More about: dodie

On her debut album Build A Problem, London-based singer/songwriter Dodie Clark – better known as dodie - zeros in on the fragility and intimacy that have become defining marks of her online presence. 

After over a decade of knowing dodie through the looking glass that is her YouTube channel, her first full-length is an honest and open journey that draws listeners into the peaks and troughs of her life curtained by an alt-pop soundscape of soft vocals and introspective lyricism. 

Opening with the light-hearted stylings of 'Air So Sweet' before flipping the switch with the vulnerability of 'Hate Myself', the 25-year-old singer proves her ability to balance precious moments of joy with therapeutic musicality. 

Making conflicts the central theme of her album –  conflicting emotions meeting conflicting sonics -  dodie allows complicated emotions to unravel naturally as her signature “quiet” vocals melts easily into minimalistic ballads productions like 'Four Tequilas Down' and 'I Kissed Someone (It Wasn’t You)'.

However, just as much as she leans on the strength of her cathartic songwriting that has helped her music succeed thus far, dodie makes it a point to step outside the hazy intimacy she has woven with the swooping sensibilities of tracks like 'Sorry' and 'Special Girl', where she bejewels her typically sparse production with the drama of soaring string sections. 

On stand-out single 'Cool Girl', dodie strays even further from the diary-entry-like introspection, replacing it effortlessly and impressively with catchy pop hooks, perfectly marrying two worlds – the one where the cosy, bedroom pop crafted by her online persona “doddleoddle” co-exists with a polished, ever-evolving musician – for fans of both sides to enjoy. 

From moments of levity on 'Rainbow', to the self-reflective pauses that consider missed love on 'When', this album is a collection of songs that sharpen the definition of dodie, fleshing out the person and finessing the artistry in one feather-light sweep of whispered vocals, personable songwriting and earworm melodies. 

Spanning joy, sadness, anger with stops at every turn of dodie’s life, Build A Problem brings listeners fully into this rising star’s at times stormy, at other times sunshine-filled, world, as descriptions and tales of heartbreak, sexuality and self-love hold them captive. 

Build A Problem arrives 7 May via Doodleoddie.

More about: dodie