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The nostalgic wave of UK blue-eyed soul initiated by Amy Winehouse went into overtime when Duffy unveiled her critically-acclaimed debut, Rockferry. A rare cross between Dusty Springfield and Esther Phillips, Duffy's approach to soul stuck out amongst other competitors due to her jovial phrasing, playful flirts and, when serious, an ability to be a bit sympathetic. Two years later, now with new management and a new partnership with producer/songwriter Albert Hammond, Duffy is back in the saddle with Endlessly. The pairing of Hammond and Duffy is definitely strong, focusing again on the organic nature of Duffy's first LP.
The nostalgic wave of UK blue-eyed soul initiated by Amy Winehouse went into overtime when Duffy unveiled her critically-acclaimed debut, Rockferry. A rare cross between Dusty Springfield and Esther Phillips, Duffy's approach to soul stuck out amongst other competitors due to her jovial phrasing, playful flirts and, when serious, an ability to be a bit sympathetic. Two years later, now with new management and a new partnership with producer/songwriter Albert Hammond, Duffy is back in the saddle with Endlessly. The pairing of Hammond and Duffy is definitely strong, focusing again on the organic nature of Duffy's first LP. This time around, the album deliberately goes for retro with a greater emphasis on American soul music arrangements; playing with the Blondie's "Heart of Glass" on "My Boy," toying with Lisa Stansfield's pop soul on "Well Well Well" and indirectly marinating Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" with disco soul on "Keeping My Baby." These sounds are partially noteworthy because of the sumptuous rhythmic precision of The Roots. ?uestlove's consistent drumming, Owen Biddle's bass and James Poyser's occasional contributions on keys proves to be the perfect apparatus in helping Duffy's re-imagining of doo-wop and ‘80s pop.
Duffy's voice was made for slow crock-pot ballads. She eases up on slow tunes with the spirit of a Memphis blues singer and the sensitivity of an adult pop darling. Once again, she proves the ballad to be her best form of weaponry on smooth grooves like "Breath Away," where she whisk the chorus into a dreamy pudding made perfect for slow dances. Probably the album's transcendent moment, "Don't Forsake Me" tugs on sweeping strings and romanticized lyrics with the elegance of a romance love ballad. She copies the same results while using the doo-wop churning and motions of the Flamingos' "I Only Have Eyes for You" on "Too Hurt to Dance." Here, Duffy's whiny pipes are put to work as she spells out her grief over a recent heartbreak:"If they call it heartache/Why is the rest of my body aching/Why is the rest of my body shaking/Please Mr. DJ/won't you turn the music down/Why can't you understand/I'm too hurt to dance tonight."
While experimenting with a good course of funky soul, Endlessly isn't a far cry from what we heard from Duffy on her Rockferry debut. Still, there are a few shortcomings aboard to trigger an invidious blame-game. Certainly, The Roots create studio magic and Duffy seems to slide comfortably in and out of all the romantic ballads and uptempos, but some of the songs seem to never go full throttle and fail to wrap themselves tightly around their Motown's sing-a-long melodies. For example, "Well Well Well," as strong as it sounds, after a few casual listens, the chorus loses its grapple on the ear. And, besides one or two selections, much of the material-like classic 45 r.p.m. singles-never clock past the 3-minute mark. Of course, that's a big reason why the album feels nostalgic. But, without the necessary dose of enthralling standouts, this latest Duffy experience is, at best, good listening and a respectable portrait of Winehouse soul. Recommended.
By J. Matthew Cobb