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Review: Duffy’s “Rockferry”

May 19, 2008 5:21 PM

  Novices might jump to compare the new Welsh singer Duffy to Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone. While those comparisons hold, she really comes off more as like a soulful mix between the singer Holly Golightly and Sia.  Her debut, “Rockferry,” is an assured, well-informed, schooled pop record packed with history.  She may also field comparisons to the likes of Dusty Springfield and Nancy Sinatra due to the retro-glow filtered throughout the disc. 

“Rockferry” opens with its title track.  It’s built upon the kind of slow, bluesy piano part you’d expect to find on a quieter section of a White Stripes record.  One can picture Jack White singing something behind her, until the full-fledged orchestra comes in, leading the track into a realm that recalls Motown/Stax, and the work of Phil Spector all at once.  “Rockferry” is the kind of track that would’ve been a real soul-burner in 1967.  Now, it’ll probably get lost in the eager-to-please pop shuffle. 

“Warwick Avenue” is another slice of blues balladry.  Like Winehouse’s “Back to Black” this record should please both indie-rock snobs and R&B fans.  Duffy has a niceness to her.  She comes off as normal and doesn’t have that slightly down-and-dirty edge that has become Winehouse’s calling card.  That is by no means to say that Duffy isn’t exciting to listen to.  Her slightly nasal-y, yet raspy, soul-fueled delivery is a testament to her great skill.  She’s even able to make somewhat typical lines like “Baby, you’ve hurt me” and “I want to be free,” sound like something new and interesting.  She also takes command when backed by an orchestra, which is no easy feat.

“Serious” is more upbeat.  It’s almost a light summer dance groove.   Again, it’s fueled by a nice hook and some really classic-style band work.  The strings in particular give the track extra punch. 

“Stepping Stone” is an earthy, ominous-sounding tell-off. “I will never be your Stepping Stone,” she declares.  (Has she been listening to the Monkees?) In any case, this too would make an excellent single. 

“Syrup & Honey” is one of the deepest examples of intimate blues-balladry ever performed by someone from across the pond.  Sure, for years, white folks from the U.K. have taken great influence by borrowing from and plundering this uniquely Southern, African-American sound.  With the wrong artist, it could come off as a gimmick, but Duffy pulls it off completely! She knows how to deliver the material as carefully as it deserves. Her voice is sweet but powerful in a unique sort of way.  One can picture her singing this is a wheat field at sunset.  This is not the kind of material you find on your average pop record, today.

“Hanging On Too Long” has a similar feeling as “Stepping Stone.”  Duffy specializes in these heart-on-the-sleeve, minor-key sketches of a woman-done-wrong.  She plays the part well.  When the chorus takes us in a soaring direction, the track’s excellence is sealed. 

“Mercy” is the album’s single.  It’s a soul-a-go-go number, backed by farfisa and some kickin’ old-school guitar work.  “You got me beggin’ you for mercy,” she yells with the same conviction and drive Aretha used to demand “Respect.”  It’s an upbeat, retro-boogie, meant to bring crowds to their knees.  It succeeds. 

On “Delayed Devotion,” Duffy proves once again she can handle a strong hook with nice piano and string-work. It’s another possible single. 

“I'm Scared” is downright cinematic with its opening strings and its soft piano chording.  Duffy’s voice comes in with exactly the right amount of reverb to match the tone of the track.  Again, it’s another soft ballad which lifts itself with a major chorus.  Many singers would kill to sing a song like this. 

“Distant Dreamer” closes the album.  It’s one of those whimsical songs about plans for the future.  It could be sappy and syrupy, but it isn’t.  Maybe it’s the arrangement.  Maybe it’s the way the guitars are played with just as much vigor as the string section.  Maybe it’s the slow build that eventually welcomes horns also into the mix.  It’s hard to say, but like the rest of “Rockferry,” this track is golden. 

It seems interesting that new British singers these days are going back to such a classic sound.  Duffy joins the list along with the before-mentioned Winehouse and Stone, and other soul-revivalists like Corinne Bailey Rae, Jamie Lidell and many more.  The more natural R&B tone has long fueled the American neo-soul movement, but the Brits have taken their revivalism and their level of respect for the classics to a whole new peak.  Compared to the stale, computerized, electronically manipulated material crowding American R&B radio, this is a breath of fresh air.  I guess sometimes it’s time to scrap everything and restart the cycle.  Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are the only major American players I see heading for such a timeless sound.  I hope more will follow.  A classic sound is a classic sound.  Do it right, and you’ll make something classic! It’s as simple as that!

May 19, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (1)

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Posted by: Bill | May 20, 2008 2:09:27 PM

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