By Danny Coleman
originally published: 08/27/2015

Joss Stone broke big with her multi-platinum debut album “The Soul Sessions,” followed up by five additional works and now her seventh release, “Water For Your Soul” has hit the masses in July.

 

A fourteen track eclectic mix of sounds and styles that marks somewhat of a departure from the vintage Stone who garnered a 2005 Grammy nomination for “Mind Body & Soul,” this new release is still a remarkable showcase of Stone’s vocal ability with all the heart and soulful renderings that we’ve come to expect from this talented Brit.

 

“Love Me,” the opening track; sets the tone with its rehearsal space uncertainty at the start quickly giving way to a rhythmic, electronic, semi-reggae feel. Stone’s vocals are much more pop oriented than what her fans may be used to; yet quite as enticing as the title suggests.

 

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“This Ain’t Love,” makes great use of additional percussion to set a sultry tone. The conga drums and shakers lightly woven into the background by the engineer/producer are a beautiful touch and create a sensual feel; highlighted once again by Stone’s R & B influenced crooning.

 

Two tracks into this effort and one may be faced with a dilemma; press on to track three or stop fighting the urge to smoke a cigarette. The first two cuts oozing sexuality, Joss cuts us a break with the Middle Eastern/Indian sound that permeates and dominates “Stuck On You.” “Every time you get me close enough, I fall for you, it’s everything you do, I just can’t get enough you’ve got me truly, you got me truly…” This track has a harder edge than the first two but still a nice departure in style and is the first markedly “Different” sounding offering on the record.

 

“Star,” is a synthesizer driven work using faux strings and what appears to be a tuba track embellishing some nice guitar work and Stone’s layered vocal. The utilization of a children’s playground at the end is a neat touch but not really needed to drive home the point. This track may be the weak link in an otherwise strong chain as it seems to be more of an add-on rather than part of a progression.

 

Joss instantly redeems herself with “Let Me Breathe;” a decidedly Latin flavored tune with a flamingo style guitar which permeates this conga laden cut. A mildly aggressive touch is perfectly done as Stone attacks this one with an edge that would make Sade blush.

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“Cut The Line” is yet another percussion driven ditty which uses it’s choppy rhythm punctuated by a perfectly placed, accented guitar wah pedal to create a great back-line for Stone’s urban-esque, near rap vocal track. Again, another semi-aggressive mature effort showing just how far she has come in her career and one she should be happy with.

 

“Wake Up” is a cross between reggae and slowed down hip hop and is no better or worse than anything else on the disc but it definitely requires a different taste and an open mind. Somewhat urbanized with a Jamaican rap interjected in various spots behind a repetitive percussive keyboard riff; Stone fluctuates between song bird and street corner busker with relative ease. The song itself seems to lack a definitive direction but as stated; an open mind works wonders here.

 

The reggae vibe continues with “Way Oh,” in which Joss shows some very nice range as she winds her way up and down and in and out of this tune like a snake through high grass; sneaking up on you one minute and lying low, almost unseen the next.

 

“Underworld” is the ninth cut and has a definite movie theme feel to it. Here too, Stone combines an urban sound with reggae, rap and soul overtones; which much like the aforementioned “Star,” seems to be a bit all over the place. Joss shows her vocal versatility, utilizing many styles to meld the tune together much like a patchwork quilt where the individual parts are a sum of the whole.

 

“I met this boy in Molly Town I said, boom, boom, boom…” this is one of the strongest offerings on the disc. “Molly Town,” with its reggae feel and playful yet seductive story line has punch and a great feel; once again showcasing Stone’s ability to harmonize and dominate with her strong vocals.

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“Sensimilla” is the most diverse track on the record and another left up to one’s interpretation; enough said.

 

The twelfth cut is “Harry’s Symphony” and it takes us on a unique ride through various styles of R & B, scat, ska and rap. Stone takes what could be considered a near cacophony of sound and blends it perfectly into a smooth transient trip, complete with a stop at “Cops” which lends a small touch of humor as well.

 

Track thirteen is titled “Clean Water” and is a synthesizer driven piece with some nice guitar work and a well-produced back mix that accents Stone’s vocals with precision. The upbeat pace makes this one even more appealing.

 

“The Answer” should be an emphatic yes! This song rocks from beginning to end as its tribal African drum sound gives way to a fantastic rhythm laden, semi-gospel performance with Stone really pouring herself into the song from start to finish. Another prime cut off of this “Grade A Top Choice” album and a beautiful way to close it out; if “Always leave them wanting more” is true then Stone has done her job.

 

Over all, “Water For Your Soul” is a great mix of rhythms, soulful vocals and styles that is guaranteed to evoke some “Wow” moments with a lot of toe tapping, dancing and head bobbing thrown in; don’t fight it, just go with it.