Duffy
ROCKFERRY
Universal
Duffy is much more than a nicer, non-addicted Amy Winehouse or the new-millennium Dusty Springfield, though being either of those things would be enough reason for celebration.
On her debut “Rockferry” (Universal), the Welsh singer returns to a time when popular soul music was about more than long, drawn-out notes and overheated sex metaphors. She follows the Winehouse path to success - no, not the tabloid part - by pairing a retro-soul groove to a dance beat for her first single, “Mercy,” even building a chorus around “yeah, yeah, yeah” instead of the “Rehab” no-no-no. And once she has your attention with that, Duffy doles out lovely, ’60s-styled soul ballads like “Warwick Avenue” or “Syrup and Honey” that charm with a combination of shimmering beauty and generalized ache.
“Rockferry” is a far more stiff-upper-lip kind of album, recognizing heartaches but coating them with grand pop melodies and old-time Hollywood yearning. Duffy also isn’t afraid to seem sappy, as in the wide-eyed “Distant Dreamer,” a tune so I-can-do-it optimistic that it could easily be this season’s “American Idol” coronation song.
It’s a tough balancing act, but Duffy manages it effortlessly, as breakout stars of any era instinctively know how to do. (Grade: B.)
