When an artist reaches a certain level of esteem, and they are among your favorites out of everyone who has ever attempted to make music, trying to pick favorite moments is a task akin to finding which gold bar in Fort Knox is the most perfectly gold. It can be done, but it requires time, patience, and a trained eye at the limits of human possibility. Ok, that's a bit dramatic, but trying to pick ten songs to highlight as the best of Dilana's oeurve was not easy. My mind can easily change tomorrow, but for today, these are what I determine are the essential Dilana songs.
From "Wonderfool"
When You're Around
Do You Now
Two very different songs come from this album. "Do You Now" is a pop/rock song that fit in with the edginess of the scene as we moved into the 2000s, with bright guitars, sassy attitude, and a sticky hook. It is a song of its time, when we were watching Britney and Christina re-sexualizing pop music, but that doesn't make it any less fun. Plus, it shows us that the style could be done well, and without having to play to the hearts (and groins) of teenage boys. "When You're Around" is the better of the two songs, easily. It is a beautiful acoustic song with country tinges of slide guitar that nails the balance between somber and energetic. The arrangement also allows Dilana's voice to ring through with clarity, and the purity of her tone is stunning. As many times as I've heard it, my breath is still taken away.
From "InsideOut"
Somebody Else
Ice
Dirty Little Secret
Falling Apart
Still Wanting
My first encounter with Dilana on record, this album had a little something for everyone. These highlights shine as brightly as spotlights trained right in our eyes. "Somebody Else" is simply a beautifully written and performed pop/rock song, while "Ice" and "Dirty Little Secret" are painfully beautiful tracks with searing vocals that etch melodies in our hearts and minds. Or at least mine. "Still Wanting" is the dramatic song where Dilana stretches her voice, hitting some of the most powerful notes I've ever heart. And then there's "Falling Apart", which I've written about before as my favorite song ever. The guitars allow a build-and-release catharsis, and the organ that sits in the background is a detail reminding us there's beauty even in the darkest moments. That's never changed.
From "Beautiful Monster"
Beautiful Monster
Silver Ashes
This is a record that needs to be taken in full, but that would have been too much cheating for a list. These two songs achieve the same results as the rest, dripping with emotion that reverberates in every note Dilana sings. When people say music has soul, I say this is music that has a soul. It is laid bare to us, and it shimmers as the light catches the creases and curves.
From "Dilana"
Airplane
Maybe Just A Little
This collection of songs used in the movie "Angel Camouflaged" contains a few absolute gems. "Airplane" is Dilana at her rocking best, with big guitars, big vocals, and a big hook. It's feel-good rock music, the kind that invites listeners in rather than pushing them away, the kind an audience will be shouting back to the stage. "Maybe Just A Little" goes in the other direction, a song that balances introspection with gloss. It's a laid-back, restrained song that keeps itself at a distance, while reeling you in with a bouncy, irresistible melody. I love the contradiction it represents.
That's a damn good set of songs, isn't it?
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