Joss Stone - LP1
Released 12th August, 2011 - Universal Music
Instantly on LP1, the new and fifth album from English soul singer Joss Stone, you get the impression it's going to be an intimate, raw, personal affair, and for most part that is true. Sadly, it just doesn't completely work here.
As we've come to expect from Joss Stone her voice is the main component. It's what's been strong over her career and what made us take note of her abilities. With LP1, it's still there but in a more raw focus than previous efforts. It's big, husky at times, and soulful. However the emotion-conjuring melodies and general groove are missing. There's more of a country and blues undertone with the prominence of acoustic guitar. Possibly attributed to the fact LP1 was co-written and co-produced, alongside Stone, by Eurythmics co-founder David Stewart.
‘Newborn' & ‘Cry Myself to Sleep' sees Stone conjuring up her Janis Joplin, with a deep soulful feel mainly accompanied by an acoustic guitar. ‘Last One to Know' is a grandiose piano driven emotional song and one of the highlights of LP1. There's still plenty of soul, funk, and R&B as well, in such songs as ‘Drive All Night' which cruises along, and ‘Karma' which sounds more like the Joss Stone of previous with plenty of bass, funk and pop.
While ‘Take Good Care' finishes off the 10 song record with a folk sounding longing complete with the slide guitar and the subtleties of Stone's voice.
LP1 appears to be a slightly different direction for Joss Stone, dabbling in folk, country, and blues along with her traditional soul and funk, leaving you with an overall indifferent notion to what's here.
Tagged as : Joss Stone | LP1 | album review |
The main point of your negative review seems to be that most of it doesn't sound like joss of old. how would you judge it if it were someone else? one sure way to stifle creativity is to box her in to only doing "more of the same" as emi tried to do. she seems awfully proud of lp1. i love it.
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