Amy Review :: Back To Black
Perhaps I missed the bus on this one, but somewhere back in autumn '06 when I was being mopey, Amy Winehouse issued her first US record, "Back To Black".
Solid Soul Genius
I'd had a chance to collect snippets of her here and there, mainly through Gilles Peterson. The album is unfortunately short (a cheeky 42 minutes) but makes up for the brevity with a sumptuous amalgamation of classic soul and r&b. Winehouse's voice is a powerhouse, always ever so slightly in the foreground, never obliterating the motown-inspired melodies.
Some songs are much more obviously motown inspired, such as "Tears Dry On Their Own" whose instrumentation often mimics the chord sequencing of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". At other moments, the melodies retain that dusty 1960's air while being hijacked by heavy toe-tapping beats derived from contemporary r&b ("You Know I'm No Good") and slinky reggae licks ("Just Friends").
I can understand Winehouse's label trying to push for a pre-Christmas release in the UK, but the substance of the album seems much more summer-worthy, suitable for lazy afternoons gossiping on the veranda while popsicles melt in the sultry july air. for the music Winehouse has created is no clunky winter coat but rather a delicate black dress, revealing all of Winehouse's natural beauty but never tastelessly.
Solid Soul Genius
I'd had a chance to collect snippets of her here and there, mainly through Gilles Peterson. The album is unfortunately short (a cheeky 42 minutes) but makes up for the brevity with a sumptuous amalgamation of classic soul and r&b. Winehouse's voice is a powerhouse, always ever so slightly in the foreground, never obliterating the motown-inspired melodies.
Some songs are much more obviously motown inspired, such as "Tears Dry On Their Own" whose instrumentation often mimics the chord sequencing of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". At other moments, the melodies retain that dusty 1960's air while being hijacked by heavy toe-tapping beats derived from contemporary r&b ("You Know I'm No Good") and slinky reggae licks ("Just Friends").
I can understand Winehouse's label trying to push for a pre-Christmas release in the UK, but the substance of the album seems much more summer-worthy, suitable for lazy afternoons gossiping on the veranda while popsicles melt in the sultry july air. for the music Winehouse has created is no clunky winter coat but rather a delicate black dress, revealing all of Winehouse's natural beauty but never tastelessly.