There comes a time in the career of a rising talent when people start ignoring the hype that has been embracing them. There comes a time where they must make or break, rise or fall, and justify the fuss that music types have been making. This time has come for Amy Winehouse.
This double A-side is Winehouse's answer, and what an answer it is. Help Yourself has smoky 1940s jazz all over it, with a fat chunky rhythm on top, like a streetwise Ella Fitzgerald. Pumps flaunts Winehouse's lyrical aptitude, with witty and cutting lyrics lazily floating along a simple melody and rhythm.
Amy Winehouse's take on jazz and the urban scene really is something special. Her voice is amazing, illustrated particularly well by the harmonies and overdubs of Help Yourself, and her ideas fresh. This marks Amy Winehouse's transition from rising talent to risen star.
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