Frank

iTunes Review

Frank originally appeared in the UK in 2003, and was only released in the US in the fall of 2007, after the great success of Back to Black (2006). Listening to Frank after living with Back to Black for a year may confuse some people (Is she jazz? Is she R&B?). Worse, it may prevent some fans from having an appropriate appreciation for the immense, raw talent exuded here by a mere 19-year-old, before finding herself in the distracting glare of a public spotlight. The intro with Winehouse’s own brand of jazz scatting segues into first single “Stronger Than Me,” where her supple vocals hint at what’s to come: not only do they possess great power, intimacy, restraint, and attitude, but also an unbridled passion for the craft of the song. Her songwriting skills are as sharp as her vocal instincts, and the strongest tracks here are her own, which is saying something, considering she covers – beautifully – two jazz classics, “Moody’s Mood for Love” and “There Is No Greater Love.”  Shadows of Sade and trip-hop (“In My Bed”), bossa nova rhythms (“Cherry”), and classic jazz vocalizing (“Know You Now,” “Take the Box”) give Frank a variety of textures. Show-stopper “F-Me Pumps” is a brassy, soulful stab at club girls, and almost overshadows other standouts like the self-questioning “Amy Amy Amy” (“where’s my moral parallel?”) and its intoxicating allure. This debut deserved every bit of the adulation received upon its release in the U.K., and that’s a rare thing.