Dido: No Angel

(Arista)

Herald rating: * *

Review: Russell Baillie

She may be forever known as "Stan's girlfriend" - the voice and video supporting role behind Eminem's current hit.

You can hear what the rapper heard in English singer-songwriter Dido Armstrong here on the verses of Thankyou which later wound up as the hook in Stan.

This album was originally released last year in the northern hemisphere and is now getting its second wind due to the hip-hop connection.

There are others - Armstrong's older brother Rollo is part of Brit dance moodists Faithless and figures heavily in the producer credits here.

Which means we're a long way from Slim Shady's musical neighbourhood. Armstrong can sound like Sinead O'Connor (especially on glassy-eyed songs like My Lover's Gone) while the sunnier tunes with their mix of electronic backings and acoustic folk guitar can remind of Beth Orton.

However, while she's lyrically direct and occasionally disarming, Armstrong's songs struggle to make themselves heard from the abundant Faithless-like atmosphere.

And it may be that Slim Shady pinched her best tune, too.