2:24pm Monday 19th July 2010
By Harris Dee
ELIZA DOOLITTLE: ELIZA DOOLITTLE (Parlophone): TWENTY-TWO year old London newcomer Eliza Doolittle will do well to shake off comparisons with Lily Allen. Because I think she’s better and doesn’t need to sound like anybody but herself!
Her debut album is quirky, summery and most of all very catchy, pulling in a number of different styles to keep interest through the 13 tracks.
There is a retro 50s sound – even further back – on a couple of the tracks, and a crackly echoey sound that gives other songs a clubroom atmosphere, but she manages to give them all a modern, fresh sound. For instance, the second single Pack Up is based on the old George Henry Powell 30s marching song Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag but she succeeds in giving it a modern twist which hooks you. The earlier single Skinny Genes had a similar quirky twist with an infectious whistle chorus line. So High is a big ballad and A Smokey Room an acoustic delight.
The opener Moneybox and Missing are both in the Lily Allen mode, and there are touches on other songs and Eliza should try hard not to sound too much like her and draw the obvious comparisons. She can rely on her own excellent voice and songwriting talent. There are also hints of Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat on a couple of tracks buts it’s the LA similarity which might bug her.
But enough of that – listen to this album because it is Eliza Doolittle, it is irresistible and light for a warm afternoon with its mix of jazzy, country and Cuban rhythms and bouncy pop. An excellent first effort.
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