Singing Dido's praises has come to be commonplace lately, and if you are looking for anything but a positive review of her latest record No Angel, then you'll be disappointed. Since the British artist's collaboration with notorious rapper Eminem, wherein Dido's well-publicised song 'Thank You' was sampled on the hit 'Stan', Dido has come more clearly into focus in the public sphere. 'Thank You' also featured in the movies 'Sliding Doors' and 'If These Walls Could Talk 2' and Dido's track 'My Lover's Gone' was included on the Faithless album 'Sunday 8pm'. Yet despite this publicity, Dido remains relatively unknown.

A musician since the age of five, Dido attended the Guildhall of Music in London where she demonstrated her talent for playing the violin, piano and classical recorder.
She toured England with her brother, Rollo and his band Faithless, who went on to sell literally millions of records. Rollo, along with Rick Navels and Youth helped to produce this 1999 album release, on Arista Records. The first track 'Here with me', has just been released as a single in the UK and it is likely that will receive much radio play and consequently Dido is destined for great stardom. She has been compared to The Cranberries' Dolores (most likely because Dido is from Northern Ireland originally), Sarah Mclachlan and Sinead O'Conner. The album consists of eleven beautiful tracks which range from electronic trip - hop to folk/acoustic music. It is generally quite a mellow album and is perfect for listening to late at night and early in the morning.

Here with me
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This soothing number allows you to gently slip into the album and escape from the harsh realities of the world outside Dido's beautiful voice. It recounts the poignant tale of a woman who will not rest until she has her lover by her side. It is a simple idea and it is very effective. Refreshingly, this story is not simply of a woman pining for a man, but a woman who can live independently but cannot help but see how wonderful her partner makes her feel: 'I am what I am, I'll do what I want…I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe until you're resting here with me'. This is the song that first attracted to Dido, and it is bound to appeal to many people who hear it on the radio.

Hunter
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In sharp contrast to the previous song, this is about a woman who is bored with her present relationship, in which she feels emotionally bound and restrained. It is an uplifting song with feminist overtones; '…for this queen you think you own wants to be a hunter again, wants to see the world again'. It is a song of independence and reminds one of Alisha's Attic or Nut.

Don't think of me
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Compared frequently to Alanis Morissette's 'You Oughta Know', 'Don't think of me' continues Dido's theme of isolation in a relationship. She sings with a disarming matter-of-factness; 'So you're with her, and not with me, I hope she's sweet, and so pretty', which echoes Morissette's ' I want you to know that I am happy for you / I wish nothing but the best for you both…Does she speak eloquently / And would she have your baby / I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother'. It's quite a bitter, defiant song: she's not going to take anything lying down.

My lover's gone
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Balance is key to the album and this song provides some healing relief to the perverse lyrics of the last song. 'My lover's gone' is a sad, thoughtful, misty story of a woman who has been abandoned by her partner and describes her experience poetically; 'his boots no longer at my door, he left at dawn, and as I slept I felt him go'. Dido's Northern-Irish origin is evident and this is the token folk song of the album.

All that you want
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This is an uplifting, cheeky song about a girl who wants her boyfriend back. It is a great deal more light-hearted than the previous tracks and has a rather mischievous tone to it. The guitar sounds are relaxing and despite the regretful content 'if only you had slept alone, if those seeds had not been sown' - it's actually quite a cheery number.

Thank you
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Probably the best track on the album, a definite highlight - it's really not hard to see why it was sampled by Eminem and used on the soundtrack to two films. The opening strikes up images of rain running down a window and though the lyrics describe the happenings of an ordinary day; 'I drank too much last night, got bills to pay, my head just feels in pain' the song is anything but ordinary. Full of emotional intelligence, it's the kind of track that would strike a raw chord in anybody. Far from a cliché, Dido's unique voice revitalises the stock love song; '…just to be with you is having the best day of my life'. Beautiful.

Honestly OK
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A Portishead-esque sulky, mellowing track which is predominantly about the singer's own loneliness, despite the self-contradictory title; '…I'm so lonely that I don't even want to be with myself anymore'.

Slide
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Philosophical and melancholic, 'Slide' is very much in the style of the previous track and Dido's voice sounds very much like Beverly Craven. This song stands out as not being primarily about love, but instead on a deeper level, about humanity in general; 'It's all right to make mistakes, you're only human / inside everybody's hiding something'.

Isobel
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Reminiscent of Alanis Morissette's 'Mary Jane', this is about the relationship of two women as the singer wishes her dear friend well as she ponders what they've been through. The track begins with a sinister drumming, but this soon changes to the calming sounds of Dido's voice. As in 'Mary Jane', the singer offers the woman advice; 'Don't punish yourself, leave it well alone'.

I'm no angel
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This is a confessional song in which Dido admits that she's 'no angel' and does not claim to be perfect, yet she is a fighter and will try to 'fly' all the same. It is a track about self-realisation, survival and defiance.

My life
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Beautifully drawn out and slow, 'My Life' is soulful and moody and in the same class as 'Honestly OK'. Dido once again sings of loneliness and regret; 'I'm tired and bored of waiting for you and all those things you never do'.

Take my hand
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Along with 'Thank you' and 'Here with me', classed as a bonus track, 'Take my hand' is one of the more prominent tracks on the record. It's upbeat, will probably be re-mixed for clubs and is another powerful love song; 'touch my skin and tell me what you're thinking, take my hand and show me where we're going'. It's mystical and thought provoking and ideal as future single release material.

Conclusion
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Dido's album is superb, whether or not I have been successful in conveying this notion I am unsure, but I have done my best to highlight what I believe is possibly one of the best releases of 1999; up there with U2's 'All that you can't leave behind'. 'No Angel' is a classic and we should be supportive of one of Britain's most unique singers. If I were to criticise the album, it might be that eleven tracks were not enough. Dido is definitely one to look out for.