It's so much fun falling in love. And easy too; with Duffy it will take all of four minutes and 15 seconds, the amount of time it takes for Rockferry's title cut and opener to play out. Piano chords fall slow and deliberate as Duffy begins singing, "I'd move to Rockferry, tomorrow/And I'd build my house, baby, with sorrow." "Rockferry" very much recalls Lulu's 1967 hit "To Sir with Love," not only with its sweeping strings-filled arrangement but with its storyline. Lulu's song about an unrequited schoolgirl crush oozes desire but Duffy's tale of broken love nearly swoons in a miasma of pent-up sexuality, the singer barely maintaining control as she murmurs "Rockferry, Rockferry" over and over on the song's outro.
The song is typical of how the diminutive Welsh singer toys with her listeners vocally and as the album progresses it becomes obvious that the delivery comes quite naturally. So much so that very simple things become completely intriguing; the insertion of a quick "Oh!" towards the end of "Serious" and a deep sigh at the beginning of the sparsely-instrumented "Syrup & Honey" are left in the mix for a reason.
Duffy's soulful vocals will undoubtedly be compared to those of Dusty Springfield, especially on torch songs like "Hanging on Too Long," but Rockferry's first single, "Mercy," is clearly a message to fans of Amy Winehouse---you've got a new girl now.
Rockferry went platinum in its first week of release in the U.K.; it may take a little longer here but this currently virtually-unknown artist will soon be adored by millions of Americans.
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