Life for Rent

1	White Flag 4:01
2	Stoned 5:55
3	Life for Rent 3:41
4	Mary's in India 3:41
5	See You When You're 40 5:20
6	Don't Leave Home 3:46
7	Who Makes You Feel 4:20
8	Sand in My Shoes 4:59
9	Do You Have a Little Time 3:55
10	This Land Is Mine 3:46
11	See the Sun 10:35

Barnes & Noble

Her solo debut, No Angel -- abetted by her appearance on Eminem's "Stan" -- made this moody British songstress one of the most surprising entrants into pop's multi-platinum club. It's taken her a few years to come to terms with taking the next step, but Life for Rent is a confident stride forward for Dido, as evidenced by the lush orchestrations of the opening "White Flag." That song, colored in the bruised tones of a still-fresh breakup, sets the mood, which revolves, by and large, around Dido's split with her longtime beau. She flits between relief and regret, stepping gingerly into the former emotion on the album's sole up-tempo number, "Sand in My Shoes," and falling into the latter on the sparse title track and the rest of the album. Following No Angel, most of Life for Rent's melodies were constructed by the singer's brother, Rollo Armstrong (of the dance-pop duo Faithless). He matches her musings with airy whoosh and a dash of techno-folk, hitting nerves particularly with the obsessive "Don't Leave Home." Dido's fondness for hazy ambience is generally a positive influence, but on occasion -- the appropriately titled "Stoned," for instance -- she all but disappears behind the veil of swirling synths and lackadaisical rhythms. For the most part, however, Life for Rent gives the singer enough room to brood -- and offers the listener enough incentive to climb into its darker chambers to join her. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Life for Rent doesn't offer anything that drastically different from Dido's debut album, No Angel -- the dance beats are marginally fresher, the production is clean and new -- but this predictibility is actually rather refreshing because the album delivers on its promise, unlike many sophomore affairs in 2003. That its promise is rather modest doesn't really matter, since Dido is successful at modest songs. She has a sweet, warm voice and a knack for tuneful modern folk-pop that sounds intimate while being confidently catchy and nicely atmospheric. In other words, it retains the feel of No Angel and its two big hits, "Here With Me" and "Thank You," without ever rewriting either song, but contributing songs like "White Flag," "Stoned," "Life for Rent," and "Do You Have a Little Time," which are nearly as memorable. The appeal of Life for Rent is what makes Dido appealing -- she's unassuming and gentle, but her songs are so melodic and atmospheric they easily work their way into the subconscious, and the records are well-crafted enough to be engaging on repeated plays. So, Life for Rent isn't much different than its predecessor, but that's a very good thing in this case. Stephen Thomas Erlewine