Duffy: Rockferry
Duffy's soulful voice is certainly impressive with an air of experience and grace.
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Friday, 22, Feb 2008 01:01
A & M Records, out Monday March 3rd 2008.
In a nutshell...
Powerful vocals full of potential
What's it all about?
Rockferry is the debut album by 23-year-old Welsh singer Duffy. Three years in the making, the album is one of the most eagerly anticipated records of the year so far, with a constant media buzz insisting that this will mark the start of a stellar career.
Duffy has received much attention for her soulful voice and Rockferry showcases ten self-written tracks that certainly validate the hype, with support from industry veterans Bernard Butler, Jimmy Hogarth, Eg White and Steve Booker.
With a distinctive sound that at times seems to belong to another era, the album is a diligently produced record that looks set for a sharp chart ascendancy.
Who's it by?
Aimee Duffy was born in Nefyn, north-west Wales, in a setting that seems unlikely to be conducive to producing exceptional musical talent. She had only limited access to generic top 40 pop music and her only connection to the musical era that she looks set to revive was an old cassette recording of 60s chart show Ready, Steady, Go!
Her buried talent was eventually unearthed by Jeanette Lee, now her manager and mentor. After being introduced to ex-Suede guitarist and album contributor Bernard Butler, Duffy began her journey of musical discovery. Three years later and her efforts have culminated in a number one in the UK singles chart with Mercy hitting the top spot on downloads alone.
As an example...
"I'll leave my shadow to fall behind and I will not write to you, cos I'm not that kind ... There's no sleep on the journey on the way from town. A bag of songs and a heavy heart won't break me down." - Rockferry
"I'm leaving you for the last time baby, you think you're loving but you don't love me." - Warwick Avenue.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammy's
As well as vocal talent, Duffy has a charm and appeal that is fast endearing her to the media and the public. It is unlikely that this will go unrecognised when shortlists are being drawn up. A safe bet for a slew of awards in the coming year.
What the others say
"First and foremost is the white-soulful, emotionally honest voice, a gloriously far cry from the posturing of an X Factor generation of female hopefuls." - The Times
"The styles on the album reflect Duffy's own four-year journey from small town to big city, singing waitress to star-in-waiting." - BBC
So is it any good?
Duffy's soulful voice is certainly impressive and has an air of experience that belies her newness to the music industry. The title track provides a strong base for 40 minutes of powerful, committed lyrical performances, with her collaborators bringing the musical depth and complexity essential to keep the songs innovative and fresh.
The comparisons between Duffy and Dusty Springfield - as well as more recent contemporaries Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone - are certainly justified, but on first listening the album at times feels like little more than a showcase for her vocal abilities, with tracks like Syrup & Honey lacking the soul and sorrow that made similar songs by Dusty so endearing and timeless.
Rockferry is not an album that will blow listeners away immediately, but the songs have a depth that is enduring precisely because of their understatement. In a world of showy, glam and histrionic pop performances on and off stage, Duffy has done well to produce an album that tries to sideline catchy hooks in favour of music that will eventually add to the canon in a meaningful way.
8/10
Mark Burton