Back to Black is the sophomore album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse. The 11 tracks feature a mix of pop, soul, r&b, and jazz styles with many of the production credits split between Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. The themes of the album focus heavily on relationship turmoil and toxicity which resonates perfectly with Winehouse’s dynamic vocals. While the production on the album is very pop oriented, the melodies are much more complex than one would expect from a pop song and are reminiscent of big band jazz standards at times. It cannot be overstated how much Winehouse’s voice carries the songs beyond being average pop tunes. Her ability to flex back and forth between being loud and brash, and smooth and vulnerable is a joy to listen to.
The album opens with “Rehab”, a fun little track which has no grandiosity or pomp and adequately begins the project. It is here that the listener gets their first taste of the pop production mixed with jazz brass and strings, a mix which works together in large part due to Winehouse’s endearing vocals. Next comes “You Know I’m No Good” is just a fantastic song overall. The chorus and verse are very catchy and the piano and saxophone in the production give a groovy jazzy feel. This piece stands out as my favorite on the album. Continuing on, “Me & Mr. Jones” is a slower cut with a retro sound utilizing old-timey backing vocal harmonization. Winehouse’s vocals truly shine in the song which give make it easy to imagine it being sung in a smoke-filled 50s nightclub. The album continues with “Just Friends”. A smooth production and a weaker melody make the song less endearing as a pop track. It almost seems like the constant and insistent rhythm holds back Winehouse from being able to explore the limits of her vocal freedom and make the song more interesting and unique. This is a sentiment which can be felt later on throughout the album as well especially in the following song. Next comes the titular track, “Back to Black” which is one of Winehouse’s most popular songs, but which did not leave a strong positive impression on me personally. Once again, the track is too generic both in vocal delivery (compared to what it could have been) and production. Without emphasizing the jazziness inherent in Winehouse’s voice, most of the production and melodies sound hollow and formulaic, as if a poor imitation of jazz and soul. “Love Is a Losing Game” has an almost retro-pop sound to it reminiscent of someone like the Carpenters. The lack of overbearing pop production, however, make the song much better than some of the other tracks as Winehouse’s vocals can stand on their own and command the listeners attention. The next song, “Tears Dry On Their Own” ambitiously samples nearly all the production from Marvin Gaye’s iconic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. While it does not come close to touching the originally, the pop tune is a fresh listening experience even if it does get old very quickly. The brilliance of the sample both helps and hinders the song by giving it a great chord progression and orchestration but making the listeners want to listen to the original. The album continues with “Wake Up Alone” which is another slow-paced tune which doesn’t get in its own way. Winehouse’s vocals are superb as usual, and helped by a memorable verse and chorus. The interesting chord progression also gives the song a lot of replay-ability. Continuing with “Some Unholy War”, the albums trends downward as the melody and production are both lackluster making the track rather boring. While Winehouse does her best, the lack of a strong melody that she can play off of greatly limits the song. The album picks up with “He Can Only Hold Her”, another of the more pop-like tracks on the album. While Winehouse can certainly sing over the beat, it doesn’t fully utilize her special vocal abilities and lacks a strong hook which is essential for straight pop tracks. This makes the song somewhat dull and forgettable. “Addicted” concludes the album, and while it is an up-tempo ending, it lacks the infectious quality of the best tracks on the project including the opener (“Rehab”). The natural acoustic experimental production and the instruments can be appreciated but the chorus is just too forgettable especially for the closing track on the album.
Overall, Back to Black does a good job of showcasing Amy Winehouse’s superb vocals in an accessible pop medium. While it would be a joy to hear more of Winehouse’s voice in a more experimental jazz setting, this album is sure to have something for almost everybody to enjoy. I would highly recommend giving it a listen especially for those longing to escape the grasp of electronic autotuned pop and hear something a little more acoustic.