Ok, so over the past year or so there has been a sudden retro R&B revival in the UK.
R&B is good, but ‘60s R&B is great, so this new turn of events is good news for fans of Stax and Motown.
Sure, we all recognize the trainwreck known as Amy Winehouse, but what about the inevitable round of imitators that have popped up in her beehived shadow?
Today we’re breaking it down and doing our best to figure out the difference between Wino clones Duffy, Adele and Estelle. Maybe you can help us sort this mess out.
Duffy
The first of the singers to follow in Winehouse’s high-heeled tracks, Duffy cops Amy’s retro-soul licks, but swaps the black beehive for a messy blonde one, lest anyone should accuse her of being a copycat. Well done, Duffy. While being a sober, less-terrifying (and slightly more boring) version of Winehouse is a probably a solid career move, the fact remains that nothing about any of this music is very original, but that’s to be expected of a retro revival. Duffy doesn’t necessarily bring anything very unique to the table, but her voice is likeable and her songs like “Mercy” are ultra-catchy (interestingly, her frequent collaborator is Brit-pop golden boy Bernard Butler of Suede fame). Her fashion is a wreck, but least she keeps better company than Winehouse.
Estelle
Another one-named singer, Estelle adds a considerably more modern twist to her R&B stylings. Although she has skipped the fashion disaster of beehive hairdos, she is sporting a mouthful of braces (but we certainly don’t hold that against her). Hardware aside, Estelle’s airy voice is soft and likeable, but tends to fall on the fragile side. However, her collaboration with Kanye West on “American Boy” is a perfect match and is, in fact, one of the few songs that don’t make us want to boo West off the air. Thanks, Estelle.
Adele
Although we confuse her with Estelle because their names are similar and we have short attention spans, the truth is that these two singers are actually pretty different. Looking more like a glammy, healthy Kellie Osbourne than Winehouse’s tattooed bones, Adele emerged from the same Brit school that spawned Bjork wannabe Imogen Heap and pop tart Leona Lewis. ‘Nuff said, right? Does anyone really, honestly like Lewis (other than Simon Cowell)? She over-sings so much it makes Christina Aguilera sound tasteful. Almost. Anyway, Adele has teamed up with the likes of Jack White in the studio, and while her background and apparent rock cred looks good on paper, her hit single “Chasing Pavements” is three and half minutes of saccharine goo that plods along with about as much soul as Miley Cyrus. We’re not sure what the fuss is all about, maybe the rest of the album is better…hopefully, much, much better.
Ok, we did our best to tell these three apart. Of course, the real question is whether Winehouse or her clones will still be on anyone’s radar a year from now.
Leave a comment and tell us which one of these singers is your favorite!
