Duffy: 'Warwick Avenue'

Duffy appears to be winning the hotly-contested battle to be the "new Amy". Her Rockferry album has comfortably outsold Adele's debut CD and her Northern Soul-tinged single 'Mercy' has been lurking around the business end of the top 40 for over three months. The Welsh girl has undoubtedly won over the public, but questions still linger about her sincerity.

Stingy critics have described Duffy's soulful tones as polished karaoke, pointing to her attempts on the Welsh X Factor to undermine her credibility. Such debates will have to be placed on the back-burner for now, because 'Warwick Avenue', a track cooler than a polar bear's freezer, is probably the finest cut from her debut LP. A laid back, melodramatic slab of '70s soul, it finds Duffy letting rip on a sassy chorus while strings swell behind her in glorious, radio-friendly fashion. A classy affair.


> Click here for our review of Duffy's album