‘In Your Hands’ is the second album from singer-songwriter Eliza Doolittle, following on from the commercial success of her self-titled debut release in 2010. This time around Doolittle has added an air of maturity to her work through developing a more unique and developed sound.

The opening track Waste Of Time immediately presents a more sophisticated sound from Doolittle’s previous release. The combination of her soulful vocals and the vamping piano at the opening immediately demand the listener’s attention. The album then takes a turn into a heavier territory with Back Packing, with its distinctive plucking of the bass throughout adding a further energy to her music. Another highlight is single Let It Rain, where the songstress returns to the foundations of her debut album with an overwhelmingly poppy sound.

Unfortunately numerous tracks lacking much substance either musically or lyrically pass without leaving any impact on the listener before the title track appears. In Your Hands with its raw lyrics, heavy beat and the intimacy of Doolittle’s voice  show how she has matured in her overall approach since her self-titled first release.

Anyone that turned on a radio over the summer will have heard Big When I Was Little. The debut single from the release is perfectly positioned to awaken the listener from the coma induced by the banality of what is the bulk of the record. The album winds down with final track Euston Road. Unfortunately though, the listener departs on Doolittle’s weaker material.

True, parts of the album show the development Doolittle has made since her first release but there are a lot of bland elements here too.  At thirteen tracks ‘In Your Hands’ is laborious in places with the duller songs exposing her weaknesses as a song-writer. True, she has developed from her first album, but she still has a long way to go before she achieves a flawless release. Having said that, ‘In Your Hands’ will no doubt prove to be a success amongst Doolittle’s followers.