Remember Eliza Doolittle?

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Cicice
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Remember Eliza Doolittle?

Post by Cicice »

Remember Eliza Doolittle? That 2010 debut with those 13 little cutesy, old fashion ska singalongs?
Pushing past the gorgeous heatwave collaboration with Disclosure, "You & Me" and the slightly soulful "In Your Hands", she dropped the name Doolittle and went with Eliza.

I'm psyched that her latest album "A Sky Without Stars" is out this week. As Eliza, she seemed to have taken a more comfortably intimate and soulful R&B direction that sounds very much like the R&B slow jams in the 2000s and perhaps The Sims lounge music on Playstations. Some of the productions sounds like a cross between The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Hill) and Lovers Rock (Sade).

I wouldn't say these songs take off in a big massive banger / in your face way but I would say they're like music for the head and to help sway the hips and shoulders (slowly!).

Personally,
"Lava / Treacle" (with Jesse James Soloman) was an enjoyable singalong for 2020 (along with Jessie Ware) and a great addition for the lounge during the pandemic lockdown. Its chorus is quite an earworm. Shame it didn't make the latest album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4IHpfPCz-M

"Alone & Unfraid", taken from the album "A Real Romantic". I reckon if critics were to pick up on this song that year when the album released in 2018, some of them would have added this song in their best year end list due to its independent and self assure lyrical content, especially the line "Not in this life to be a wife". Although it has nearly reached 2 million viewers, the surroundings in music video helps compliments the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1d8EX8uE5U

and finally this year, "Heat Of The Moon", taken by her latest album, "A Sky Without Stars". This one doesn't stray too far from "Lava / Treacle" but nevertheless a intimate throwback for those who enjoys an R&B slow jam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtMqjpKhqMU


What do you think? Did we sleep on Eliza? Is she still making good music? Is she worth your time? Is her new music direction crap? Is her music not interesting enough?
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ProjectTermina
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Re: Remember Eliza Doolittle?

Post by ProjectTermina »

Thanks for this thread. This is my first time hearing of this artist. The tight control with which she wields her somewhat nasal voice reminds me a lot of Kali Uchis. I like all the songs you linked, and I see the similarity to Lauryn Hill -- the super jazzy guitar voicings remind me of the piano on "Nothing Even Matters."

I'm in love with "Lava/Treacle." It has this property that I'm really interested in -- or maybe property isn't the word. I perceive this song as being very catchy, but in a non-obvious, roundabout way. I'm fascinated by the verse melody: simple, satisfying, sticks in my head, but it never touches the song's tonal center. In fact, were it not for the bass line, I don't think I could sus out whether this song is in F major or D minor. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm a pophead, but an adventurous pophead, and this song scratches both itches.
Cicice
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Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:54 pm

Re: Remember Eliza Doolittle?

Post by Cicice »

ProjectTermina wrote: Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:04 pm Thanks for this thread. This is my first time hearing of this artist. The tight control with which she wields her somewhat nasal voice reminds me a lot of Kali Uchis. I like all the songs you linked, and I see the similarity to Lauryn Hill -- the super jazzy guitar voicings remind me of the piano on "Nothing Even Matters."

I'm in love with "Lava/Treacle." It has this property that I'm really interested in -- or maybe property isn't the word. I perceive this song as being very catchy, but in a non-obvious, roundabout way. I'm fascinated by the verse melody: simple, satisfying, sticks in my head, but it never touches the song's tonal center. In fact, were it not for the bass line, I don't think I could sus out whether this song is in F major or D minor. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm a pophead, but an adventurous pophead, and this song scratches both itches.

Thank you for the descriptive response, I really respect people who does it like that.

I think calling "Lava / Treacle" catchy in a non obvious roundabout way was the perfect description for it. I bloody love that! My round of Applause goes to you ProjectTermina.

I love "Lava" and "Alone & Unafraid" the most but if I had to pick between the two, it's just an eensie wensie bit towards "Alone & Unafraid". Whilst "Lava" and "Heat Of The Moon" contains a lot of warmth, "Alone & Unfraid" was just chilly: That twisted bassline, cold Neo Soul snare, breezy vocal, strong lyrics, the small echoing voice chipping before the chorus and the male sample loop that reminds me of how breezy "Loud Places" got when Jamie xx samples a portion of an old soul song. "Alone & Unafraid" was a fascinating journey, it was like riding a bike, skateboard, scooter or rollerskating in the opposite direction of a heavy wind.

I can hear the Kali Uchis comparison within her voice like "Body Language" except a little less smoky and hazy but from the last few days, I came to realise her voice has a little more in common with Katy B (Like a UK London based girl with a sweet voice putting a bit of a Neo Soul / 2step garage beat in their R&B song and turning away from commercialism). Check Katy's "Honey" or "5AM", you can hear a mix of determination taking over some of the shyness within Katy and Eliza's vocals.

I think I hear "Lava / Treacle" done in D Minor but I could be wrong. Another song this beat reminds me of is Lauryn Hill's  "Superstar" and little bit of Kali Uchis' "Teeth In My Neck".

Her debut album "Eliza Doolittle" may be a treat for popheads who likes a simple catchy hook but what I like about Eliza is sometimes she managed to make some of the verse and prechorus alot catchier than the actual chorus and doesn't need to make the chorus close to being repetitive to make it rememberable. She's done this with "Moneybox", "Rollerblades", "Empty Hand" and "Mr. Medicine". I do respect artist who manages to do that unlike "All About That Bass".
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