Last year, Amy Winehouse was the the biggest thing going at SXSW, and before long, the rest of the world (and the Grammys) followed suit.
So naturally, there's a run on '60s British neo-soul pop chanteuses at this year's SXSW. And the smart money is on Duffy, the 23 year old Welsh singer born Aimee Anne Duffy who made her U.S. debut at a Friday afternoon showcase at the Parish on Sixth Street.
Let's not take the Winehouse comparisons too far, though Duffy has a throwback hairdo, too. (Bridget Bardot's.) But there are no tattoos on Duffy, whose debut album, Rockferry, is currently #1 in the UK, and whose single "Mercy" has been on the top of the British pop charts for five weeks. (At least nowhere you can see them.)
And on stage in a six song set at the Parish, she radiated composure and wholesome self-assurance rather than danger and self loathing. Her songs conjure up a happier version of the '60s: "Serious" rides a breezy groove that reminded me of Aretha singing Felix Cavaliere's "Groovin'." And without ever getting all that gritty, terrific tunes like "Syrup & Honey," "Warwick Avenue" and "Mercy" sashayed confidently down the avenue, reveling in their affection for Motown and Stax. Around this time next year, they'll likely to be looking for the next Duffy.
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