Dot Allison - Room 7½ review

Absolute
Dot Allison - Room 7½

www.dotallison.com
www.myspace.com/dotallison


By Mike Bax

Through the nineties, Dot Allison fronted the UK electronica project One Dove. She has since collaborated with the likes of Massive Attack, Kevin Shields and Death In Vegas. On this, her fourth solo album, she has both Paul Weller and Pete Doherty present on the album.

While none of Dot’s albums are themed the same way, her voice is quite distinct, and somehow reminds me of bands like Portishead or Lamb. Room 7½ is an album of somber meditations on life and love that seems stripped down from anything Allison has done before. For the most part, it's eleven songs of her breathy vocals over delicate instrumentation. Doherty is credited on two songs on the album (and he sings and plays on one of them) and Weller is credited (and he sings and plays guitar) on a song as well.

Room 7½ is a quality album. All of the material is beautifully written and crafted. It's might not score high on the dance floor anytime soon, but it's a magical bit of tenderness that will keep a spot in my iTunes for the foreseeable future.