Album- In Your Hands
Artist- Eliza
Doolittle
After producing a couple of hit singles and a platinum
selling debut album, British singer-songwriter Eliza Doolittle went quite quiet
for over a year. But in 2013 the singer returned to the charts with her feature
on the Disclosure track ‘You & Me’, and with the release of her own single ‘Big
When I Was Little’. Yet the singer’s second album has not performed as well as
her previous record, only reaching number 25 in the UK album chart and
seemingly being hindered by a release in the music heavy last quarter of 2013.
But is In Your Hands that bad an album, or does this record have enough charm
and power to see renewed success for the singer in 2014?
Track 1- Waste of
Time
Opening track Waste of Time is a minimalist slice of soulful
pop backed by a jazzy piano line and toe tapping tambourine instrumentation.
The song opens up the album in a simplistic but sophisticated way, and whilst
the jaunty rhythm of the song is quite joyful, Doolittle contrasts that joyous
tone within her lyrics, as she reflects on this relationship that is a waste of
time, but she still wants her baby. The use of some soulful background vocals
creates an extra layer of depth to the lyrics, and although the song is too
repetitive, Doolittle does make this a strong opening through the way that she
opens up her voice, with the rough vocal in the bridge seemingly bringing a
layer of honesty to the singers work.
3.5/5
Track 2- Back Packing
Beginning with this quirky, electronic music box rhythm,
Back Packing quickly transforms into a thumping mid tempo track in which
Doolittle plays the role of a ‘real’ woman who travels the world and who has
all that this boy needs. Within the lyrics the singer seems to really show that
she has come of age, and what is nice about the song is the way that the singer
elevates the lyrics by bringing out a sensual vocal performance. The chorus
itself is quite annoying as the layered vocal and lyrical repetition just comes
across as too forceful, but the singer executes her confident persona well, and
the jaunty piano and snappy, 60’s soul vibe creates a nice, swaying rhythm to
the song.
3/5
Track 3- Hush
Hush is another track that is backed by this quirky music
box beat, but which quickly becomes subdued by snappy drum beats and more
soulful pop production. The singer becomes more of a feisty women with this
song, as she tells this person to stop talking because she is sick of their
actions and believes that they just talk a lot of rubbish. The lyrics are
simple, sharp and smart, whilst the chorus is made catchier by the way that the
singer utilises her voice. This is because Doolittle shows off her range and
creates more subdued verses against the falsetto led chorus, creating a fun
dynamic within the song that works really well and makes the lyrical statements
that bit more cutting.
3.5/5
Track 4- Let It Rain
Second single Let It Rain is positioned as big mid tempo pop
moment, but sadly the song doesn’t have the right level of impact that it
possibly could. Here we find the singer telling us of how she has had bad times
and learnt lessons, and she just wants her troubles to rain on her, because she
will be stronger because of it. The use of the rain metaphor is quite clichéd,
and that is a problem with the lyrical composition as a whole, as Doolittle doesn’t
really say anything interesting and just treads that familiar line of what doesn’t
kill you makes you stronger. The singer isn’t the strongest vocalist and this
song shows this, but she does give it her best and imbues the song with a
passion that you can kind of invest in towards the end. The pop production
tries to make the song sound more impactful but just heightens the songs clichés,
however the mix of strings, horns and drums is still light and fun enough to
make this a nice pop song, just not the best.
3/5
Track 5- No Man Can
No Man Can is a lovely ballad that finds the singer telling
us of how she gives her all in relationships, and how this boy makes her feel
in a way that no man could. The song just acts as a pure ode to falling in love
that is made sweeter by the singers light vocal tone that is layered in the
right places and which brings out the whole sentiment of the song very nicely. The
hand clap heavy production creates a nice, summery pop vibe to the record that
is forceful but light enough to let the lyrics do the work, and whilst the song
could perhaps be kicked up a gear towards the end for a better finish, this is
a fine ballad that shows of the singer to better effect.
3.5/5
Track 6- Walking On
Water
Doolittle takes things to more of a wistful but dominate vibe
with Walking on Water, a song that finds the singer addressing the issue of how
her and her man have a great relationship, but she is tired of things being
simple, and now she seemingly wants to take the relationship to new, serious
heights. The lyrics are catchy in places but some of the references don’t flow
as well as they should, and within the song Doolittle can come across as a bit
of a whiny girlfriend, just as her much as her light vocal makes it seem like
she is a lovely person. The problem at this point is the hand clapping beats of
the production sound so familiar and simple that at this point it just seems as
if the singer is on a music recycling binge.
3/5
Track 7- In Your
Hands
Title track In Your Hands finds the singer wearily singing
of how she is in love with this person who is maybe not good for her, but she can’t
help the fact that her heart is in his hands. The songs concept is very
unoriginal, and the singer’s lyrics don’t push beyond the idea of this man
being good and bad, with the singer just going around in circles and saying the
same thing over and over, which is really annoying. The vocal performance also
becomes equally as annoying quite quickly, as the singer puts on this cutesy
vocal performance that sees her go into her higher register to very poor
effect. Combine this with the bland, bass heavy production, and you just have a
title track that is really boring to listen to.
1.5/5
Track 8- Checkmate
From the soppy, cringe worthy times of the previous track we
turn to a more upbeat time with Checkmate. The song is a forceful, sharp break
up song in which Doolittle tells this boy that he is too late in showing his
feelings and stepping up in his relationship, with the singer telling him that
he ‘is just a little boy in a big girls land’ and using the idea of chess to
show that she has won in the end. The song is definitely one of the better lyrical
compositions from the album, and what is great about this song is the way that
it is a biting track but also just has this really fun essence. The singer
seems to show more of a lively personality within her vocal performance, whilst
the production is fun with the upbeat piano line and snappy, military style drum
beats that just creates this fun sound that works well with the lyrics.
3.5/5
Track 9- Team Player
Team Player finds the singer giving us a deep, soulful
performance in the beginning that is simply backed by piano, before the heavy
bass begins and this smoky, snappy drum beat begins to really centre the song.
The tracks minimal style does work well in showing off the singer’s voice and
allowing her airy tone to do its work on the listener, but the production is a
bit too harsh and doesn’t really tread any interesting ground. The song
lyrically focuses on Doolittle telling this person that she doesn’t want to
hear that it is over, as she tells this person that together they could run the
world. Lyrically it just reads as a desperate plea for a guy to not break up
with you, and with some terrible clichés and a really sloppy, ‘la la la’ filled
bridge, this is a really poor track.
2/5
Track 10- Make Up Sex
With Make Up Sex Doolittle takes the album to its edgiest
realms, as she sings of the idea of how relationships may not work and you
should just give up sometimes, but this particular guy should not wait around
for that thing that is make up sex. It is nice to hear the singer being a
commanding and driven person, but after about two thirds of the song her
forceful disposition doesn’t really have the same impact. The use of strings in
the bridge is nice, and overall the singer’s vocals are smart and snappy, but
once again the production feels very formulaic and indifferent to the song,
blending with the rest of the albums tracks to make it seem as if the singer
has no other sound.
2/5
Track 11- Don’t Call
It Love
The blurring piano line that acts as the undertone of this
song is intriguing, and although the snappy drum beats and soul pop production
is familiar, the song is a bit more intriguing through how the sound has a slightly
darker quality. Here we find the singer telling this person that there
relationship could be seen as anything, but calling it love would just be a
lie. The message is simple but effective, with the singer nicely playing with
the idea of a bland relationship very well. The singer’s vocals are also nice
in the way that her airy vocals are quite languid, and with the use of
background vocals, the song is nicely formed into this chilled affair that finds
the singer in a nice state of contentment with her situation.
3.5/5
Track 12- Big When I
Was Little
Lead single Big When I Was Little is a bold slice of up
tempo ska pop with brash horns and a shiny musical tone that has you bouncing around
in joy and nostalgia. The song is a nice change within the record as we find
the singer turning away from romantic ideas and focusing on this idea of
looking back at childhood memories. The song is lyrically fun and witty with
some nice cultural references that teenagers of the 90’s will love, and set
against the summery, bold tone of the production, the song is just transformed
into as a fun a nostalgic moment for the listener as it is for Doolittle
herself. The singer’s vocals are also nice and airy with a personality driven
essence that makes the nostalgia feel all the more worthwhile. The only problem
for me with this song is that, whilst definitely a standout from the album, it doesn’t
fit as a well within the more mature, relationship heavy context, and
potentially could be seen as something created just for the need of a
commercially accessible song that could sell well.
3.5/5
Track 13- Euston Road
Final track Euston Road is another song in which the singer
stays within the realms of nostalgia, but this time the singer blends nostalgia
with a romantic edge. The nostalgia is also twisted into contemplation of the
future, as the singer focuses on how she and this person are growing up and
moving on. It is a nice, coming of age song with a smooth vocal and simple
backdrop for the sound, but by this point in the record things have just been
going on too long, causing the record to lose some of its charm.
3/5
Final Review
In listening to In Your Hands I can’t help but come to the
conclusion that the album didn’t do as well as the singer’s debut not just
because it was released during a busy period, but because it isn’t that good an
album. The singer’s airy voice is nice enough and some of the lyrics are
catchy, but on the whole the album just blends into a mess of quite formulaic
soul pop that tries to show maturity but which saps out the fun, meaning that
you can quickly become bored with Doolittle. This album just shows that she
really should go back to the drawing board, and try and make some happier
moments in her life.
Best Track- Big When
I Was Little
Worst Track- In Your
Hands
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