Review: Jodie Nicholson Embraces Vulnerability in New Album ‘Safe Hands’
★★ BY LAUREN AUDREY ★★
London-based singer and producer, Jodie Nicholson has a natural knack for intertwining both vulnerability and comfort in her music. Nicholson’s latest album Safe Hands is no exception, as it envelops listeners in a cocoon of brooding chamber-pop and vibrant synth-laden alt-pop.
Safe Hands is a testament to Nicholson's growth as an artist and a producer. The album showcases her ability to delve into the complexities of various relationships, from the interpersonal to the introspective. The emotional focus track,”Love, I’m On Fire”, is a beacon of this exploration, igniting a flame of passion and rawness that burns brightly throughout the rest of the record.
Nicholson has clear influences in the album, ranging from Daughter's haunting melodies to The National's rich lyricism. The Safe Hands’ soundscape is a journey through escapism and nostalgia. The production, a self-driven odyssey recorded at Blank Studios, is polished with the expertise of Oli Deakin's mixing and Katie Tavini's mastering, catapulting Nicholson into a sumptuous new era. Safe Hands is not just a collection of songs; it's a chronicle of Nicholson's affirmation of her capabilities, a reminder that she is indeed in her own 'safe hands'.
The album’s opener, 'You Wanted This', sets the tone for the rest of the album. It confronts the love-hate dichotomy of a musician's life with raw honesty and a nuanced understanding of the emotional tides that come with creative expression.
In Safe Hands, Nicholson not only assures us of her multifaceted talent but also invites us into a world where self-trust and artistic integrity walk hand in hand, leaving us eagerly anticipating her UK tour and the live translation of this personal yet universally relatable odyssey.
