Soul Sessions
Not every 16-year-old white, English girl can hang with the likes ofBetty Wright("Clean Up Woman") andAngie 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 ofLaura Lee,Joe Simon, and theSoul Brothers Six--not to mention their digging out (with guest co-producer ?uestlove from theRoots) the great soul lyric in theWhite 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. ButThe Soul Sessionshas a spark beyond the album’s obvious good taste.--Rickey Wright