The gospel/soul singer attempts to capitalize on on her reemergence on the pop scene (thanks to a 2004 compilation) with this disc of a dozen brand-new tracks, one of which was written by Will Oldham. Lambchop's Mark Nevers produced.
LABEL:
Astralwerks
RELEASE DATE:
04 April 2006
DISCS:
1 disc
GENRE(S):
R&B
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
Billboard
A through-and-through classic.
90
Playlouder
Her voice is still like clear honey dripped on freshly baked bread, and almost sounds nourishing.
80
musicOMH.com
Those people who want authentic, genuine soul will find much to love in His Hands.
80
PopMatters
Features a tasty assortment of material.
80
Uncut
It's a remarkably seamless companion piece to her previous [compilation disc]. [May 2006, p.122]
80
New Musical Express
Just as good [as the compilation]. [1 Apr 2006, p.43]
80
Q Magazine
Like Solomon Burke and Johnny Cash before her, she's turned to the likes of Will Oldham, Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard for source material, and turns in an album of love, pain, suffering and redemption to rival any of them. [May 2006, p.130]
80
Mojo
While it's the Oldham-penned title track... which will rightly grab all the headlines, Staton's mastery of more traditional material is no less imposing. [Apr 2006, p.88]
70
Under The Radar
Considering that her voice has remained relatively unchanged... a return to this sort of material is all the more poignant, given the insight and caliber of songs here. [Summer 2006, p.94]
70
Observer Music Monthly
An unexpected winner.
70
The Guardian
Her voice remains achingly desperate and quietly dignified.
70
All Music Guide
This is a very good album.
56
Pitchfork
The voice is willing, but the musical backdrop is weak.
The average user rating for this album is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
aungkyaw s gave it a10: i like it with emotions
Will O gave it a5: i hate to say this, but pitchfork's right. the backing music is really lame. aside from the title track, the album lacks the soul of her 70s work.
billy c gave it a10: if there is a better soul cd this decade than 'his hands' i'll eat hay with a horse. candi's again superb vocal's knock the spots of anybody. to sum things up elton john once did a cover of 'stand by your man' and the reviewer said i quote ' he couldn't hold candi's headphones, end of story.