Britpop legends, Dodgy return with their 6th studio album, Hello Beautiful, which is full of purpose. Across 9 tracks, the band bottle their trademark harmonies, infectious hooks and sun-soaked riffs that define their sound.
But this time, there’s something deeper running through it; a more reflective, emotional core, woven into every note.
There’s something quietly defiant about Hello Beautiful. It’s not a comeback, chasing former glories but a band claiming their identity on their terms. Three decades on from the highs of Britpop, Dodgy continue to make an impact.
The opening track Hello Beautiful was the first glimpse of the album in 2025. It’s simply glorious, a masterclass in writing indie pop. It’s wonderfully melodic, with shimmering guitars and warm uplifting tones that instantly pull you, whilst Nigel Clark’s vocal carries a renewed sense of purpose. The chorus lifts effortlessly, really anthemic and is one that you’ll be singing along to well after the song has finished.
The Likes Of You and Me, starts off with the sound of waves, inviting you to relax, remember the past, whilst maintaining a sense of looking to the future. It’s built around a driving acoustic guitar, and tight rhythm section, before the outro sees the band add stunning strings, an infectious guitar hook and harmonies that build and build into a spine-tingling finale, that gives a real Beatles vibe to it.
It’s Not The End has a real emotive feel to it, built around a beautiful melody, that allows the song to breathe as it slowly builds. The chorus captures that moment of emotional uncertainty, emphasised in the lyric, “I’m sorry that you don’t feel the same, is your mind up, or is up for change”. It really leaves you hanging in the balance, part acceptance, part last roll of the dice, capturing the fragile space between letting go and holding on.
Nigel Clarke
“We approached each track as its own individual, with honesty at the core while still shaping an overall message, all united together by our trademark backing vocals and harmonies. Our time in the studio reflects a renewed energy and a deeper sense of pathos – this is a wiser, more evolved Dodgy in 2026. Making the album has been a passionate and rewarding process, embracing a new level of technicality that keeps the music feeling fresh and dynamic.”
Call It What You Want is built around this wonderful, finger picking guitar pattern, that provides the song with a folk-y feel supported with a haunting vocal and harmonies. There’s a real groove to their second half of the song, and the addition of strings, which takes the song into an unexpected direction.
Summer Forever is bright, immediate and impossible to ignore. It’s a real feel good moment, a sunshine anthem, that leans on nostalgia and longing for those days of being carefree. It’s classics Dodgy, with a sublime melody. The outro features a brass section X which really emphasises the lyric “let the future shine” which gives you a feeling that better days are to come.
Looking Back continues the records overriding feel of nostalgia. It’s the most guitar heavy track on the record, built around jagged guitars and one of the best guitar solos you are likely to encounter this year.
Beside Me is a slower, more measured and stripped back track, allowing the melody to carry the weight of the song. There’s a real intimacy here, with subtle instrumentation adding texture.
Mathew Priest
“Now feels like the perfect time to release “Hello Beautiful”, following what’s been an incredible couple of months for the band with recent shows and new singles.
There’s a real sense of excitement and momentum around us right now, and we can’t wait to take these new songs out across the country, especially to the venues and circuits that played such a vital role in our early days.”
Out Of Time is packed full of chiming guitars, trademark harmonies and sublime lead guitar textures that glide effortlessly through the track. It’s melodic and upbeat on the surface, but there’s real bite shimmering away. The lyrics flip the perspective, tapping into generational views, the idea of being seen as out of touch, out of step. Lines like “you’re out of touch, you’re out of time” cut through with a knowing edge, taking the song beyond its upbeat feel.
There’s a real warmth running through Fall In To Me, it’s heartfelt and beautiful, carried by those signature Dodgy harmonies, with the instrumental opening out into something assured and expansive. The lyrics just ooze positivity, something which Dodgy have always thrived on. The guitar hooks, piano strokes and strings elevate this into Beatles territory and rounds of the album in fine style.
With Hello Beautiful Dodgy remind you exactly why you fell in love with them 30 years ago. The melodies still soar, the harmonies shine, but now carry the weight of time, experience and truth. Three decades on, Dodgy have released an emotionally rich album that blends their trademark sound, with a new sense of perspective and depth and prove they’ve still got plenty left to stay.
Hello Beautiful is out now on all streaming platforms and available on physical formats here.
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