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I read other people's reviews and appreciate them, but never thought I'd write a review myself - until now. So take my opinion for whatever it's worth, but Dido's "No Angel" is worth the money and the all the hours of play that you can get out of the CD.


Even better than the hype   July 6, 2000
 142 out of 145 found this review helpful

I'd first heard of Dido, after watching "Sliding Doors" some years back, and becoming entranced with the gorgeous song at the end credits. It was apparent that the voice was hauntingly beautiful, but I couldn't trace it.

When I finally heard Dido again, on "Roswell" I immediately rushed to pick up "No Angel" and it's become a constantly played CD here at the office. From the breathless caress of "Here with Me" to the oft heard "Thank You", she can belt out a tune that speaks volumes of love's lost labour and hopelessness, with the freshness not easily seen in our pop-chewing-gum music video enhanced world.

Reminiscent of Sophie Hawkins, with the Gaelic touch of both Sinead and Kate Bush, she elongates heartbreak in the touching "Honestly OK". It is indeed, hard to find a song that isn't well done here.

Here's one CD I won't hesitate to recommend.


Dido is Outrageously Good!   January 17, 2001
 28 out of 31 found this review helpful

I haven't been able to stop listening to Dido's "No Angel" since I got it. This is the record the Cranberries wish they could have made after "Everybody Else is Doing It..." With a voice that combines the best of Beth Orton and Dolores O'Riordan, Dido soars, reprimands, lilts, croons, and coddles you through 12 entrancing songs. The songs on this disc are all melodically strong, lyrically potent, and inescapably catchy.

My own personal favourite tracks on "No Angel" are 'Hunter,' 'Thankyou,' 'Slide,' and the title track 'No Angel'. 'Hunter' is a propulsive, aggressive personal declaration of independence from a constrictive relationship. Establishing a scenario of female dependence upon men, the song quickly warns against male possession - "This queen you think you own wants to be a hunter again, wants to see the world alone again, to take a chance on life again, so let me go!" The pulsing beat of this refrain lets up near the end of the song, leaving Dido's voice accompanied by a sparse guitar strum, effectively highlighting the insistence of the message.

'Thankyou' emphasizes the strain of melancholia that runs throughout the album - as if to reach their upbeat conclusions, many of the songs need to go through trial and misfortune. 'Thankyou' does just this - a trip-hoppy beat and vocal present us with a miserable situation. Here, the song celebrates the reliability of a comfortable relationship; a phone call or simply being around the other person is "having the best day of my life".

'Slide' is a song of despair and the need for self-forgiveness. Just hearing Dido sing "It's all right to make mistakes, you're only human; inside everybody's hiding something" is wonderfully cathartic. Here again, a spare musical accompaniment allows you to revel in her lovely voice, conferring absolution, driving away the tendency to slide into defeatism and isolation. 'Isobel' is thematically similar. Having just run away, Isobel is encouraged to bear with the stress of recent personal turmoil, and assured of spiritual support. "It's been a long daaaaaay coming" - Beautiful!

'No Angel' turns the lens inward again - reconciling herself to human shortcomings. There is simply nothing whatsoever wrong with Dido's "No Angel," so go to the super-store and purchase it immediately. I adore it!


Terribly Overrated   August 18, 2001
 28 out of 44 found this review helpful

A little over a year ago, with album sales that were quickly slipping off the charts and into oblivion, Dido made a bold move -- an artistic collaboration with a hateful (but popular) rap star and a glammy make-over (which included re-shooting the video for her single). Suddenly, overnight it seemed, everyone was hooked on her album "No Angel" and Dido was an instant pop princess.

I bought this cd two summers ago after seeing the ORIGINAL (gorgeous, gothic) video for "Here With Me," before Dido's new hairdo and before Eminem. Even then I thought the disc was stylistically incongruent, but I especially liked the album's electronic-influenced second half. I encouraged many friends to give Dido a spin on their cd changers, and many who did bought the album.

However, I don't really listen to this cd anymore because I've come to the conclusion that it's just plain weak. My two-star rating is probably unfair -- the lovely songs "Here With Me," "My Lover's Gone," and "Thank You" are worth at least that much -- but necessary considering the incredibly undeserved number of 5 star reviews this album has received.

"No Angel" is essentially torn between two styles, the electronica of producer Rollo (Dido's brother and one of the genius minds behind the group Faithless) and Dido's own sterile brand of alternative folk-rock. In general, the former works well with Dido's frosty, somewhat detached vocal style, while the latter doesn't work at all. In other words, Dido should stay out of Shawn Colvin or Alanis territory and stick to what she does best.

Another reviewer (typically buried in the mix where most negative reviews end up, safe from customer scrutiny) said it was a shame that Dido was the only British female artist getting any airplay in the States. I agree, even though I think Dido has something of value to offer listeners, namely her work with Faithless. Buy one of their amazing albums instead.


Addictive; you just can't get enough of it   March 8, 2000
 22 out of 22 found this review helpful

Dido's music has a way of sneaking up on you. I've been watching Roswell since the series premiered, and only recently did I feel the need to find out who it was that sang "Here with me." When I received the cd from Amazon, I listened to it in my office at work. Since I keep the office door open, I couldn't play it too loudly, because I did not want to disrupt my colleagues (what can I say, I'm a nice guy). "Here with me" is the first cut on the album, and it didn't really impress me. I listened to the rest of the album, and still wasn't impressed.

However, as I listened to the cd a second time when I got home, I was liking it a whole lot better. And the thing is, it gets better every time I listen to it. Dido's voice is natural and yet full of emotion. She never gets unnaturally loud. And the backing instrumentation is very professional, with a driving rhythm that doesn't get boring. The only other female singer I am familiar with who sings so naturally and emotionally is Sade Adu. Tracey Thorn of Everything but the Girl comes in a close second (Dido and Sade hit me closer to the heart). I can and do listen to "No Angel" several times a day now. This album is simply awesome. All of the songs are better than good, and they are not all cut from the same cookie cutter mold. Dido, like Sade, infuses her songs with a beauty that's timeless and emotions that will never fail to touch your soul. That is, assuming that you have one and that you are in touch with it :)