Rockferry

I can't believe it took me so long to buy this album. People have been telling me it's great for ages. Thing is, somehow I managed to not hear any Duffy songs until about a month ago. Yeah, I know, where have I been?
Anyway, this is excellent. Warwick Avenue, Mercy, Rockferry they're all classic tracks that sound like you've known them for years.
Great voice, great music, great lyrics. Overall a very accessible album.

There have been a raft of vocalists with a sound that harks back to the 60's and 70's and you could be forgiven for thinking that Duffy is just another one. Her arrival has been carefully managed, with sell out gigs in small venues building the hype, prior to the release of this album.

All music biz manipulation so far then, except that Duffy is worth the hype and is a potentially huge star. As someone who is addicted to 60's and 70's Soul, and in particular the female vocalists, I hear in Duffy echoes of the great Soul voices, as well as Dusty Springfield, the most obvious comparison. As long as she picks her material and her producers well, then she will be a very big star indeed.

Stand out tracks from the album are "Syrup and Honey" a stripped down, bluesy ballad which showcases her voice perfectly, "Mercy", with it's old school Motown feel, and "Warwick Avenue". On further listening, "Hanging On Too Long" and "Distant Dreamer" are both tracks that will grow on you - they have for me. All in all, an impressive debut and this is a highly recommended purchase for anyone who likes Soul.

Likely to be the album of 2008 - buy it

I've been a fan of Duffy ever since I first heard "Mercy", I loved her style, and her voice took me into the 60s big-stylee.
After hearing "Rockferry" too, I decided to buy the album and I was NOT disappointed!

1. "Rockferry"
This song is amazing, fantastic mid-tempo tune, and she really displays her amazing vocal range when she sings the last chorus a whole octave higher! Bloody hard to sing a long to, but you won't be able to resist trying!

2. "Warwick Avenue"
I was SO impressed with this song. It's really bluesy and it shows off her great voice, it's catchy and it's definitely one of the album's highlights.

3. "Serious"
This is one of the two tracks on the album which I'm not entirely sure of. It sounds a little bit poppy compared to the rest of the album, plus the verses seem to lead up to a chorus which is a bit lacklustre. Definitely still listenable, but more so for the verses than anything else.

4. "Stepping Stone"
This song is beautiful. Love the chorus, there are some beautiful high notes and she just pulls it off brilliantly.

5. "Syrup And Honey"
LOVE this song, definitely a contender to be one of my favourite songs on the album. Here she sings about how money doesn't matter as long as she has the love of her partner. Great, simple lyrics and just a fantastic track.

6. "Hanging On Too Long"
This is the other of the two tracks which I don't love. There are no really spectacular high notes here, and although it's only four minutes long, the song seems to drag a bit as there isn't much change in her pitch all the way through.

7. "Mercy"
What needs to be said about this song? It's obviously phenomenal, catchy sixties beats and those high notes make this song. If you just like the style of the song, don't buy the album on that note, but if it's her voice you love then this album's for you.

8. "Delayed Devotion"
This song is quite uptempo and punchy, it's catchy and although it's not one of the best tracks on the album, it's still very listenable.

9. "I'm Scared"
This song is a beautiful ballad which deals with the issue of death. It's very soul-fuelled and bluesy, and Duffy seems to sing the song with real emotion.

10. "Distant Dreamer"
This track closes the album in style. I have to admit that at first I wasn't mad about it, and I was a bit skeptical about it being 5 minutes long as I sometimes have quite a short attention span when it comes to songs! But her voice sounds beautiful on this, the chorus is amazing and the tune is really big-band style.