Album Reviews

Whatever "it" is, Welsh born 23 year old Duffy has it. If you're old enough to remember and were a fan of Lulu's "To Sir With Love,"  you'll love Duffy's surprising debut, co-produced by Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who's had an extensive solo and collaborative career since the breakup of that '90's band, the very busy Jimmy Hogarth, producer of Susan Vega's excellent Beauty and Crime reviewed elsewhere on this site as well as co-producer of James Blunt's unfairly reviled debut album, among many others and Steve Booker. 

The producers brilliantly showcase Duffy's impressive retro-pipes (she can actually belt!) behind Steve Cropper-like guitar leads, string backdrops and an old school wall of sound-like reverb. A few bars into the title track you'll  know Duffy and you have arrived on the same platform. For youngsters this will be a new and exciting sound. For oldsters an old and exciting one. When she hits the shiver-producing higher registers on the title track you'lll be hooked.

"Warwick Avenue" will bring to mind "My Girl"  while "Stepping Stone" recalls "Walk on By", both surely on purpose. "Delayed Devotion" seems channeled through Bonnie Raitt's  "Nick of Time".Duffy manages to sound old school working class, yet modern at the same time, backed by brilliantly conceived arrangements that do likewise, while cushioning her voice in sumptuous surroundings.

The 23 year old, whose demo work impressed Rough Trade Records founder Jeanette Lee, has been all over mainstream television over the past few months and the Aretha-driven tune "Mercy" has been a #1 hit everywhere from Switzerland to Turkey, so perhaps you're already familiar, but if not you should be.

The producers go to the Stax/Volt well one time too many on "Syrup and Honey", but aside from that, the album is a near-perfect debut that melds the old and familiar with the new, young and exciting, aided by really tasteful production that probably was less costly to create than it sounds.

The three collaborators manage a surprisingly coherent track line-up and final sound, especially given that each one turned in self-contained productions. The final track, "Distant Dreamer" has the full Phil Spector vibe, filled with both drama and optimism, and leaves listeners feeling as if they're closing the book on but the first chapter of an ongoing saga. Note at around 4:25 seconds how the producers simply lop off the bottom end, removing the weight from the tune and allowing it to float off magically in space. Pretty crafty move if you ask me.

The CD sounds pretty good&—not as good as the '60s originals that served as templates, mind you— but it is smooth, clean and dynamic and staged dramatically (lots of width, little depth), indicating that perhaps we're finally rebounding from the bottom dwelling sonics of the past few years. Don't misunderstand: we're still in an era of heavy crushing (the new Fratellis album  Here We Stand is fucking un-listenable because of the compression applied either at the band's misguided behest or that of producer Tom Lord Alge in a pathetic bid to sound "young and relevant" or something. Duffy's huge success is first and foremost because of her talent and the sympathetic A&R and production work of her collaborators, but surely the message will get through that carefully crafted, dynamic sound helps to sell the artist's message. 

The vinyl edition of Rockferry is available and I've got a copy coming. This one's a keeper!