Dido
Safe Trip Home

Campus Correspondent review by Hunter Embry,
Indiana University Southeast


The electronic acoustic pop singer Dido isn’t a name often tossed around the TV or radio, but most fans of pop culture probably remember her hit song “Thank You” (perhaps best known as the song that Eminem sampled. Thank You) and Dido’s debut album No Angel sold millions and topped the worldwide sales chart in 2001 (two years after its release). The singer returned in 2003 with her sophomore album Life for Rent, which also sold its way to the top of the charts.

Dido’s latest release Safe Trip Home is much like her previous two albums- gentle, emotional and softly dynamic. The first single “Never Want to Say It’s Love” starts with a creeping horn section, hiccupping soft-toned keys and a punching drumbeat played by ?uestlove of The Roots. Dido sings ever so clearly about an intimate pen pal that’s left her alone and full of love.

But ?uestlove isn’t the only big name to lay a hand on Safe Trip Home. Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac lays a psychedelic, fast-pace electronic drumbeat on “Grafton Street,” while Brian Eno (U2/Talking Heads producer) provides even trippier, spaced-out keyboards and ambience. “My love I know we’re losing, but I will stand here by you.” Dido sings just above a whisper.

The album’s liner notes end with two tiny words that read: “for dad.” Dido’s father passed recently and the album carries a dark feel throughout. It seems as if her pain manages to seep through a few lines and effectively creates an atmosphere within the songs on Safe Trip Home.