But I think the collaboration is fabulous. Duffy's songs are given sparse but incredibly effective arrangements, presumably to make space for Kennedy's violin accompaniments, but as a result you get some of the songwriter's finest songs ever sung with a real simplicity that makes them hypnotic.

It's not all solid gold, but Natalie is one of my favourite songs full stop, and Charlotte's Conversations, She Wants To Share Her Magic and Totem are also pop perfection.


Curate's Egg   July 13, 2003
 1 out of 3 found this review helpful

Hmmmm. A bit of a difficult one, this. You see, the good tracks are well up to Mr Duffy's usual standard which, for me, means it's excellent. However, his songs are interspersed with small (and sometimes not so small) musical transitions by Nigel Kennedy, which tend to grate mercilessly and spoil the flow of what could have been a pop gem. By all means buy it, but keep the cd player's remote to hand.