Sinister: she's oozing shit (New Album Review)

[kenneth.chu at xxx.org]

Dido - Life for Rent 6.3/10
Release Date: September 30th, 2003
Review Date: October 6th, 2003
Reviewer: James Laczkowski	

Confession. I like Dido. I don't know why a guy like me should be shamefaced
about owning her last record, No Angel. Sure, it's sandwiched in my CD
collection in between Black Sabbath and Fugazi, but there's nothing wrong
with diversity, damn it! Especially when you're a music devotee like me. I
also have no qualms with having mutual respect for the lyrics of both Joni
Mitchell and Marilyn Manson. I just want to make that clear to all those who
may question my wide range of taste in music. For some reason, Dido is
pleasing to these ears.

I liked her latest record, No Angel, the same way I like a cold Coca-Cola on
a warm summer day. Part of me does become conscious of the fact that I'm
essentially drinking sugar water, devoid of any nutritional value
whatsoever, but I enjoy the taste. Both of Dido's records serve as terrific
background music for hanging out on the porch or at the local coffeehouse.
Granted, I'm not a big proponent of "background" filler. All great art
demands your attention and moves you in mysterious ways. Dido doesn't do
that, but at the same time, I never shriek in terror whenever I hear one of
her songs. Like Pink, she's a "guilty" pleasure for me. It's nothing that
really jumps out at you, but it never annoys or interrupts the evening, but
instead, complements it quite nicely.

Dido never wails. She sounds as if she's trapped in a dreamscape; drifting
effortlessly over the horizon. She's no Janis, but her voice suits the style
quite nicely. The first two sounds that merge on the new album are that of a
Moog-style synth orchestra that quickly bleeds into real violins that set
the tone. It's a lovely amalgam of both the real and the synthesized. Dido
builds her niche in that sound and by not evolving; it all blends together
in what's essentially a continuation of the No Angel style of songwriting. 

The same lyrical profile takes shape with the subject of love being both
inescapable, as well as in question, and finally, in jeopardy for the
singer. But as unenergetic as she can sound, she still sings from the heart
and not her wallet. In other words, she keeps the content and the romantic
structure simple, and it works, especially in the hidden track that features
the familiar acoustic strum in the key of D. No one expects the woman to
reinvent herself, but of course detractors will continue to flame her for
being "bland" or "boring." I beg to differ. She is relaxing without being
invigorating. She doesn't make you want to rock out, because every track is
consistently (and unfortunately) mid-tempo. The trip-hop ambiance full of
floaty phaser keyboard with groovebox beats play themselves out over time.
Beth Orton, however, has perfected that genre a little bit better and more
audaciously than Dido.

Still, her honesty keeps the music pure despite the obvious redundancy
throughout. It's clear that she's striving to prevail, with more hit singles
because some tracks sound too much like "Here With Me" and "Thank You," two
songs that I enjoyed even if they were overplayed. The best tracks like the
confessional "Who Makes You Feel" make her sound invitingly sensual, and the
relentless melody of both "Don't Leave Home" and "Sand In My Shoes" force
their way into your head and take up residence. 
Life For rent is, to put it simplistically, appealing and pleasant. It's
well-produced and immaculately polished without ever really sounding
spectacular or new. In other words, you know what to expect when you pick up
a Dido record. I think if she were to branch out beyond the trip-hop
conventions and lean more towards the acoustic appeal of her hidden track,
then she very well might prevail over time as a stronger recording artist
instead of a two-hit wonder. Whether you're a fan or not, there's no denying
the sincerity in her voice when she's singing a line like "The closer you
get/the better I feel/the closer you are/the more I see." There's nothing
wrong with accessible plain-sounding FM pop when it's done honestly and with
a sense of purity. Dido may tread familiar waters, but the weather is nice
all-around.

- James Laczkowski jim at music-critic.ca




----------



As I sat on the fading sunset of a December evening, i felt a lot of pain
rising from below, however, the pain eased as the sunset continued to fade
and the heat is sucked dry by the cold breeze of the Winter night.  Now the
sky is darkened, there are no stars, and my loneliness is reflected on the
vast black wall of silence.  That is, before the silence was broken, by the
sound of the handbrake of a car, i could see from the distance it was the
girl i used to love, and another man, talking, she looked impressed.  I
guess he must be talking about indie bands, she is impressed by indie bands,
even if they're boring as hell.

His music knowledge couldn't have been that vast though as soon afterwards
there was no more talking, and i felt even more alone.  I turned back
towards the sky, no longer silent, disturbed by the noise from the badly
oiled suspensions of the car.  I hummed "She's losing it", but I don't know
who lost.  I didn't win, that man might have won, she's conceived.

Ken
P.S.: Hope you guys don't mind me posting crazy random stuff to here!!


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