Joss Stone
Mind Body & Soul
(S-Curve/EMI)
The UK teen tops 2003’s The Soul Sessions by writing 10 of 14 songs and inspiring a reunion of veteran Miami players. When Timmy Thomas plays organ with Little Beaver on guitar, you’d like Stone to take a breath so you can hear the band. On this point, the producers might have heeded the song “Less is More.” The flow and chorus of “Young at Heart,” by rating hooks ahead of high notes, stand out. Stone’s ballyhooed voice, occasionally straining, is redeemed by her uncanny feel for the genre.
—Doug Taylor
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.