Dodie’s Newest Album Review: An Album You Must Listen to

Introduction

Dodie released her newest album, Not For the Lack of Trying, this year, marking her second album release in her career as a musician. The 31-year-old artist, based in the U.K., has had a long career in music. Originally releasing music on YouTube under the name doodleodle, she originally posted covers of songs and her original songs. She also posts vlogs with her friends and family. Throughout her career as a musician, she released her first album, Build a Problem, in May 2021. After a few EP’s later, she later released another studio album Not For the Lack of Trying.

The Review

There are two versions of Not For the Lack of Trying: the regular album composed of twelve tracks, and the deluxe album with an additional seven tracks. I will start with the first twelve tracks of the album.

The album starts with IM FINE. She sings about the inner turmoil in her mind, as well as the mental stresses that are personified by the pressure of finding herself before the age of 30. It can be viewed as an internal crisis of what her identity and life should be as an adult entering the middle of her life. Mixed in with mixed vocals and this atmospheric blend of music, it is very on the dot of a Dodie song that she has been making since her first album was released. This mixture of atmospheric sounds and the incorporation of ad-libs from Dodie herself and friends can also be heard in multiple songs.

Smart girl is the next song that deals with Dodie’s inner confusion of hate or infatuation with a girl. She compares herself as less pretty to her while contemplating if she simply wants to be her friend or something more than that. It reads like a personal entry to another person, which reflects the vulnerability of Dodie’s songwriting skills.

Darling, Angel, Baby is, in short, a song about her cat. In the song, she sings, “Darling, Angel, Baby, Mrs,” multiple times. In the song, her cat is called Mrs. It is an affectionate song about her love for her cat and how her cat holds a special place in her heart. Most importantly, Dodie sings about Mrs love for edamame.

I Feel Bad for You, Dave is a song that describes a person that we might encounter in our lives. It talks about a guy named Dave who is insecure about himself, but takes his insecurity out on people in the real world, as well as online. The guitar section for the song is pretty catchy, and the lyrics are witty and fun while writing about a pretty sordid person.

While the rest of the songs are pretty good, one of the better songs on the track is its final song, which is where the album gets its name from. Not For the Lack of Trying is very reminiscent of many of Dodie’s songs, which deal with very complex feelings of depression, hope, and the stillness of life that is often a core theme. It is a bittersweet ending to her album that gives this hope that there are better days ahead of us, which should give us the incentive to keep going despite the hardness and sadness of it all.

The deluxe version of the album gives us seven tracks. The first track is called Maybe, Finally, which is a more upbeat song than the other songs. It is also, in musicality, more airy and more atmospheric. It is very reminiscent of Jacob Collier’s old songs from the early 2010s.

The next track is very different from the other songs that Dodie has made. The track, Fruit in the Sun, is more fast paced. The vocals and instruments are more complex in harmonies, while the drums keep a fast pace throughout the song. It is easily one of our favourite tracks in the deluxe versions.

The next song, As Far as We Know, is also very similar in sound. The simple melodies turn more complex and richer in harmonies, really cementing how far Dodie has come as an artist and musician.

Last thoughts

The album is incredibly well-made while retaining this atmospheric energy that Dodie perfectly utilizes in many of her songs. This album reflects how much Dodie’s music has changed throughout the years. From releasing EP’s in 2017 to releasing two studio-produced albums, her growth as an artist has come a long way through maturing and developing. The album itself is very well-made, and the lyrics are written really well and introspectively. With that, we give this album an 8/10. We cannot wait to see what other albums Dodie will release in the future.