Duffy - Rockferry (2008)

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Every month there is a new, supposedly shining, star amongst the throng of female artists coming from the UK. Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen and her many shadows... the list extends beyond this, I know, but I just don't want find myself following the headlines, or video hits shows, enough to keep up to speed, the turnover is so high.

So, we come to Duffy (this week). She is a pretty, Welsh songstress with a voice that is marries the nineties r'n'b lilt of Sade with the quirky, scratchiness of Macy Gray. Some more flattering reviews have dialed up comparisons to Dusty Springfield (personally I think this impression is gained from the cover of her debut album - a moody black and white photograph of our heroine, all platinum blonde, nu-beehived and kohl eyed) but I can't endorse this at all.

A certain member of Suede lends himself to a few tracks, most fortunately to the opening and title track (which deceived me into thinking the record was off to a promising start). It's one of a bunch from the ten song offering that steal a leaf from the Mark Ronson book of production.

Tambourines and a strong back beat give it tough 60's girl-star feel (lending itself, I suppose, to the Dusty comparison - and now that I think of it, the names are similar).

The illusion was really shattered for me by track two though. I was listening to this with my housemate who was also quite excited with the first track. But Warwick Avenue is the first of many very easy listening, smooth (and I'll say it again..) Sade-style tracks on "Rockferry" and when it kicked in, both of our faces soured. I think it was Elvis Costello who said, of Billie Holiday, that she had an ability to make some pretty mediocre songs seem very special, but here we find a collection of ultimately disappointing and mediocre songs that aren't quite getting carried by the leading lady.

I emphasise, it is disappointing... I really wanted to like this album.

The most embarrassing song to listen to here is Mercy. It opens with Duffy whispering (in a kinda Deborah Harry 'rap' way) 'hit the beat and take it to the verse now'. It is one of the cheesiest songs I've heard this year. I hope to god it won't be a single. I just know there are dozens of school girls that will latch on to this song, dragging it out at slumber parties, putting on eyeliner in the mirror and dancing around a la Mermaids.

And indeed there will be plenty of people for whom this album is the bees knees. It is easy to listen to if you don't care about feeling conviction from a performer, some kind of show of emotion that links them to the candour of their lyrics (which were surprisingly okay, if at their lowest point a bit fey).

Okay, I'll admit that I was put off by the booklet - it's ultimately black (which I like) but had selections from the lyrics, rather than all the lyrics for each song - which would have fit very easily on to the ten pages. Words and phrases like 'A bag of songs and a heavy heart', 'I couldn't control myself' and my two favourites 'yeah, yeah, yeah' and 'Serious...' - dot dot dot.

It didn't set me up with an awesome image of the artist in the first place, and sometimes first impressions really, truly do last - and I think this is the case here.

Consider my opinion slightly biased by the fact that I like a little more grit in my girl singers. There is something very obviously young and naive behind the scenes on "Rockferry", something I usually refer to as 'posturing'.

Opening track, Rockferry, works wonders. I think the others are worthy of $5 bargain bin CD status.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5

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