no agnel

dido

arista, 1999

Mood—Sad, lonely, and rainy.

Sample: "My Life"

Thoughts— It's odd when an a single is introduced to the public as a sample in another person's song. That's essentially what happened with "Thank You" by Dido, when it was used in an Eminem song called "Stan". The United States public had largely not heard of Dido, but they were plenty aware of Eminem.

"Stan", which was about an obsessed fan who killed his girlfriend, painted a picture that "Thank You" does not, and so in a way Dido's song (and album) was subject to expectations it did not fulfill. How were we to know that the chorus of the song changed to a major key and felt brighter?

It was an odd choice, but I think it paid off. Dido got a lot more attention for being involved with that video. Her voice is really the reason that I chose to buy the album, so while I was surprised at the general feel of No Angel, I was not at all disappointed.

"Thank You" is a good song, but it's not the best on this extremely consistent album. "Hunter" takes top honors from me; I appreciate its sentiment, and it's more upbeat while being a touch depressing lyrically.

"Honestly OK" and "Isobel" are also stand out tracks with good melodies and engaging instrumentation.

The album as a whole is engaging, but when listening, it's probably best to be in a wistful, lonely sort of mood. Lonliness permeates this album, for me. I'm trying to remember my mindset at the time of purchase, to see if that's the reason the album feels so sad, but I can't tie my opinion to anything specific in my history.. I think it's just a matter of her voice... it is vulnerable, warm and slightly breathy. A lot of the album plays up the reverb, which when coupled with the austere music adds to the sense of isolation.

Recommended?Pick it up if you're feeling a little blue and want to feel even bluer.

Link—didomusic.com

Tracklist
1. Here With Me
2. Hunter
3. Don't Think Of Me
4. My Lover's Gone
5. All You Want
6. Thank You
7. Honestly OK
8. Slide
9. Isobel
10. I'm No Angel
11. My Life
12. Take My Hand