In a world where soulful British gals are a dime-a-dozen, Joss Stone feels like old hat. It is easy to forget that she was merely 17 when her cover of the White Stripes‘ “Fell In Love With a Girl” hit in 2004.
After taking off some time to work on acting (most notably in The Tudors), Stone returns with her fifth studio album, LP1.
Naming her fifth album, LP1 may seem odd but this album is a bit of a rebirth for Joss Stone. Many critics have lauded Stone’s steady estrangement from what made her debut album, The Soul Sessions so powerful. LP1 seems to mark a return to the form of her first LP.
“Karma” is a funky, Stevie Wonder-esque track complete with clavinet. “Don’t Start Lying To Me Now” has all the blues-tinged rock power of old Aerosmith and Stone makes a more than apt Steven Tyler. There are some slower numbers on the album. Most notably is the acoustic guitar/keyboard duet of “Landlord.” The track sees Stone taking the energy level down without getting too sappy or trite. The same can not be said for the all-types of sappy closing track, “Take Good Care.” But what the track lacks in lyrical ingenuity, it makes up for in a great vocal performance from Stone
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In the end, LP1 is probably Stone’s second best album to date. It delivers a wide variety of arrangements and song styles all while letting her voice shine. It still may not get the critical praise of The Soul Sessions but it is a much stronger effort than her previous few outings.
Rating: 6.3/10
Some songs may not be original (or be considered perhaps “pop” or “mainstream”), but her talent as a singer and performer is undeniable. His ability to communicate emotions and feelings through her voice is simply amazing.
Feel free to pop by my site to read my review:
http://www.dwaveonline.com/2011/08/lp1-the-new-album-of-joss-stone-review/
Looking forward to the SuperHeavy project!
See you soon! :-)