dodie - Human (EP Review)

When your career starts on YouTube, you have some different expectations of you. Because of that, being more open and honest can be risky. But English singer dodie has overcome that. In her new EP Human, dodie shares some of her most personal stories and truly wears her heart on her sleeve.

There’s a certain intimacy in Human that really sets up dodie’s honest approach. Opening track ‘Arms Unfolding‘ begins honestly and openly, dodie laying down some fundamental things as the simple song slowly moves along. Human is generally slow, but there’s a lot of emotion in each track that keeps things moving forward. Title track ‘Human‘ is gentle track driven by soft bubbling synths, Tom Walker offering subtle harmonies to add a bit more wear to the track’s vibe. ‘Not What I Meant‘ is also sweet and gentle, Lewis Watson trading off with dodie in a nice interplay.

Things get deeper as the record goes on: dodie’s first song ‘She’ is incredibly personal, explaining what she felt when she loved someone she knew would not love her back, softly explaining in the chorus: “She smells like lemongrass and sleep / She tastes like apple juice and peach / Oh, you would find her in a Polaroid picture / And she means everything to me.“ ‘If I’m Being Honest‘ continues on a warmer note, still maintaining a nice sweetness and gentleness with an anthemic build to pair. Closing track ‘Burned Out‘ is as weathered as the title implies, dodie slowly admitting how she believes she can’t live up to the expectations of her fans. It’s both cynical and pessimistic, yet it results in a beautiful finale to the record.

It’s hard to totally put your most personal emotions out on the line, but dodie does not settle for anything less. Human sees dodie wear her heart on her sleeve without looking back, and even with a short EP manages to reveal a lot about herself. Even with the odds stacked against her, she did not steer away from being who she is, and that is artistry at its finest.

Favorite Tracks: She, Burned Out, If I’m Being Honest

Least Favorite Track: Monster

Rating: 78 / 100

Stream or buy Human on Apple Music, and follow our 2019 Playlist on Spotify: