Adele or Duffy? Duffy or Adele? It's a game that seems to have reached Blur v Oasis popularity ever since the two young singers were named as the top two in the BBC Sound Of 2008 poll. Which is weird, because it's very likely that fans of one will appreciate the other.
Duffy first came to our attention last year with the beautifully haunting Rockferry, which saw producer Bernard Butler recreating his glory days with David McAlmont. For her second single, Butler has been replaced by Steve Brooker, who creates a far more upbeat sound for her.
Mercy still has a retro sound to it, with shedloads of Northern Soul, 'yeah yeah yeah' backing vocals, and a chorus that's almost begging you to do some hand-jives to it. It's Duffy's voice though that lifts it into the realms of something really special - big, strong and full of emotion, Duffy's vocals turn what could have been a pretty generic pop/soul number into a really enjoyable listen.
Rockferry may have more drama and poise to it, but Mercy shows that Duffy is far from all hype. Expect this to be on your radios for some months to come.
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