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It may have been five years since Dido last released a record, but she's lost none of the class and creativity she first displayed tweleve years ago on 'No Angel'. Since then, she's gone from strength to strength, and her new effort, 'Girl Who Got Away', is a fine display of her imagination and musical ability.
NO FREEDOM: The album kicks straight into gear with a guitar-laden ballad, which has tones and essences that remind me of the Fugees version of 'No Woman, No Cry', penned by Wyclef Jean. Despite it being one of only a couple of chart friendly tracks on the album, it's one of Dido's finer examples and has the ability to live up to the legend of 'Thank You'. (5/5) GIRL WHO GOT AWAY: The guitars continue on this second, chart friendly effort. The album's title track is a tale of a lost love, or perhaps one that is never going to be found. Working with drummer Ash Soan, Dido has managed to recreate the contents of a mainstream pop song into a suttle, yet refined downtempo ballad. (5/5) LET US MOVE ON FT. KENDRICK LAMAR: Dido's take on the hip-hop genre is displayed in a carefree, humble grace laden-beat backed with some extremely memorable vocal performances. Enlisting the help of American rap supremo Kendrick Lamar, who manages to add an extra sparkle to the track without ruining it's calm and subtle style, was a fantastic idea. (5/5) BLACKBIRD: Dido takes the album is a slightly alternate direction for her next track, mixing influences of dubstep and drum and bass into a catchy, soul-filled number. At first, i wasn't sure whether the mix of so many genres together would work, but on a second inspection, it really stands out as a prime effort. It might not be ready to have a video filmed, or played on the radio, but some of the finest masterpieces never are. (5/5) END OF NIGHT: Dido reveals her wild side with this stadium anthem, laced with infectious hooks and dramatic finishes. It's the kind of track you would imagine she would perform as an encore at one of her sold-out arena tours. It shows that despite her usual style of deep, dignified and classic, she has the ability to come out of her skin and prove she has the ability to work both sides of the spectrum. (5/5) SITTING ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD: This thoroughly acoustic number is an example of how something so simple can become such a stand-out. It doesn't need thumping instruments and layered vocals to be noticed, it's simple features of Dido and a guitar are enough to glide it through five minutes of pure musical perfection. (5/5) LOVE TO BLAME: Love to Blame starts off well, but for me spends too much time worrying about the instrumental than focusing on the vocals. Long, elongated instrumental sections take over the lyrical amazement of the first verse, which sadly appears to be the only respectable part of the song. It's a shame, but perhaps the choice to have hip-hop producer P*Nut handle the song instead of her usual collaborator, Rollo, was a bad decision. (3/5) GO DREAMING: A happy-go-lucky number, which again deals with the subject issues first discussed in 'Girl Who Got Away'. It's perhaps a not as successful conclusion to the tale, but it's not something to be passed over, either. It grows on you after a couple of listens, so don't ignore it if the first time, you don't get what it's all about. (4/5) HAPPY NEW YEAR: The tale of a winter's adventure, captivated behind some strong electrical production is perhaps the perfect recipe for Dido's next future hit. It has the ability to visit so many different places, but the decision to keep it structured and layered reveals that perhaps, just perhaps, it has the ability to work of it's own accord. (5/5)
LOVELESS HEARTS: Sadly, "Loveless Hearts" is one of those tracks which doesn't really go here-nor-there for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but it's nothing memorable either. It kind of slips inbetween the stronger efforts such as "Let Us Move On" and "End of Night". (3/5) DAY BEFORE WE WENT TO WAR: Dido enlists the help of lengendary instrumental composer Brian Eno for an epic, all-out conclusion to the first half of the deluxe album. The epic crashing synths and uplifting crashes provide an epic backdrop for the tale of two halves of the same as they go to all-out war against each other. This should certainly be recognised as a fine example of Dido's creativity, blending mainstream pop and soul ballads with artistry and powerful composition. (5/5) LET US MOVE ON (JEFF BHASKER AND PLAIN PAT REMIX): Bhasker and Pat mix up the instrumental arrangement of the album's finest hip-hop moment, taking out some of the more electronic moments, and replacing them with subtle piano and guitar riffs. It's an exciting reworking, which proves that the track works on both sides of the spectrum. (5/5) ALL I SEE FT. PETE MISER: You kind of get the impression with this track that when it was recorded, Dido was originally the featuring artist, and that somewhere along the line, Miser decided not to release it, and so Dido picked it up instead. It has the infectious hip-hop blend of "Let Us Move On", but shows very little of Dido, and instead focuses more on Miser. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing track, but if it were the case of the roles being reversed, it should of perhaps been reworked a little more in Dido's favour. (5/5) JUST SAY YES: The electronic side of Dido's musical flare is revealed, but for now, it's perhaps an angle that she should keep hidden from the public perspective. It's not the best effort on the album and by far, and perhaps that's why it only appears on the deluxe album. But it just doesn't do anything for me. (3/5) LET'S RUN AWAY: How did this track miss the main album? It's purely amazing. The banging stadium vibe of the chorus, alongside some cleverly structured verses makes for a fantastic example of fine pop perfection. It should definitely be recognised in it's own right, and tucked away on the deluxe album, it's being hidden away from a lot of deserving fans. (5/5) LOST: Again, how did 'Lost' not make the main album. A ballad of epic proportions, which reveals the extent of thought which goes into Dido's lyrical storytelling. Add in a formulated and calculated beat, and some extensive backing and layered vocal patterns, and you have another fine example of Dido's ability. (5/5) EVERYTHING TO LOSE (ARMIN VAN BURREN REMIX): The dancefloor will be set alight with this fantastic blend of Dido's ballad from Sex and the City, combined with a thumping and rip-roaring electronic and dancefloor arrangement, courtesy of one of the finest DJs around. It retains the key ingredients of the original, yet through it's extended length allows for further additions to the fine recipe. (5/5) NO FREEDOM (BENNY BENASSI REMIX): If you've chosen to download the album, you'll find a remix of the lead single by Benny Benassi. Turning the subtle ballad into a dancehall fever club romper is a good idea for the deluxe edition, but lets just say that the original has something about it that can never be replicated in any remix. (3/5)
So, all in all, 'Girl who Got Away' is an excellent return to the top of the charts for one of Britain's finest musicians. It may have a few flaws, but nothing that really detracts from the beauty of Dido's musicial flare and ability, and nothing short of her last effort, 'Safe Trip Home'. The girl really is back, for sure.
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