8/10

Ever since breaking through with her captivating debut LP 'Golden Hour' in 2019, North East singer-songwriter Jodie Nicholson has been on a more explorative run than many of her peers. Branching out from the alluring indie-folk aesthetic of her origins, her more recent material has seen her cultivate a beautifully admirable tone that uses euphoric soundscapes to heighten her already immersive style. And after plenty of praise for her singles in the years since, she now returns with her eagerly-awaited new album 'Safe Hands', a record that cements her glorious legacy of late.

Featuring the tantalising delights 'You Wanted This', 'Another Frequency' and 'What If I', Nicholson finds herself in her most confident and assured guise yet. With each offering moving with this subtle elegance within both its songwriting and production, 'Safe Hands' is certainly a bold step forward in her musical evolution of late. Oozing with these rich and tender textures that work perfectly with her dreamlike vocals from beginning to end, she is delivering some of her most passionate and compelling work to date here.

Jodie Nicholson's dynamic sound has always managed to capture plenty of attention, but 'Safe Hands' proves she is still very much on top of her creative game. Finding and developing new and interesting ideas as often as possible, she continues to shine as one of the more progressive names on the UK scene right now.