Dido's debut album No Angel has all the makings of being a let down. After all, it wasn't even her own song that has created interest in her album, but rather the sample pulled from her song Thank You that was placed in Eminem's Stan. And on first listen, the album seems to be a very dreamy, ethereal effort that nearly floats away to nothingness, seemingly containing no real point to the songs contained therein, since a lot of them tend to blend in.

The points above are all valid. Dido shows no real effort on her part to change her vocal delivery from song to song, making for a very boring album in that aspect. After all, nothing can make the album seem like the same thing over and over than a person singing in the same tone/key/whatever on each and every track. Ultimately, it's this vocal delivery that makes this album such a tough first listen.

The music is very varied from track to track. While many of the same instruments are used, some are put into the forefront of one song, and in the minute background of another, making a nice atmosphere that counteracts that of Dido's "one" singing voice.

Besides the challenging and very varied music that this album holds, the songwriting is also top notch and certainly not exactly the usual stuff you've been hearing on popular radio for the last few years. Be it the "seize the day" mentality of Thank You or the take no prisoners attitude of I'm No Angel, Dido has written a bunch of great songs for this record.

Personally though, it gets no better than the next to last track on the record, My Life, a jazzy, bebop number that swoons with passion thanks to the incredible and passionate job on the vocals. While I complained earlier in this review about the vocals, this song nearly completely makes up for all those shortcomings on the previous tracks.

While No Angel is a fine pop album, it's not for the traditional "pop" fan. The songs can be a bit difficult to get into, although the time put in will be realized as well spent. This certainly is not for the 13 year old girl who loves Britney and N'Sync. I just don't think they'll get it. But if you love challenging music, then this is right up your alley, even if there are some misses (Don't Think of Me, Take My Hand) here.



Recommended: Yes