Have you heard of Tina Dico? No? Well, she has a greatest hits album out now. So, if your interested in the music of a Nordic, Joan Baez wanna-be with all the lyrical range of a 13-year-old girl crying into her diary, then you’ll want to hop on the next plane to Denmark, open up a tin of pickled herring, and start waiting in line for tickets. But, if like a normal person, the problems of a 6-foot Danish, blond don’t amount to a hill of smoked eel on rye (or whatever it is they eat over there) then this album is probably not going to do anything for you.
Her greatest hits album, Welcome Back Colour is divided into two sides. On the Welcome Up side are her, apparently, well known hits and on the Welcome Down side (presumably these titles make sense in Denmarkian, or whatever language it is they speak over there) Ms. Dico opens up her more “intimate” persona. And that’s where the whining begins. Yes, Tina, sometimes it is hard to find love and, yes, relationships can indeed be difficult. How insightful! But there’s a difference between personal and selfish. She has the attitude and arrogance of a spoiled art student on a trust fund. She doesn’t bother to sing anything that isn’t about herself (or learn to play more than three chords for that matter) because, well, what could be more interesting than Tina Dico? It is true that these are deeply personal songs written about the subject most fascinating to her: Tina Dico.
Look, for example, at her track “Rebel Song”. In the song she laments over, what else, her love life. She asks, “Could it be that I know nothing about holding onto love?” only to mention later, on the same subject of love, “Me, I just get bored and wonder off.” Gee, let’s think about that. Let’s peel away the layers of this dense lyrical onion to reveal the tortured complex soul of Tina Dico. Maybe, just maybe, she can’t hold on to love because she’s a complete flake with the emotional attention span on a goldfish. The rest of the songs on the album further prove as such.
The album, as a whole, clocks in a just under two hours, which is far too long to be listening to bad music. Even Kenny Loggins’ greatest hits album was under an hour and that guy wrote “Danger Zone”! And, a simplistic a summation though it may be, bad music is exactly what this is: lazy lyrics, dull, uninspired Coldplay-on-Valium-esque music, everything done half-assed under the self absorbed guise of “intimacy”.
Conclusion: Welcome Back Colour is like the tale told by an idiot, except it doesn’t even have the sound and fury.
Having recently discovered Tina Dico via Zero 7, as well as Sia Furler, I must say that I really like Tina’s voice and her singing. As for her lyrics, I have not sat down and read them. I get the critic’s point about their illogical puerility and the implied solipsism of her career. Maybe Joni Mitchell influenced her material as well as her life strategy i.e. to use relationships as a means by which to gather material for the next song. Sometimes that produces crap, other times art and occasionally great art. The reviewer is saying Tina’s lyics are crap – that is a little excessive: she needs to develop her English language nuances, but her lyrics are professional and sometimes touching (some lines…). As for her two chord guitar skills, I disagree. Her playing is meticulous and fluid, and the passing bass notes, which modulate the chords, are classically influenced and quite lovely. Her singing bears no resemblance to Baez – it is is own sound, but sometimes her vocal tone recalls Sheryl Crow, Missy Higgins, Alannis Morrissette, Tracy Chapman. Like those other artists, Tina is pop, but she is fine pop. She can write lyrics, she can write music, she can play guitar, she can sing, she can perform. Speaking as someone who can also do those things, and has done for forty years, my ears hear a sweetness and a lovely sadness in Tina’s voice, and my mind recognises her musicianship, her stagecraft and her talent. Her lyrics are her weakest point. But she is working very hard to improve herself and I would prefer to support than to tear down.
While I am here, I must say that women are leading the way in popular music – I am bored at the videos of young men in guitar bands repeating what happened in the sixties and seventies, and doing it with no life experience other than the records they are imitating. Having said that, the reviewer is essentially saying that about Tina Dico – and he may be right – but she is a musician and a performer, so we can be thankful for small mercies.
Oh my – Lets see how it turns out – I have never heard of anyone seeing her Live, not falling in love, that being Male or Female, straight or gay :]
My bet is : She is going to take US with storm – The world is changing, believe it or not, you will soon realize that people will like to hear music from real musicians.
Four words for you: Kenny Loggins- Danger Zone
motherfucker
Your foreign-hating bastard.
Go get a high school diploma. Not only your brash ignorance but your illiteracy is an embarrassment to your country, which is clearly the USA, otherwise you wouldn’t have the stupidity of making such claims against an artist such as Tina Dico. She is well respected in all other major European countries and America doesn’t know what it’s missing by not welcoming her into our music scene more often. It’s about high time she came to America.
Your lack of intelligence immediately discredits your review. You wasted your time. Come back to us when you’ve learned how to write and most importantly, use your brain.
You know what I like about this review?
The poorly concealed xenophobia and basic grammatical errors.
If you’re going to pretend to be a writer, there are a few skills you need to hone. For example, maybe learn the difference between “you’re” and “your.” Also, try to understand that “wonder” and “wander” are two different words with very different meanings. Finally, perhaps read a book on punctuation. Learn about the appropriate use of commas and hyphens. I don’t think Tina Dico is great, but this article is embarrassingly poor. You’ll find your criticism has more bite if you don’t come across like some semi-literate, foreigner-hating idiot in your reviews.
I think that this is the worse review I have ever seen! Mean and thoughtless..
I do not agree in your review. I think that Tina Dico’s greatest is a wonderfull peice of music. Her lyrics are very strong. She writes about thoughts, that everybody can relate to. And she is also a wonderfull singer. I had been to a couple of her gigs – and she is even better live! She’s perfect!!!
And by the way – They speaks Danish in Denmark! ..
Yeah, its not like he was joking or anything. How dare he.
yeah…very funny.
May I just say that you sound like a delight. God! I wanna hang with you and play twister!
Thanks! but I hate twister…another game perhaps?
Regardless of whether or not Ms. Dico’s latest CD is worth a listen or not, you have to take the author’s opinion with a grain of salt. If you’re going to write an intelligent review, at least figure out the difference between “your” and “you’re”. And “Denmarkian,” seriously? Talk about tales told by idiots…
Your condescending comparison of Tina Dico to Joan Baez does both artists a disservice and is patently incorrect. If there is a comparison to be made of Tina it may be Dido. Another artist you haven’t listened to. I missed Tina’s recent show in Maryland due to a cold. Yes, I bought a ticket knowing nothing of her art but having bought her greatest hits CD, I’m even sadder for missing her show. The Rams Head in Annapolis is a small place which can be ideal for an artist that works in an acoustic setting. She’ll be back in the U.S. next year and I’ll be waiting.
Enough of Tina’s promising artistic future. Let’s discuss the critic who has the hubris to quote Shakespeare to give some weight to the tripe he regurgitated onto the page. The critic’s point of view must have been created by the incessant MTV pasteurization of musical styles in the United States. FYT!
Hang on, I’m getting some breaking news! Yes, it has been confirmed that Allan is, in fact, a huge queer.
And if I am princess? Have I stumbled onto the 21st century version of the He Man Woman Haters Club? Being a critic allows people to vent vitriol for no other purpose than to vent. This critique isn’t informative other than to display the critic’s bias and musical ignorance. I can hardly wait for your pithy retort.
Do you find it difficult to type while fellating truckers?
Dan, do you react like every time you can’t get a beautiful woman to sleep with you?
Please,
Everyone know that Tina Dico’s vagina is more loose than a terrycloth bathrobe.
ITT: Pussies
I love it whne hipsters get upset. It shows the wussy-ness.
i like this review a lot.
We love Tina! We first discovered her after hearing her song “One” on Grey’s Anatomy back in 2006. Have since purchased all of her music and have seen her in concert 8 times since here in the U.S. Tina is an amazing singer/songwriter.
Say what you want..but, don’t think you should go to Denmark and spread this hate as Tina is a superstar there, and her popularity is spreading all over Europe. It will happen here in the U.S. as well when people find out about her.
Your review is very mean and sucks.
The Dutch are scum.
She’s not Dutch, dummy! She’s Danish.
I’m just saying, apropos of nothing, the Dutch are scum. I’d like to see you prove otherwise, cockmomgler.
Ah how hipster of you:
“I don’t know this artist but googled her and she seems to be generally well received. As Oscar Wilde noted what reviewers review is really themselves.”
Critics say she’s good therefore she is. Now that’s logic.
She’s crap…and so is Bright Eyes. Deal with it.
I would have to agree that she is not particularly inspired in her subject matter or style. It reminds me a great deal of Michelle Branch from years ago. Maybe even Norah Jones without the smooth jazz sound. There is potential here, but she isn’t there yet. I’ve only listened to a few songs, so I can’t really say if it is all whine. On a larger discussion, I would certainly have to agree that female singers need more material than merely love lost and found. You don’t strike me as a Melissa Etheridge fan, but at least she sings about the environment and cancer and things that actually matter.
Wow…you’re a patronising, arrogant sexist aren’t you?
‘female singers need more material than merely love lost and found’.
Who are you to judge what people write about? If you don’t like the lyrics, don’t listen.
Well I just watched her perform on-stage in San Francisco at the Swedish Music Hall… a random occurrence as I had not ever heard the name Tina Dico before today. Her voice/band/song writing is simply amazing. It’s opened my ear up to a new genre I find difficult to like. The raw talent alone is inspiring. I found this article trying to get more information on the group/history. It’s pretty clear to me you have ulterior motives. I mean, thanks for sharing the opinion, but seriously, did she hurt you or something? I read a sense of hate/jealously/regret for something?
Peace to all.
ps. I feel lucky to have discovered this band. Good energy.
I don’t know this artist but googled her and she seems to be generally well received. As Oscar Wilde noted what reviewers review is really themselves.
I hope this is the only reply you get to this idiotic,mean-spirited review you arrogant piece of cow dung!