18 Dec 2009 by Chris     No Comments    Posted under: Entertainment

Albums of the Decade: No.3

Back To Black by Amy Winehouse

“And I tread a troubled track”
Times 100 Best Albums of the Decade: No.2
NME 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade: No.27
Uncut 150 Albums of the Decade: No.20

When you’ve brought out such a stunning debut record, making the Difficult Second Album even better, as well as changing your sound, is quite some achievement. Amy Winehouse pulled off just that trick in 2006 with Back To Black. The style moved from jazz to soul, and Winehouse proved she could be just as good in either genre. It’s a soul classic, but the lush musical accompaniment diverts attention from some very 21st century lyrics – “What kind of fuckery is this? You made me miss the Slick Rick gig” is one of several drop-yer-bacon-sarnie moments.

The decade saw a number of soul revivalists (Joss Stone) and clever female lyricists (Lily Allen), but Back To Black tops any of them, on either account. Nearly all the songs weigh in at under three minutes, in true sixties soul style, and as a result, the album doesn’t drag for a moment and often leaves you wanting a lot more. It’s still disconcerting to hear this passionate, Aretha-esque voice coming out of Amy’s bored-looking, emaciated frame. It “transforms even mundane sentiments into powerful statements” (Pitchfork). More please.

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