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Winehouse More Than a 'Genius Junkie'

Posted Mar 2, 08 5:09 AM CST in Gossip,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – It's tempting to chalk up the popularity of singer Amy Winehouse to her headline-grabbing bent for self-destruction, writes Sasha Frere-Jones in the New Yorker. But that would be a mistake. He takes a closer look at Back to Black, with its "perfect" single "Rehab," and finds much to treasure. What might initially come off as mere imitation of classic soul and R&B is actually a novel evolution, he argues.

A tip-top band and an eagerness to mine rewarding veins of African-American music set Winehouse apart from other contemporary R&B artists, but her real (and really weird) asset is her voice. In a major progression from past albums (Frere-Jones ditched 2004's Frank in an airport trash can), Winehouse's singing on Back to Black defies categorization—and sometimes understanding. “This mush-mouthed approach is Winehouse’s real innovation," he declares.

Source New Yorker

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British singer Amy Winehouse poses for photographs at a studio in north London, in this Feb. 16, 2007, file photo. Winehouse received six Grammy nominations on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, including best new...   (Associated Press)
British soul singer Amy Winehouse performs during her concert at the Volkshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, in this Oct. 25, 2007, file photo. (AP Photo/Keystone, Steffen Schmidt)   (Associated Press)
Amy Winehouse is breaking all charts. (PHOTO   (Associated Press)
British vocal sensation, Amy Winehouse, Tops the U.S. Charts   (Associated Press)
Amy Winehouse reacts after her microphone came apart during her performance at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)   (Associated Press)
Singer Amy Winehouse, left, is joined by her mother Janis after receiving the award for record of the year for "Rehab" at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in this Feb. 10, 2008 file photo, in Los Angeles....   (Associated Press)
British singer Amy Winehouse performs at the Riverside Studios for the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony via video link on Feb. 10, 2008 in London, England. Winehouse won 5 out of her 6 nominations including,...   (Associated Press)
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Amy Winehouse - Rehab   (PelicanKiss (YouTube))

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music  • Amy Winehouse  • music review  • pop music  • Mark Ronson  • R  • Sasha Frere-Jones


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