back

artist :	Dico Tina
album :	Count to ten
Tina Dico - Count to Ten

TINA Dico first grabbed the attention when she teamed up with Zero 7 for tracks like Home. The Danish singer-songwriter now releases a new album, Count To Ten and continues to impress. The follow-up to her critically-acclaimed In The Red, it’s a strong collection of emotive songs that make good use of her soft, yet powerful voice and which draws on influences such as Donovan, Radiohead and Leonard Cohen. The quality is evident from the beginning, when title track Count To Ten beguiles listeners with its understated mix of melancholy vocals and violin and cello. But it gets better with On The Run, a gutsier blend of folk and country that finds Dico’s vocals at their most forceful. The brash electric guitar interludes are a nice change of pace, too, and compare well with KT Tunstall’s use of them. In truth, the following three tracks – Open Wide, Night Cab and You Know Better – fail to command as much immediacy or attention. But just when the album threatens to get caught in the mundane, Dico delivers Sacre Coeur, an imagery-laden gem that’s passionately delivered (sometimes heartbreakingly so) and bolstered by a terrific chorus. It’s arguably the album highlight and further impresses with its guitars and piano chords. Craftsmanship And Poetry, the track that immediately follows, is another strong piece of songwriting – softer, more tender and vocally reminiscent of Sheryl Crow in places. But it enchants with ease. My Business then raises the vibe once more and again benefits from some intricate guitar loops, and final track Everybody Knows draws things to a beautiful close. Dico has already won a Best Songwriter Grammy and best composer at the Danish Music Critics’ Awards and further accolades could well follow for some of the songs on this LP. If you were smitten with her style as part of Zero 7, then maybe now’s the time to pick up a serious relationship with her as a solo artist. You won’t be disappointed. (source: www.indielondon.co.uk) (Anita Steck)