Joss Stone - Soul Sessions

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Free Music Notes for Soul Sessions

Free Music Review: Gravel-Voiced Soul Queen Sensation
Hit: 5 Stars

Now if you haven't heard of Joss Stone yet then you must be deaf because critics have been singing this girl's praises louder than you could imagine. She has literally sprung out of the ground and burst onto the scene with her debut album "The Soul Sessions." If you didn't know anything about her, you'd take a wild guess and say she's American firstly. Then you'd say she's in her late twenties possibly, and almost definitely black - but oh no, Miss Stone is none of those. She's not even old enough to drink or infact drive in many states, but it's when she gets behind her microphone that she transforms into a gravel-voiced Soul Queen.

The Soul Sessions opens gorgeously with "The Chokin' Kind." From the beginning Joss has complete control over her vocals, producing a smooth and liquid style. With the opening lyrics, "I only meant to love you, didn't you know it baby?" her voice just oozes sex-appeal, and by the second minute-mark, she's in control of your ears. "Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?) Pt. 1" is up next and was the second single from the album. Stone's vocals appear a little forced here at times and she ends up recalling Macy Gray on certain notes, but otherwise this is a feel-good, summery cut with plenty of gusto that packs a love-punch right to a smitten teenage heart. Up next is an even bigger surprise - a cover of the White Stripes' rocker "Fell In Love With A Girl." Except Joss obviously changes the song's title to "Fell In Love With A Boy." This was my first introduction to Joss and she completely blew me away. With backing vocals from Angie Stone and Betty Wright, the song hits its stride by the second verse. The song is riddled with grooves, smothered in a deep smouldering bass and of course, Stone's thick vocals.

"Victim Of A Foolish Heart" is an average song in which Joss sings about how's she's not going to let her boyfriend's ex come back onto the scene and steal him away. This theme has been done to death, but it's interesting to see it from an inexperienced teenagers point of view, with the voice of wisdom. "Dirty Man" is a very clever song that may get some 40-something red blooded male listeners hot under the collar! It's no secret that Miss Stone is one sexy girl, but it's alright for me to say that because we're both the same age! However, some men may feel guilty and think twice about how they feel for her next time! The song itself is a slow-burning, bluesy acoustic effort which surfaces as an album highlight as Stone is allowed to express her vocals more so than anywhere before on the album with stunning ease. "Oh here's my chance baby, to throw some mud in your face cause I'm a good housekeeper. I'm gonna take my broom and sweep all of the dirt!" sings Stone, with scarily self-assured wisdom. "Some Kind Of Wonderful" breathes new life into the album and adds an uptempo beat that has been absent since the second track. The instruments could be heightened a little bit, but that's only because Stone's vocals overpower them!

"I've Fallen In Love With You" has some exquisite strings which provide a much-needed rich and lush effect that raises the bar on the rest of the album. Thankfully they are not overdone, and Stone's voice is once more on top as the centrepiece. An all-encompassing gospel choir raises the chorus into the clouds and gentle brings the song back down to earth towards the end. "I Had A Dream" starts of similarly to the album's opener, with no instruments apart from Stone's amazing voice. The song has a strong - albeit brief - story to tell that draws you in. The true soul pours out here and ends as perhaps the most relaxed and chilled-out song on the album. "All The King's Horses" is a cover of an Aretha classic, and the gospel-tinged theme raises its beautiful head once more. Stone mixes this subtly with a bit of reggae and funk, carefully mastering and adjusting her vocals to complement the song's three-minute journey. The album ends with "For The Love Of You Pts. 1 & 2" which spans some seven and a half minutes, and showcases Stone's vocals dramatically. They possess a certain flare of Norah Jones to them, as the song switches from each part. The song also recalls certain aspects of Lauryn Hill's spectacular duet with D'Angelo, "Nothing Even Matters."

OVERALL GRADE: 9/10

The Soul Sessions is sure to go on to become somewhat of a mini-classic as Joss Stone goes from strength to strength. The inlay of the album features a lengthy Thank You section, which really does show her gratitude towards people in her personal and professional life. Snapshots of her time in the studio are beautifully scattered and decorated throughout, before the original dates in which the songs were recorded is placed at the end - April 9th 2003, May 12th 2003, etc. What Miss Stone possesses on this album is a remarkable vocal ability that presents her as wise beyond her years. With so much talent seeping out of her, you can be sure this girl has a long and shining career ahead of her.

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