Stone Love
It's been five years since Angie Stone's debut and her third album,Stone Love, is still taking the neo-soul approach with dabbles in hip-hop, funk, and classic soul from throughout the years. The big song is "I Wanna Thank Ya," a funky, up-tempo hip-hop break that sees Stone dueting withSnoop Dogg--the production is a fresh take on the old skool sound while Stone's melody has a breezy disco-soul vibe. "Stay for a While" with Anthony Hamilton and "You Don't Love Me" are two highlights from the selection of silky smooth numbers where the warmth in Stone's voice is enhanced by the subtle arrangements. There are some poppier moments in "My Man" and "Lover's Ghetto" where the sound is influenced by the decadence of 80s soul, best summed up as a hybrid ofLuther VandrossandChaka Khan.Stone Loveis another great album for both soul lovers and people who like their pop with a bit of soul in it. There is very little filler and above all, with Angie Stone's experiments in all things urban, it never gets repetitive or boring. --Georgina Collins