Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions (2003) VBR

Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions

Year 2003

Tracks
1. The Chokin' Kind
2. Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?), Pt.1
3. Fell In Love With A Boy
4. Victim Of A Foolish Heart
5. Dirty Man
6. Some Kind Of Wonderful
7. I've Fallen In Love With You
8. I Had A Dream
9. All The King's Horses
10. For The Love Of You

Not every 16-year-old white, English girl can hang with the likes of Betty Wright ("Clean Up Woman" and Angie Stone. Joss Stone (no relation), however, is blessed with a strong voice and a will to sing old-school soul. This debut CD is worthy of more than novelty status, though. Wisely avoiding iconic songs by the genre’s biggest names, Stone and a production team that includes Wright opt for lesser-known tunes more often by the likes of Laura Lee, Joe Simon, and the Soul Brothers Six--not to mention their digging out (with guest co-producer ?uestlove from the Roots) the great soul lyric in the White Stripes’ "Fell in Love with a (Boy)." Joss Stone occasionally misses a connection; her "Some Kind of Wonderful" is listless, and when she develops a bit more subtlety, it’ll be welcome. But The Soul Sessions has a spark beyond the album’s obvious good taste.