50 Years of Soul Power

Posted February 20, 2013 by J Matthew Cobb in Features

Amy Winehouse
Back to Black
(Universal; 2006)

A troubled child, Amy Winehouse sung with the scorn of Billie Holiday, yet she uncorked a sweet visibility of throwback soul. She’s surrounded by a well adept band and smart producers with an ear for yesterday (Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi, the Dap-Kings). The proud Motown party tributes of “Rehab” and “Tears Dry On Their Own” get much of the album’s attention, but her trips into Curtis Mayfield soul (“Love Is a Losing Game”) and reggae (“Just Friends”) are also noteworthy. What defines the album is Winehouse’s ability to convey her pain, using her best rebel-without-a-cause card, in a genre that’s traditionally not available for someone her age.