Dido's haunted voice is a flat line: Whether she's singing bold dismissals like "I can't look at you this morning," or loving declarations like "My heart has found its home," those gauze-covered pipes never modulate. So the sonic settings into which they're placed are all the more important. Her third studio album employs fewer electronic whooshes and more real instruments than the previous two, making it smaller, finer and a better showcase for her uncluttered melodies and lyrics. There are a lot of perfect little songs here; they run less than four minutes, but are rich and deep. "Quiet Times" is a shuffling, string-laden shanty that recalls great Brit folk-pop band the Sundays. "It Comes and It Goes" has an irresistible sway, while "The Day Before the Day" is quietly devastating. There isn't a standout single, but this is Dido's most fully realized and elegantly rendered collection. —Kerri Mason