Joss Stone // Water for Your Soul

Joss Stone

Water for Your Soul

Stone'd Records

3/5 stars

If anyone has embraced the world music scene, it's British soul diva Joss Stone. Her latest release combines elements from the Caribbean and Africa with American hip-hop-pop and her traditional '70s soul sound. This collection creates a chilled-out romantic groove, with Stone using her pipes to channel the vocalists of the past, sounding like Anita Baker in the sweet uplifting song "Clean Water." And the funky "Big 'Ol Game" has Martha Reeves written all over it, complete with background singers tossing out plenty of oohs, ahs and uh-huhs. There are some misses: "Star," written to sell records to depressed teenagers, is filled with self-assertive clichés about how every person should just be his or her own wonderful self. And the teeth-grating remake of the old standard "L-O-V-E" should have been shortened to "N-O." Generally though, this record is sexy as hell, especially when Joss Stone really cuts loose and shows off what she can do. – Bryan Toy