ROCKFERRY - Duffy

YEAR: 2008

LABEL: A&M/Mercury

TRACK LISTING: Rockferry, Warwick Avenue, Serious, Stepping Stone, Syrup & Honey, Hanging On Too Long, Mercy, Delayed Devotion, I'm Scared, Distant Dreamer

BONUS TRACKS: Save It For Your Prayers, Oh Boy

IMPRESSIONS: The first time I ever heard Duffy was when I was flipping through radio stations in my car (that's when I could listen to the radio in my car. . . ahem, Fink!) and I landed on WFLN who shortly played the song "Stepping Stone". I immediately fell in love with the laid-back groove and sought out the album. Imagine my surprise when I found out the soul diva was a blond from Wales! Sadly, she turned out NOT to be Tom Jones long-lost daughter but instead turned out to be the Penguin Award winner for both Song of the Year ("Stepping Stone") and Album of the Year for 2008. Sadly, Duffy's output since ROCKFERRY has been less than overwhelming: the abysmal follow-up single "Rain On Your Parade" and her rather unspectacular second album have put a dent in her reputation but hopefully she can regroup and provide some better music in the future.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Warwick Avenue, Stepping Stone, Hanging On Too Long, Mercy, Delayed Devotion, I'm Scared, Distant Dreamer

FACT SHEET: ROCKFERRY is Duffy's first album. Duffy co-wrote all the songs on the album along with various other songwriters and the album took four years to record. The album title refers to Rock Ferry: a suburb of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula approximately ten miles from the Welsh border and only three miles from Liverpool. Besides the more important Penguin Awards, the album has also won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, and three BRIT Awards including British Album of the Year.