Music : Rockferry

Rating: - More Duff than Duffy
OK, I don't mean to be unkind but let's get one thing straight from the outset...any comparison between this young lady's voice and that of
the late, great Dusty Springfield (or even Sandie Shaw's for that matter) is completely crackers. Bonkers. Bat's in the belfry barmy.

As a performer of great soul, R&B, and gospel songs Dusty was (and just about remains) peerless. A historically groundbreaking artist, she possessed a remarkably powerful voice with a capacity for extradordinary dynamic and tonal flexibility.

It was her ability as an INTERPRETER of great songs, however, which truly set her apart and ahead of the rest.

In Duffy we are presented with a performer of barely moderate talent whose voice carries along the ten songs on this album in a uniformly pedestrian manner. It's a nose-and-throat voice of limited range and colour, shakey at the top and weak at the bottom and devoid of any significant emotional power. By track three it really does begin to grate.

A shame, as there really are some very good songs here.

Bernard Butler's retrochic production is commendable.The musical ensemble confident and slick. The artwork cool and sassy.

...but let's see through this for what it really is...yet another young female performer with her eye on the main chance in an industry niche already oversaturated with mediocre performers.

How much longer before the bubble bursts ?

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Rating: - empty forgettable lyrics spoil an otherwise strong CD
There's an excellent layered warmth to the studio production of all of these tracks. Sorry but I am less impressed by the deeply boring lyrics. Warwick Avenue is easily the best track with its sustained melody and great closing moments. Problem is -- Duffy is a young woman and it shows repeatedly in the teenage-genre lyrics. Her singing is capable but a bit too high register for the material. Folks should check out Dusty Springfield's music if they are giving Duffy 5 stars -- Dusty's husky sexy singing voice can sing circles around Duffy's.

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Rating: - This album more than lives up to the hype!
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.

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Rating: - Best album I've heard in a long time.
Having been knocked out by Duffy's voice on her Later... debut, and then seeing her live last month, I was really looking forward to getting her album. I have not been disappointed in the slightest and it is even better than I had hoped. I've listened to it so many times now and it's one of those rare albums which, to my mind, doesn't have a single weak track on it. The arrangements are spot on and Duffy's voice remains powerful and in charge all the way through. I listen to a wide variety of music and I would say that this has to be in any music lover's collection. The true test will come with the second album, given how good this debut is. Meanwhile, buy the album, and if you can - catch her live.

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Rating: - Hammerithome
I havent stopped playing this. Just two words sum up my feelings BLOWN AWAY. Go and buy it NOW!!!!!