Amy Winehouse: Back to Black

Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
Republic: 3/16/2007

Technically, Back to Black was released in the UK last year, but it took several months to reach the States. This being my blog, I can apply whatever standard I want, so I'm declaring it a 2007 release.

Based on what I've read about Amy Winehouse, it's easy to see why people think she's a lush and a bitch. For some, her tabloid-baiting and erratic behavior are barriers to appreciating her music. Even some of those who praise her music express their appreciation in a condescending and dismissive manner. In some ways I wish Back to Black was as terrible as Winehouse's public behavior; it would certainly accomodate a more simplistic worldview. But there's no denying that it's a fine album. It seems I will have to discard some of my cherished beliefs about the universe in light of Back to Black's beauty.

The biggest draw, of course, is Winehouse's voice. It's hard to believe that a voice such as hers can come out a woman so young and so, well, white. She reminds me of so many early 60s Motown stars, whose names I have forgotten but whose songs will never depart from my brain. It's fortunate, then, that so many of the songs on Back to Black are in this vein. Winehouse's style recalls a time when R&B was innovative and genuinely expressive rather than just sappy. She brings soul back to a genre that has been merely going through the motions for quite a long time. This album has burrowed into the heart of this cynical, arrogant, aging music snob and laid lots of eggs in the few weeks I've had it. That alone should tell you more than everything else I've said so far about the power of Back to Black to win over the skeptics.