppy melody and techno beat sound. The track is bright and gives the listeners a glimpse into Dido’s new style with electronic elements. This style continues through the next few tracks on the album including the single “Let Us Move On,” featuring vocals by hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar. On the track “Black Bird”, a fast paced electronic beat accompanies soft delicate singing and a violin solo which lingers in your ear, while pleasantly drawing you in. Next on the single, “End of Night”, you feel a dance club vibe, with a repetitive techno tempo and a light electric sound. It’s not something you would expect from Dido, but clearly a bold move and tastefully done.

A gentle piano ballad encompasses “Sitting On The Roof Of The World”, which is a powerful and yearning song driven by Dido’s smooth and strong voice. It’s a ballad that seems to emulate her older sound but with a fresh new take. Digging deeper, the song “Love To Blame” has breathy and emotional vocals with a variety of electronic sounds making for a funky and trippy melody. This song is another sampling of Dido’s experimental venture into a new genre. Dido pushes the envelope on the flamboyant and hypnotic dance song “Go Dreaming”, with a trance like beat which is something vastly different from she’s ever done.

Keeping balance between old and new, “Happy New Year” brings you memories of “Here With Me”, consisting of a simple beat, complex vocals, and melancholy lyrics. “Loveless Hearts” is a track that mixes Dido’s old style with fresh new techno beats. Her bright, syrupy voice compliments and completes the melody. It is a potent final taste of her electronic experimentation before closing the album out with “The Day Before We Went to War”. On this closing a gentle piano melody introduces the gentle mournful voice of Dido. It’s a powerful tender ballad that concludes the album on a memorable and poignant note.

Girl Who Got Away is not what you would normally expect to hear from Dido. Regardless of expectations, the album is a powerful and passionate listen. Dido has proven that she can challenge herself as an artist, dabbling in new electronic sound without compromising her unique style. While some may scratch their heads upon first listen of Girl Who Got Away, the album is a quirky fun listen that is sure to grow as a fan favorite. CrypticRock give this album 5 out of 5 stars.