Amy meets Dusty in Welsh Idol singer's soulful debut
By STU HUNT - Nelson | Thursday, 17 April 2008Duffy - Rockferry (Polydor)
Aimee Duffy has been heralded as one of the so-called new Amys, along with fellow teen singer Adele, for their retro bent and lusty vocals.
The old Amy is, of course, Amy Winehouse, who wouldn't necessarily need replacing if she wasn't so hellbent on self-destruction, but these days she makes the likes of Duffy look daisy fresh.
Maybe it'd be more appropriate to call her the new Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross or the new Lulu since she has their husky rasp to her vocals and her songs certainly seem to be channelling their era.
Rockferry is the young Welsh singer's debut album. She was taken under the wing of Suede's Bernard Butler after the inauspicious start of coming second in the Welsh version of Pop Idol, called Wawffactor.
Rockferry kicks off with the eponymous title track and a lazy sweeping ode to her father's hometown.
Duffy gets a little more sultry on the soulful Serious and things get more strung out on Stepping Stone, where the album moves out of the '60s and towards a more modern R and B sound.
Duffy may not have quite the same depth to her vocals as Adele or Winehouse but she makes up for it with suppleness as she bends her lithe voice around the material without a lot of showy note-flexing. Rockferry offers a clean soul sound that makes a lot of Duffy's unstressed and unforced talents and in some ways it's the perfect showcase for this talented newcomer.
She certainly seems to have a clear grasp of the "Less is more" concept. - B+
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