Safe Trip Home Dido Reviewed By : Lipsy Pennell

I’ve done my research and apparently Dido is the biggest selling British female artist in the world. God, what did I miss? I mean, I remember ‘Here With Me’ and the Eminem collaboration, but I wasn’t aware of just how successful this tiny blonde has actually been. 

‘Safe Trip Home’ is her third offering, a fitting three years in the making. Times have evidently been hard; she lost her father, and from the sounds of it, herself too. Despite – or perhaps because of – her unique, husky vocals, it’s easy to dismiss Dido’s sound as background music, perfect for elevators and a good kicking from the Bland Police. But sometimes it’s good to be gentle.

‘Quiet Times’ sticks out as the perfect travel song. It has certain nostalgia about it, and as she sings (quietly of course) “I can’t have you/Even if you’re here,” her fragility is affecting, so that you can’t help but be reflective too. It’s nice too to see that she used the time taken to complete this album to add to her technical accomplishment; her soft, consistent drumming on this track is impressive.

And yet for all her trademark softness, the whole album sounds much rawer than previous recordings. The instrumentation is full and straightforward, and there are very few electronics; it’s as if Dido has gone back to basics on all counts. Opening track ‘Believe in Love’ sets the tone, as she declares, “If I don’t believe in love/Nothing is real for me.” It’s simple but effective. Most importantly (and certainly based on the evidence of her circumstances during recording) you believe her.

‘Grafton Street’ starts off slow and dreary but soon picks up (and is that a recorder I hear?) while ‘Look No Further’ is a beautifully melodious hymn to the hits and misses of fate that have, one feels, proved the making of both the album and the woman. Like the rest of ‘Safe Trip Home’ (and indeed its back catalogue) it would be easy to dismiss as glumly lacklustre, but then such is the curse of Dido’s uniquely ice-sculpted voice. Upon a deeper listen, it’s also easy to hear what all the transatlantic fuss is about; a striking vulnerability. Just as Dido’s “heart has found its home” here, so too will the listener’s.
 
7/10

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