I Feel This

Here's a round up of album's I'm currently feeling:

"Amy Winehouse - Back to Black"
I was in Play De Record on Yonge Street in December trying my best not to make any purchases when I was instructed to take notice of what the needle was about to hit in the booth at the back of the store. What I heard sounded like a song from the old Chess or Atlantic R&B catalogues, but one that had benefited from an updated treatment of production quality that made it sound strangely unfamiliar. Little did I know I was being introduced to what the Brits have known about for a few years - Amy Winehouse. Her jazz heavy debut left some to wonder what a major label sophomore push to R&B would do to the quality of her astounding vocal output. All I can say is wow! If you like R&B, and I mean REAL old school R&B (sorry Beyonce) then do yourself a favor and introduce your "soul" to Amy Winehouse.
"The Shins - Wincing the Night Away"
One of 2007's more anticipated releases in my opinion, the group doesn't try to re-invent the wheel with this disc, they simply add a few moody filters from time to time, and the occassional electronic nuance. With the same great song writing and trademark lead vocals from singer James Mercer, "Wincing" picks up where their last effort "Chutes Too Narrow" left us; in a really great place.
"Lily Allen - Alright Still"
Having made her mark in music the "new fashioned" way with revolutionary online promotion tool "MySpace", Lily Allen caught everyones attention rather quickly. As fast as you can say "Lily Who?" she had inked a major label deal, running the risk of being labelled a "novelty" right out of the gate. The possiblity still exists for that title to be more than appropriate, but there is something so infectious about not only the lead track she's become instantly known for ("Smile"), but for the ability the album has to dodge being categorized. On the surface it's pop hooks give it Top 40 ambition, but check out the lyrical London drawl, the two step tinges, slick production, and laced up back beats. To make the case even stronger I had to dig "Alright Still" out of the hip hop section at HMV! So what is it? I call it a great start.