Dido: Taking a “Safe Trip Home”

Wednesday, 12 November 2008 07:36

After a five-year hiatus from the limelight UK trip-hop/ rock/ alternative/ pop singer and songwriter Dido returns to the music scene with her third album “Safe Trip Home”.  While Eminem helped launch her career in the U.S. by sampling “Thank You” from her debut album. Regardless of her surprising debut, Dido is anything but hip-hop, or mainstream for that matter. Sure, a couple of her singles have managed to make their way to commercial radio stations and even reached Top 40 status, but she is however anything but commercial. Ever since she first started recording, she made it clear that she was in the music business for the music itself- not the glamour, the awards and all the perks that come with being a musician, Dido only wanted to make music.  And so she did and has been doing since her debut in 1999.

Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley started using her now official name Dido at an early age in an effort to blend in with the crowd, since she was bullied for having such an odd name.  That was the only time she did something to fit in and follow the norm.

Ever since “No Angel”, her debut album, Dido has maintained the same mellow style of music so characteristic of her.  And while in every album there’s a different vibe and feeling to it, in all three of them her talent as a songwriter and musician is evident.

Aunque a muchos les llegue a dar hueva su música por ser tan calmada, chill and extremely soothing- whether Dido is singing about love, a broken heart or just about anything and nothing in particular, her music is undeniably exceptional.

Safe Trip Home

There is a five-year gap in between Dido’s previous album “Life for Rent” (2003) and her latest offering “Safe Trip Home”, which leaves many fans and critics wondering why it took so long to produce. 

There is no studio trickery or major production involved that could help justify why it took so long for “Safe Trip Home”.  It is only after you listen to the album that you are able to understand why.

“Safe Trip Home” shows us a more vulnerable, sometimes hopeless yet still hopeful Dido.  The lyrics are deeper than in her previous albums, which makes it easy to understand how emotionally tiring it must have been to not only write but record such songs. 

The sweet/lovey dovey songs are not cheesy and the sad songs are not sappy and pathetic.  Over all it’s a bitter sweet album filled with acoustic guitars, pianos, loops and hints of electronica here and there.  

Dido wants to give her fans a little more with this album, therefore she has launched a special album website:  www.safetriphome.com, where 11 short films are being released- each film representing a song from “Safe Trip Home”.  

Safe Trip Home Outstanding Traxx: Northern Skies, Grafton Street, Us 2 Little Gods, Let’s Do The Things We Normally Do.