Less Than Passionate

Danish singer Tina Dico’s third release, In the Red, is enjoyable, but there’s not much to hold onto. There’s nothing particularly visceral or passionate about it. It’s akin to her style: understated and sultry, tinged with melancholy. Her voice is lovely (she’s sung with British group Zero 7), but it’s thrown away on unmemorable music. There are some great tracks but the CD often sounds like a string of similar songs run together.The sophisticated “In the Red” best captures Dico’s diffused sensuality. With minimal piano and guitar accompaniment, Dico’s smoky vocals envelope you. Like Sade, she makes it seem effortless.

There are a few slightly upbeat, noteworthy tracks. “Give In” has an infectious melody and relatable lyrics like, “It’s too late to be perfect/And it’s not like we haven’t tried /It’s hard but it’s worth it. “One” is as close to an emotionally charged ballad as Dico gives. The music never rises above what amounts to easy listening, but Dico lets loose vocally and it resonates.

On the less memorable tracks, the music doesn’t vary much from song to song and adds little to her low-key vocals. “My Mirror” is like a wordy poem set to music. “The City” is a cautionary tale (“You don’t change the city/The city changes you”), but it’s hard to empathize with lyrics like, “Where are you now, my love? Still in the war with the Aphrodite Mob?” Maybe it makes better sense in Europe.

Dico’s voice and presence are appealing, and In the Red demonstrates that, but it’s not a CD that grabs you and stays with you.