Eliza Doolittle
In Your Hands
(Parlophone Records)

When Eliza Doolittle came on the scene, comparisons to Lily Allen were inevitable with her infectious pop sound and sweet delivery. On her sophomore record, Doolittle has found a chance to show a bit of maturity, though her lyrics haven’t grown at the same rate as her voice.

Album opener “Waste of Time” is a wonderful fusion of piano with some R&B undertones. “Hush” is a sugary pop tune, and Doolittle’s performance clashes wonderfully with the amount of profanity she uses when trying to quiet a lying lover. “In Your Hands” goes even higher in her range, creating a vulnerable sound to mimic the agony of loving someone far away. This isn’t just an album for heartbreak though. “Checkmate” is a catchy track calling out “a little boy in a big girl’s land.”

Unfortunately, the lyrics aren’t always so great. The worst offense would be “Walking On Water,” which genuinely, seriously contains these words: “Sometimes I wish I was Jesus/I’d get my Air Max on and run across the sea for you.” Only a little less cringe-worthy is “Make Up Sex,” which sounds fine, but tries too hard lyrically.

With In Your Hands, Doolittle has demonstrated that she has grown and found her voice to describe the changes in her young life, particularly when heartbroken. Her sound is indisputably good. I just hope she finds new collaborators who won’t let her get away with lyrics like “Just like Malcolm in the Middle, I was big when I was little.”