A SYNTH AESTHETIC WORKS FOR POP OEUVRE OF DIDO.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Critic Noun 1. music critic - a critic of musical performances critic - a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art British chanteuse chan·teuse n. A woman singer, especially a nightclub singer. [French, feminine of chanteur, singer, from chanter, to sing; see chant.] Dido, who performed before a packed Wiltern audience Tuesday, purveys a shrewd brand of Euro dream-pop that effectively combines sharply crafted synth synth n. 1. Informal A synthesizer. 2. A style of light popular music made with synthesizers. Also called synth-pop. and strummed guitars with a yearning voice that reaches places similar pop singers don't manage - such as the top of the world's charts. Tuesday's gig, the first of two Wiltern shows, also illustrated the drawing power of a few good tunes. Those songs - ``Here With Me,'' ``Stoned,'' ``Thank You'' (sampled in the Eminem hit ``Stan''), ``Life for Rent'' and ``White Flag'' - are marvels of pop perfection, gloriously borrowing from the blurry electronics of Massive Attack (by way of Beth Orton Elizabeth Caroline Orton[1], commonly known as Beth Orton, (born December 14, 1970), is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter. Known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica, she was initially recognized for her ) but removing the messy parts while emphasizing contagious contagious /con·ta·gious/ (-jus) capable of being transmitted from one individual to another, as a contagious disease; communicable. con·ta·gious adj. 1. Of or relating to contagion. mass-appeal melodies. To put it another way, it's the triumph of Virgin Megastore over Moby Disc. But Sade she's not. Dido's biggest problem is maintaining a high level of songcraft. Tuesday, she packed the joint with the faithful, but attention wandered when she proffered lesser material, such as the semi- acoustic ``Take My Hand.'' Meanwhile, her band, a tightly rehearsed standard-issue synth-bass-drums-guitar back line augmented by the always dependable Jody Linscott Jody Linscott is a sessions musician and percussionist who resides in England and maintains an extended discography. Career Jody Linscott has worked with a number of well-known musicians, including Dido, Elton John, The Who, Mike Oldfield, Emily Burridge, Billy Bragg, on percussion percussion /per·cus·sion/ (per-kush´un) the act of striking a part with short, sharp blows as an aid in diagnosing the condition of the underlying parts by the sound obtained. , lacked any hint of personality. Still, Dido's friendly, unpretentious image won the evening. Standing center stage wearing a roomy top and jeans, gripping a bottle of Evian in one hand and the microphone in the other, she bantered with fans at the front and had a ready response for anything. At one point, when someone shouted out a question, Dido had one of her own back: ``This isn't quite the time for a conversation, is it?'' Like her music, Dido's merchandising appeals to diverse needs, supplying a novel new addition to the world of tour souvenirs. Those pink Dido thongs were going for $15. Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Dido succeeds in holding her audience - but only when the songs are good. Steve Granitz/WireImage.com |
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