"This Is My Hand remains ferociously arty. The ideas for this album grew out of a scatologically frank cine-opera called River of Fundament, by composer Jonathan Bepler and Matthew Barney, in which Worden performed. Jared Diamond's study, The Third Chimpanzee, made Worden think about pre-linguistic sound-making. "Oohs" and "beeps", Worden argues on Before the Words, are just as important as words. Unfortunately, the song itself is far too wordy to make the point. It may be news to Worden, but rock'n'roll actually got here first with its "ramalama"s and "woah-oh-oh"s. Elsewhere, she fares better at de-evolving her art. With its brass runs, Lover Killer has internalised the dynamic lessons of dance-pop; there is a seriously funky pre-chorus and a billowy pop denouement. I Am Not the Bad Guy combines a naggingly straightforward riff and building intensity with chamber pop arrangements in the second half. Ultimately, nothing on This Is My Hand gives you an irregular heartbeatquitelike Pressure. But these intense songs, sung with a crystalline elasticity, have located the mojo previously absent from My Brightest Diamond's art".