Build a Problem

The debut album from British singer/songwriter Dodie, 2021's Build a Problem balances artful introspection with a wry, pop sensibility. Produced by Joe Rubel (Ed Sheeran, James Blunt), with one production by Pomplamoose in the hooky, kinetic single "Boys Like You," the album finds Dodie further expanding the sound she first displayed on her previous EPs, including 2017's You and 2019's Human. With her delicate voice pushed high in the mix, there's an intimacy to Build a Problem that makes it feel as if Dodie is singing directly to the listener. Weaving together her often-vibrant, multi-tracked vocals with strummed ukulele or acoustic guitar, organic percussion, piano, and deft string or woodwind flourishes, Dodie's music has a chamber pop quality that evokes the classical-influenced art rock of Kate Bush and Tori Amos. Also like those artists, Dodie brings a keen, feminist eye to her songs, detailing her feelings about living in a world of entitled men, just as she probes her own often self-destructive inclinations especially in regards to relationships. It's a style best represented in tracks like "Hate Myself," "I Kissed Someone (It Wasn't You)," and "Special Girl," the latter of which begins with what sounds like two sticks beating out a rhythm against a woody acoustic bassline as Dodie sings about how people often equate being in love with being in pain. She sings, "Sweet, sweet irony/Could not care less if you love me/But hate me first, yeah make me work; that's perfect/Baby I'm a funny thing/I'm walking if it doesn't sting/Heartbreak only means that it was worth it." The minimalism of Dodie's songs gracefully juxtaposes their sophistication, helping to illuminate the many revelatory pop moments that can be heard throughout Build a Problem. ~ Matt Collar