For the majority of the global population, who remember the twilight of the 1990s, Dido’s early records – No Angel and Life For Rent – are embedded in their psyche.
Those albums were huge commercial successes for the English singer. spawning several era-defining singles, namely Here with Me. Steadily, however, Dido allowed her superstar status to become diminished. In an attempt to edge further afield from the image she gained following her duet with Eminem, she collaborated with producer Jon Brion and Brian Eno. Eventually, Dido became a peripheral figure in a realm she once ruled.
On her fifth album, Still on My Mind, Dido's honeyed timbre is unchanged as she returns to the subtle electronic rhythms that made her a household name. In many ways, it's as though time has stood still. Working with her brother – and founding member of Faithless – Rollo Armstrong, her new material exudes the vigour of late-1990s dance beats (Mad Love) whilst including accessible chillwave (Chances).
Highlights include Hurricanes and You Don’t Need a God. Both represent classic and contemporary takes on Dido’s style, ultimately appealing to day-one fans and anyone coming of age in 2019.