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| Rockferry | 
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| Artist: Duffy
Label: Mercury
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $7.49
You Save: $6.49 (46%)
New (46) Used (23) from $6.81
Avg. Customer Rating:  176 reviews
Sales Rank: 47
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: 001082202
UPC: 602517629769
EAN: 0602517629769
ASIN: B0014I4KIK
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not exactly bad, but not altogether good, either May 29, 2008
6 out of 16 found this review helpful
Duffy's voice is not very well integrated. She has a "squeezed" timbre on her mid and lower range and her upper tessitura sounds a little unfocused. She has adopted a number of vocal affectations, which I am sure she supposes bestow some sort of historical style on her interpretations.
The song arrangements are frequently cluttered and slightly over-wrought - the title track is an example of these things.
The songs have been made to sound vaguely like 1960s Brit-Pop/Rock. I wondered why? I guess that the answer is: "Why not!?". However, after repeated listens to "Rockferry" - I've been a captive, someone keeps playing it in my workplace - I can only say that Ms Duffy has worn out her welcome with me.
I've been told that Duffy is "this year's Amy Winehouse". Maybe that is so. She has some talent, even though her voice has some problems, and she is far more likely to be alive in five years time than her tacky tattooed terror of a compatriot, who seems to be headed straight for an early demise.
 waste of money July 16, 2008
6 out of 21 found this review helpful
I was very disappointed with CD. I purchased CD after hearing the song Mercy. Needless to say, that's the only good song on the CD. Wishing I could return CD for a refund. Wasted my money for sure. Obviously her music and singing does not appeal to me.
 A Most Pleasant Debut................. May 13, 2008
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
Duffy [she only uses her last name] is a new girl from across the pond, and she should have a bright future, indeed. The sound is definitely 60s pop, and Duffy has a most clear, pleasant voice, with almost a "little girl" quality. Of course, she would have no business dealing with this subject matter were she actually still a little girl. These are ten very well done songs about various aspects of relationship problems.
The opening title track sets a serious [not really dark] mood..."Warwick Avenue", which is my personal favorite, and "Stepping Stone" deal with communication breakdown, and a perfectly normal wish not to be used; "Serious" is about a pretty girl's resentment of being just a cute sex object, while the albums "big hit" "Mercy", the most modern sounding number, takes the theme a bit further...a girl naturally wants to make her own sexual choices. "Warwick Avenue" is the only cut in which I picked up the album's geographic origin..."tube", instead of "subway".
Duffy is a pretty girl, with a fine voice. Whether 37'51" is too short, I'll leave up to you...the album seems to go by rapidly, and only a good record does that. What we have here is, hopefully, the opening act of a fine career. Duffy is very good; time, and maturity, should only make her better.
Exceptional Debut Album - 4 stars May 14, 2008
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
British starlet Duffy debuts in the U.S. with a fantastic first outing, ROCKFERRY. Sure, she doesn't have the throaty vocals of Amy Winehouse, the soft controlled soulful vocals of Corinne Bailey Rae, or the soulful, vocal inflections of Joss Stone, but she does have a distinctive voice herself. She's not completely soulful, but she's also not completely pop in nature, which makes Duffy quite the viable crossover artist in between the two extremes. There is enough singer-songwriter about her to allow her to rock (albeit softly), and enough grit and nuance within her vocals to allow her to belt it out. Coupled with the pop-soul production backdrops, the results in which Duffy yields are great. I have no doubt she could see success here in the U.S. Much like James Morrison, she has certain soul to her that sometimes comes up short is contemporary soul in the U.S.
The album opens with "Rockferry", a great singer-songwriter tune that is more pop than soul. However, listening to the title track, you can't help but hear a certain caliber of soul within Duffy's vocals. "Warwick Avenue" has a certain pop-soul feel to it, similar to Corinne Bailey's "poppier" songs. The arrangement makes you reminiscent of a song that Dionne Warwick would've sang in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The strings are absolutely to die for here, given this track an incredible retro feel. "Serious", continues this trend and may just be the most soulful tune up until this point. Vintage sounding electric piano, lush strings, and rhythmic guitars make you feel like you're enjoying the glory days when all music was connected in the 1970s. Here vocally, Duffy sounds incredible, with her somewhat whiny, yet overall enjoyable vocals.
"Stepping Stone" proves not to disappoint either, with its subtle, restrained production work. Here, Duffy's vocals shine strongly over the understated production work. Again here, Duffy balances pop with soul for an excellent fusion between the two, which is maintained throughout ROCKFERRY. The following two tracks, "Syrup and Honey" and "Hanging On Too Long" are by far my favorite tracks of ROCKFERRY. "Syrup and Honey" is by far the albums most obvious soul-cut, which reminds me a track that would be right at home on a vintage soul album or a missing track from Amy Winehouse's BACK TO BLACK album. Here on "Syrup and Honey", Duffy definitely earns her vocal credibility, if only for her soulful "Baby, baby, baby" during the end of the verses. It is the perfect track in which every inflection and nuance by Duffy is Grammy worthy. "Hanging On Too Long" similarly proves to ooze of understated-soul, which may be what truly makes Duffy sound so great. Vocally, this is another on-point performance, with an incredibly catchy refrain.
"Mercy" continues the consistency of ROCKFERRY, lifting production work from vintage soulful productions. "Delayed Devotion" is another nearly perfect track, which sounds like something that Olivia Newton-John would sing in the 1970s (though Duffy is much better). Catchy with a great poppy nature, "Delayed Devotion" is another 5 star track in my eyes. "I'm Scared" and "Distant Dreamer" end this exceptional album just as strongly as "Rockferry" opened it.
Essentially, I believe this album is one of 2008's best. Duffy could possibly be another commercially successful British import here in the U.S. in my eyes. Even if she isn't, she has certainly released one of 2008s best albums nonetheless. That in itself is a gargantuan accomplishment. Excellent vocals, excellent songwriting, excellent production-work. 4 stars Duffy!!!
10 tracks a solid 10 May 16, 2008
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
Goodbye Amy Winehouse, Hello Duffy. Duffy's got the same retro sound--some liken her to Dusty Springfield, Lulu, Petula Clark, or yep, Amy Winehouse. Duffy's got a strong soulful voice that cuts right to the bone.
"Mercy" was the cut that got my attention, but listen to the dark "Rockferry" or "Warwick Avenue." Those are the three header cuts, but they're all worth a repeat or three on the turntable. Just listen for yourself and see what I mean. You need longer cuts than what's on this page, Youtube has several to pick from and they'll sell this CD.
My only complaint is this CD is short at only ten tracks. It's still well worth the price.
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