Customer Reviews

In the Red

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I know it's only February, but I am already giving this album my best of the year award. I can't imagine a more stellar US debut for this beautiful artist. Tina has a fantastic voice and sense of songwriting and _storytelling_. Compared to her EP, Far (which was good but lacking in some respects), she sounds even more mature, emotional, and thoughtful, all without being over the top. Everything is perfectly balanced and moderated. I can't gush enough about this album. This is the best female rock (with a folk influence, decidedly, but the sound is very modern, so don't be fooled) I have heard in years. The instrumentation/production is subtle without being sparse, the perfect compliment to her voice. I can't even pick a particular standout song - they are all standouts. This is one of those rare albums that you can listen to all the way through without skipping a single track. For those wanting more I'll break it down:

Songwriting
===========
So first of all, Tina writes all the music and lyrics. So she's the full package (not to mention that she's also incredibly attractive). She has a great command of the English language in poetry, which is amazing considering that she's _Danish_. She touches on all sorts of topics; of course there are songs of love won and lost (some very sensual). There's also a lot of treatment of (what I assume is her own) personal history using some powerful imagery, but without being clinical or academic at all. She's also not afraid to tackle the more nebulous subjects either; the word choice is so well balanced: "You don't touch the magic / the magic touches you" being one example. She also touches on the inspirational, and does it well: "It's too late to be perfect / And it's not like we haven't tried / It's hard but it's worth it / Every time we get it right", and even the semi-comical in the song "Head Shop". And the music? Creative, novel, masterful... 'nuff said.

Music / Vocals
==============
Well what can I say. Tina has one of the best voices I've heard in a long time. It's emotive without being too strong, and she can modulate it in many ways, harsh, soft, airy, deep. She has great control of it as well. The touch of vibrato she adds at the ends of phrases is perfect. The instrumentation is great - it has the sound of a timeless album, a great blend of acoustic and electronic instruments (plenty of guitars and keyboards). The percussion is great too, varied and complimentary to the tunes. It's amazing, the music sounds very classic (like something you've heard before many times) but at the same time it sounds totally fresh. I'm at a loss to find a comparison for her. Everything I try to come up with doesn't quite work. I'd love for someone to point out a similar artist for me! As far as I can tell she's one of a kind. There's the obvious rock influence, but also some "chill" influence (like Zero 7) in there, some folk (maybe Dar Williams?), some soul or R&B, and probably more... She has her own sound without being repetitive.

Tina
====
You might be thinking, hmm Tina's voice sounds familiar, have I heard her before somewhere? Well, in fact, you may have, because she is a guest vocalist on Zero 7's second album, Home. Zero 7 has gotten a lot of attention here in the US because their song Waiting Line was included in the film Garden State. Tina has actually been performing in her native Denmark for years (I believe she has 2 or 3 albums there, for which she has won all kinds of awards in Europe). I can only hope she keeps going for a long time!

Bottom Line
===========
What's really special about Tina is that she doesn't really sound like anyone else (well, at least no one I've heard, and I've heard plenty). She's so unique! This album really moves me at a deep level. This is what music is supposed to be.

Tina Dico is one of those rare finds...a true artist. With a voice like silk, there is a genuine comfort that one obtains from her music. 'In The Red' is a rewarding experience...as if in the form of "audible serotonin".
I consider myself Zero 7's number one fan, and it was through their material that I first heard Tina. I can guarantee that if you are a fan of Zero 7, you will find Tina's work equally appealing. That said, she more than stands on her own, with her own style, which is more earthy and sublime. 'In The Red' will lift your spirits, and calm your soul.

As if "In The Red" wasn't good enough to begin with, this Special Edition 2-disk set includes a live concert AND two studio tracks left off the original album, which I think are better than anything that was ON the record. "When You're Away" really hit home for me, and "Lost In Art" is simply gorgeous. Tina's EP "Far" is still my favorite overall recording, but "Fuel", "Notes", and this edition of "In The Red" are close behind... I just hope she's involved with another Zero 7 project eventually. THAT would be heaven.

This is a solid effort from a very talented musician. If you didn't know that Tina was Danish you would never know it from this CD. I'd forgotten this and thought that there was a bit of a Country feeling to some of the songs. There is slide guitar on a few songs.

Tina has a great voice and a real talent for harmony although it is hard to tell whether the harmonies are real or remixes. The musicianship is excellent as is the production.

I'd give the CD a 5 but there are a few awkward moments. Going to the Head Shop would be a great song but going to the head shop is a lyric I could do without. There are some very good songs that you'l have runing through your head for a while like "Give In" amd "In the Red." All in all an excellent CD that should appeal to a broad spectrum.

I bought the export last February and it's been one of my most listened to albums this year.
Craving more of Tina's brilliance, I purchased this edition with her live acoustic solo set Bonus CD.
It is simply the BEST concert I have ever heard.
Your sorrows will evaporate as Tina and her guitar heal your life's wounds.

I have been listening to this album for a while now, and it has become a favorite of mine. Tina has a really nice soulful voice, that is a pleasure to listen to. I think the songs on this album are very good, a bit of a departure from the sound of Zero 7. "Losing", "In the Red" and "Use Me" are my favorite songs on this CD. She has a good sense of poetry in here songs, add the fact that she is from Denmark so English would be her second language. I like the mix of acoustic and electric instruments on this album, not the usual sounding stuff. Judging from this album, I think good things are down the road for Tina Dico.

Tina Dico is an amazing artist. I have been following her since I saw Zero 7 live last year, and I acutally got see her live and alone (and meet her too) recently on her US tour with the release of In the Red. An unforgettable experience.
All of the previous praise is absolutely on target. When you first listen to In the Red, you notice what a great CD it is. However, each time you listen, there seems to be more and more layers revealed, and the songs infect and reach deeper levels of meaning. I look forward to her continued US success.
This is an unbeatable album, folks. You won't be disappointed.

After two promising EP's and a stint in 2004 singing with Zero 7, singer/songwriter Tina Dico has finally brought her sublime vocals to this, her first full-length release, entitled In The Red. And as debut albums go, it's a goodie.

Tina Dico's music falls squarely into the the adult/alternative pop category - it's accessible and immediate, but also has a pervading sense of melancholy that lends her material an edge and a nice sense of depth. Opener 'Losing' showcases both sides of Dico's songwriting to splendid effect, with poignant, almost downcast verses building up to a sparkling and powerful chorus. Capitilizing on a wonderful start, the next two songs are also fine examples of this formula. 'Warm Sand' is plucked from 2004's Far EP, and despite a slightly altered intro it remains as lovely as the title suggests it to be, and the thrilling 'Nobody's Man' sounds like a single in the making.

Lyrically speaking, it's pretty familiar fare throughout - stories of failed romances, inscrutable partners, insecurity and ultimately the realization that life will be OK without a man. Luckily, Tina Dico's words avoid cliche and they also ring true, with years of heartache audibly everpresent just below the surface of her voice. Even at her most out and out radio-friendly (the Natalie Imbruglia-like 'Give In') she remains convincing.

Whilst there are a couple of tunes on In The Red that are pleasant without being particularly attention-grabbing, the only real misfire comes in the form of the morose 'The City', which, in it's attempt to sound downtempo and mystical comes across as more affected than affecting. That small blip however, doesn't take away from the fact that In The Red is a strong and assured first outing.

I first heard Tina Dico through her work with Zero-7 and I just loved her voice and the emotive way she sings.

This CD is full of moving songs with very memorable melodies and some unusual vocal harmonies that really click. It's very rare for me to hear a CD in which I love 9 out of 10 songs.

Great CD!

Tina Dico is absolutely fantastic. She has a marvelous voice, which I would call sultry, and she writes songs of substance. This version of "In the Red" is the one to own. The extra cd of her live performance in Copenhagen allows the listener to really hear the quality of her vocals. Her timing and phrasing of the lyrics are superb, well delivered, and her confident singing can be stunningly beautiful. I cannot imagine not having this cd in my collection.