Amy Winehouse - Back to black

Every so often, the mainstream, big-label music machine spends its media payola budget on something deserving. Just like Andre 3000's the love below, and its perfect single Hey ya!, They got it right with Amy Winehouse. I think it's really funny that immediately after this album's release, people were calling her "the next Aretha Franklin", since, uh, Aretha's had a career of almost 50 years and Amy's probably going to die sometime in the next two. Unless, of course, she is saved from her seemingly inevitable doom by that old-time religion. Either way, I don't think we'll be getting any more music from her, (in the first event) at least music that's any good (if she finds god).

Anyway.

Great record. I can hear the haters now: "Oh, but it's all schtick! It's derivative! Etc!" OK, It's not the most original music ever made, but then back in its heyday, motown was following a formula, and we still hold it up as being wonderful. Because it was. Schtick? Yeah, but so what. Criticizing a pop artist for schtick is a ridiculous point of contention. Is the music any good? Yes? OK, it's good then. Is it terrible? Yes? OK, it's rotten. Style doesn't matter, be it musical or wardrobe. As long as it works, and this record works. The lady's got a monster set of pipes, every song on the album is good, and a few of them are even great. Love is a losing game, Tears Dry on their own, and Addicted are just fucking amazingly good, perfect fucking pop songs. The arrangements through the whole record are all aces, and the whole package makes me happy. I just hope she has third album in her and makes it before the inevitable happens.