Mia Doi Todd – Gia

Mia Doi Todd – Gia / 2008 City Zen / 10 Tracks / http://www.miadoitodd.com /

Mia Doi Todd has just passed eir first decade in the music industry. This is because eir first album, “the ewe and the eye”, was first released in 1997. Todd has been prolific in the years that have followed. 1999 saw “come out of your mine”, 2001 saw “zeroone”, 2002 saw “The Golden State”; individuals can see from just these three albums (which comprise less than half of eir discography) that nary a year goes by between when discs are released. In much the same way, Todd is very liberal in the amount of collaborations that ey does, linking up with Saul Williams, Dntel, and Prefuse 73 at different times during eir career.

At one time bound to Sony, Todd has gotten the opportunity to work with City Zen Records. Gea immediately tests the dedication of eir fans with the opening track “River of Life / The Yes Song”, which is around 10 minutes long. “River of Life” keeps individuals interested in Todd because each bit of singing acts as a slight alteration to the section that immediately preceded it, showing individuals that a diverse sound is possible even when individuals limit their focus to narrow genres and concerns. It is during a track like “Sleepless Nights” where Todd’s ability shines through the brightest, though.

The unique vocals that Todd puts out throughout “Gia” are blended well with an acoustic guitar and little more: while individuals would think that the sound would be lacking something, the resulting track is intricate, the interplay between these constituent elements creating something greater than each part. “In The End” is a very deliberately-arranged track that tattoos the guitar work into listeners’ heart even before Todd’s vocals enter the picture. After they do start up, these vocals provide individuals with the perfect counterpoint to the timed, curt guitar line through a very light and airy sound. The dichotomy created by these two elements provides for another full sounding song, one that will stick with listeners long after the disc closes up shop. Mia Doi Todd, while sounding similar to how ey has on previous albums, has cleaned the overall production and arrangements up considerably since “La Ninja” came out in 2006. It is an evolutionary step that Todd has created, and was essential to top what was already and compelling and solid album on its own right.

Top Tracks: Kokoro, Sleepness Nights

Rating: 7.2/10