Album Review: Tina Dico - Welcome Back Colour

Tina Dico - Welcome Back Colour

After a decade forging a loyal fan base in the UK, US and Germany - and becoming Denmark's #1 pop star in the process - a Tina Dico anthology was probably long overdue. With seven albums under her belt and over a century of songs in her catalogue, Welcome Back Colour is an interesting and varied selection of the 33 year old's work.

Unlike many artists who compile a 'best of' by picking their 15 best known songs and recording one new track, Dico has been careful with this collection. Just 11 of the 26 tracks are lifted directly from previous releases and so there's plenty to interest die hard fans. Five new songs, two duets and eight acoustic re-recordings of some of her favourite songs make up the double CD.

It will surprise no-one to discover that I think this album is almost perfect. Dico's 2009 album The Road to Gavle was my 'album of the year', whilst her 2008 release Count to Ten was both my album of the year and album of the decade. What I particularly like about Welcome Back Colour is that there is plenty of new material to enjoy. The title track - a Danish #1 single - is unlike any record that Dico has made before with its staccato, angular guitar whilst Copenhagen - a paean to her home town - is simply beautiful. However, the pick of the new songs is undoubtedly Watching Him Go, a song that is so heartrending and brutally honest that it can't fail to move you.

As with any anthology there will be personal favourites missing and one or two of the acoustic re-recordings don't add much to the original release. However, these are minor and petty complaints. If you're not already a Dico fan then Welcome Back Colour is the perfect introduction to one of the most talented singer songwriters of her generation. If you are already a fan, there's still tons to enjoy on this record.

Amazing.