In her sophomore record Amy Winehouse mines her own tumultuous private life for subject matter, penning eleven songs dominated by unflinching themes of addiction, grief and infidelity. On paper, this kind of thematic makeup would make for a rather melancholy album but somehow Back to Black is jubilant in spite of it. Winehouse’s infectious energy, half Michael Caine and half Billie Holliday, is in abundant supply, driving the keen wit and easy charm of her songwriting and the velvet sledgehammer of her distinctive croon. Production credits are split evenly between Saalam Remi and Mark Ronson who painstakingly collage the history of soul music from the Ronettes to Mary J Blige without sounding completely derivative, managing to create a record that sounds fresh rather than an exercise in soul-revivalism. Sharon Jones’ band, the legendary Dap-Kings are on loan here and are, as always, on point. Listening to Back to Black in hindsight after Amy’s death in 2011, it’s hard not to see a lot of foreshadowing in the songs on this record. It is a testament to her skill that she was able to deal with such darkness in a way that brought light to so many.
Pete Whelan 