Album of the Week - Vol. 27

Safe Trip Home DIDO (2008)
Week: Thu 26th Sep to Wed 2nd Oct, 2024
Format: CD, Spotify
Producer: Dido, Jon Brion & The Ark
Tracklisting:
1. Don't Believe in Love *
2. Quiet Times
3. Never Want to Say It's Love
4. Grafton Street
5. It Comes and It Goes *
6. Look No Further
7. Us 2 Little Gods
8. The Day Before the Day
9. Let's Do the Things We Normally Do *
10. Burning Love (with Citizen Cope) *
11. Northern Skies *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 49:47

Coming nearly five years after her excellent sophomore album Life For Rent, Dido's third effort is a little different in feel, with heavy bass dominating the production. That's not to say it's a dance album, or even upbeat or poppy. No, some songs are a bit more sombre. Not that that's a bad thing. I quite like this album, although not as much as the former. 

Interestingly, the album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical), so the difference in production was clearly noted by others. She collaborates with a wide variety of musicians on this record too, with contributions from drummers Mick Fleetwood and Matt Chamberlain, multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion (who also co-produces), keyboardist extraordinaire Brian Eno and drums from Questlove, among others. Dido's brother Rollo is a co-writer on most of the tracks as well, with Dido credited on each track. 

When the opening track and first single of the album, Don't Believe In Love, hits with its flangy bass-line and pop-heavy drum sound, you know this will be a different offering from Dido. While sales of this album were significantly lower than her monster Life For Rent, the quality is no less. For the most part, the songs are engaging, and the production is right on. 

There are little surprises awaiting as well. Let's Do The Things We Normally Do starts as a sweet pop number about a relationship before turning a little sinister in the middle and changing to a minor key. A similar trick appears on Quiet Times, but not to the same extent. The closing number Northern Skies, one of my favourites, nudges the nine minute mark, but the bones of the song end about halfway through the running time. The hypnotic track keeps plodding along to Dido's vocal riffing which gets some studio trickery thrown at it before everything fades out to a mesmerising drum machine. It just continues on without outstaying its welcome. For me, anyway. It's a nice, big, long full-stop for the album.

I also really dig Burning Love, which after a lot of production heavy numbers is quite refreshing. Stripped down to just guitar, a simple drum track and vocals shared with Citizen Cope, it's a stark track about longing and desire. The only songs that don't really grab me are Look No Further and Grafton Street. I'm not sure why that is, but I notice myself zoning out when they play. 

Thankfully, the album ends strongly with three of my faves all playing in a row. If you like Dido's early stuff, I would give this a go. Even if you've not heard her albums, you'd know Thank You and White Flag. She's a unique voice with plenty to offer your earholes. I must check out her newer stuff.