Recommended Tracks: “Smart Girl,” “Hold Fire,” “The List”
Similar Artists: Orla Gartland, chloe moriondo, Catie Turner
At what age does your life need to be together and sorted? This is a question pondered by British singer-songwriter dodie in her second studio album Not For A Lack of Trying. The 12-track project is a natural progression of the artist’s last album with more intropspective lyrics and slight shifts in the musical atmosphere. A signature of dodie’s artistry, the string orchestra in this album feels more alive and active in the storytelling of each song.
“I’M FINE!” is the both the album’s lead single and opener. The song is a well-chosen opener as it is quintessential dodie with the additions of instrumentation and lyrical themes that are unique to the new album. Guitar and string plucks build tension as the singer tries to convince you she’s “fine” despite the “big stop sign in the mind now.” The soft piano giving some contrasting weight against the strings and filtered out drums also hints at more involved use of electronic instruments in the album.
“Smart Girl” fades in directly from “I’M FINE!” and starts to unravel dodie’s insecurities. A muted guitar gives the sense of restraint before a sharp descent of strings following the chorus lets out chaos. Rhythmic breathing in the background is a reflection of the obsessive lyrics as dodie becomes jealous of another woman, asking “Is this envy chronic?” Rising staccato strings only add to this envious state of mind before falling apart in the outro.
“Darling, Angel, Baby,” the album’s third single, is sweetly about dodie’s cat “Mrs.” Featured in the song is Greta Issac of the band FIZZ, a longtime collaborator of dodie. Electronic instrumentation is re-introduced in this song with an electric guitar and bass. dodie tends to focus her sound on acoustic guitars and strings, so the inclusion of bass adds much more weight to the song compared to others on the album.”Darling, Angel, Baby” itself is a shift from the opening two songs, taking a more caring and loving tone. The lyrics highlight this lighter mood with the playful line “she loves her edamame” and the meow’s that finish it off.
“Hold Fire” is an album highlight. This track tries to hold onto a relationship that keeps falling into arguments. The bass line continues with the addition of a tangy snare as dodie asks “What if we remove the masks?” A repeating “lines in the sand / don’t understand” signals boundaries that are constantly changing and breaking. The pace is much more forward than the rest of the album, but the backing vocals dripping in reverb continue on the signature haunting sound of dodie.
The slower pace returns in “Tall Kids” with a focus on piano. A soft performance on the piano emphasises the quiet night of confession that the lyrics set up. “Tall Kids” sounds most like dodie’s last album, Build A Problem. Lines asking to “make them care” and “do the tall kids wanna play” show a quiet pleading for affection as dodie begs for community from a group that she envies.
The album’s second single, “I Feel Bad For You, Dave,” has a much more distinct bossa nova style. dodie has taken inspiration from this genre in the past, but this song is the most poignant that the jazz subgenre has been in the singer-songwriter’s work. While lyrically shorter than the rest of the album, the song tells an immersive story from the first line.
The lyric, “Dave079, on the couch” immediately lets audiences know the online space that the song is set in. A song about online trolls and misogyny, the lyrics focus on a ‘Dave’ who is an “asshole online” to the point of impacting his real-life relationships. The jazzier live band in this song meshes well with dodie’s overall musical aesthetic. My only complaint is that I wish this aspect was featured more across the album rather than confined to just one song.
As Not For A Lack Of Trying reaches its second act, “Now” serves as an interlude with a return of the fret-focused guitar sound that dodie is known for.
Another highlight is “The List,” referencing a list of rebounds following the end of a relationship. Each verse follows a failed attempt to move on from a breakup with someone new, but it always ends with “I still sleep alone every night.” This song is much less tense than the first half of the album, with the strings swaying rather than fretting and the soft piano giving a nice anchor to the instrumentation.
“Different” and “The End” both reference earlier songs, with the bird recordings of “Smart Girl” being heard in “Different,” and the line “what if this is a line just like the last time?” in “The End” a reference to the “line in the sand” in “Hold Fire.” Both songs also take on a much more meditative feeling with heavy reverb and a lower-sounding guitar.
Closing off Not For A Lack Of Trying is its title track, a short ode to growing older and trying to feel comfortable in your own skin. The line “figure out, how to figure out” emphasises the anxiety over trying to seem mature. Instrumental-wise, the song stays soft with some strings moving the pace along. Unfortunately, the last three songs of the album are the weakest and all feel incomplete and unrealised compared to the first half.
Not For A Lack Of Trying shows dodie’s consistent growth as a composer, producer and songwriter, with each track brimming with introspective lyrics and matching instrumentation. This is despite the final third of the album feeling a little incomplete.
If you want to hear Not For A Lack Of Trying live, dodie is taking the album on tour across Europe and North America. More information about tickets and shows can be found here.
Follow dodie: Instagram / YouTube / Spotify / TikTok / Website
