Eliza Doolittle

And so Ellie Goulding is the Sound of 2010. I like Ellie but not enough to really care much at the moment - she seems nice enough. Both Ellie and Marina were always going to come at the top of the poll having been knocking about since the beginning of the year and taking time to leak songs, play gigs, in Ellie's case play Jools, release limited edition singles and set the blogosphere all in a tizz while making sure they didn't chart in the top 20 and break the conditions of being in the Sound of … poll. The model of the Little Boots winning path was watched and just repeated last year. My votes this year were for 1. Hurts 2. Dollface 3. Jessie Malakouti. I'd have voted for Marina as well but thought she would get enough.

Anyway a couple of the labels were less on the ball about the sound of and sent out I Blame Coco + Eliza Doolittle tracks the week after it shut. I'd have probably have voted for them both otherwise. Eliza was knocking about in development for a lot of 2009 but only released her first E.P. at the end of November. Let's just hope that wasn't the first in an attempt to be the Sound of 2011.

If you can get over the name confusion (people should really start thinking about google), Eliza makes toe-tappy jangle pop. It's not big, bold with massive production; in fact it's even a little Jack Johnson (wait… come back!) She looks like a more natural version of Miley Cyrus, lyrically there's shades of Lily with her straight talking tales dresses her age and is distinctly Norf Laaandan. Her age seems to be a bit of a mystery. I think she looks about 17, but her label replied saying they weren't sure but they thought about 22.

Her videos all have a strong visual identity. This is her first single proper 'Skinny Genes', joining the ranks of Ain't What You Do, Young Folks and er, Blow My Whistle Bitch, as songs with a whistle designed to get inside your head.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ISXumeGC1c[/youtube]

Alternatively listen to her EP on Spotify which contains the furiously catchy Moneybox, the trippy Police Car and chirpy Rollerskates.