Amy Winehouse has already taken over England with her confessional, humorous lyrics and a sound reminiscent of famed soul girl groups. Now the buzz is spreading fast to the US.

Let's get the facts straight from the start: Amy Winehouse is an upstart 23-year old from North London. In her lyrics, she is brutally honest about her personal life and as a singer she elicits comparisons ranging from Billie Holiday to Lauryn Hill. Her jazz-infected debut release, Frank, was nominated for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize as well as two Brit Awards and went platinum in the UK. But that is just half the story - Amy Winehouse has a lot to say and she is not afraid to tell it all on Back To Black.

The British soulster, who was shortlisted recently for two 2007 Brit Awards, continues to distill her experiences on her sophomore release Back To Black, a record heavily influenced by 50s and 60s rock & roll, soul, rhythm and blues and girl-groups of the era. Produced by Salaam Remi and man-of-the-moment Mark Ronson (Lily Allen, Robbie Williams, Christina Aguilera), the songs are built around classic three-minute pop songs without over-the-top production. Her single “Rehab” opens with the words “try to make me go to rehab/I say no, no, no,” before morphing into a fresh new song with classic Motown motifs: Sweet horns, a driving beat with hand claps and an infectious melody. Other highlights include the first single “You Know I'm No Good," a stunning personal epiphany that she wrote after being messed around and stamped all over (featured here with a rap by Ghostface Killa) and the amusing “Me and Mr Jones,” where she criticizes a boyfriend with "you made me miss the Slick Rick gig." At her recent US debut in New York's Joe's Pub, she received a standing ovation from a crowd that included names like Jay-Z, Mos Def, Dr. John, Citizen Cope, Alice Smith and Mark Ronson. With her increasingly creative body art, aggressive eye make-up and great swoop of black hair that cascades across her face and down her back, Amy Winehouse has deftly charted her progress from girlhood to womanhood on Back To Black.

Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" Video (Quicktime)



Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" Video (Quicktime)