Album Review: Amy Winehouse – Lioness: Hidden Treasures
Since its inception date, ‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’ was always going to be an inevitably two-sided mirror. In the instances where it falters musically, its eminence is reinforced by the tragic, yet melancholic legacy of Amy Winehouse. In many ways, ‘Lioness’ cannot be recognised as an album, but rather an assorted jumble of trimmings. With former assistants Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson at the reins, the pair has hoisted Amy’s past, unheard recordings and delicately mastered them onto a bed of original music. Documenting exactly a third of Winehouse’s 27-year lifespan, the record does not instantly stun the listener, but is instantly notorious. The mere ability to listen to her inimitable voice is priceless, and ‘Lioness’, although flawed in several ways, truly portrays the astounding uniqueness that made Winehouse the luminary that she is perceived as today.
Admittedly, the first few tracks are the strongest. Opener ‘Our Day Will Come’ serves as a blissful reminiscence of Winehouse’s youthful climb to stardom in true ‘Frank’-style. However, in songs such as ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, ‘Lioness’ falls prey to revealing a more lounge-orientated Winehouse than the soulful jazz figure we remember, and the result is a complete misconception of her true vocal prowess. Sadly, it is these features of the compilation that fail to encapsulate Amy’s true nature: a romantic, indisputable musical icon.
But the listener must understand that this is, indeed, a posthumous album; one that delves into the past 9 years of an exceptionally-gifted, but deeply troubled young singer. There are no morals to be learned from the record, nor should there be any. ‘Lioness’ simply epitomises the life, legacy and loss of one of British music’s most recognisable talents.
7/10
‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’, the posthumous release of Amy Winehouse, is available now from Island.
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