indy cd & vinyl

AMY WINEHOUSE—BACK TO BLACK

Amy Winehouse is a certified star in Britain, selling out concert halls and racking up triple-platinum sales and a British Female Solo Artist award for her second album (first to be released stateside), Back To Black. While her first album, Frank, was suffused with stylish jazz, Back To Black puts its musical focus on fifties and sixties pop sounds, with early Motown, Aretha Franklin, the girl-groups (Ronettes, Crystals, etc.) of Phil Spector, and doo-wop taking center stage. However, the distinguishing characteristic of Winehouse is her lyrics. While discussing personal troubles, she is sexually frank (something of a “pottymouth,” actually) but not childish. She refuses to shift the blame for her troubles onto others, always focusing on her own complicity in her travails. And while she may regret decisions she has made, she also has a refreshing lack of shame about those decisions. Recounting the concerns of her family over her drinking, the first lines on opener “Rehab” are “They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said No, No, No”. And the words are delivered with such authority that you’re immediately on her side. Most of her material focuses on relationship problems, such as when she asks herself “What kind of f***ery is this,” in “Me & Mr. Jones,” or castigates herself by saying “I shouldn’t play myself again/I should just be my own best friend/Not f*** myself in the head with stupid men,” on “Tears Dry On Their Own”. Wise both musically and lyrically beyond her 22 years, Winehouse has fashioned an irresistible blend of old-style soul-pop of the highest order with lyrics that are firmly rooted in the present. Whether that’s enough to bring her stateside success (where radio support will largely be absent due to the language) will be interesting to watch. Whatever the answer, do yourself a favor and check her out.