Joss Stone
Water for Your Soul
Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt
I’m always a bit cautious whenever an artist who has never touched the rim of the genre releases a reggae album. If we’ve learned anything from the release of Snoop Lion’s first and likely last release, we know that it can produce -being kind- disappointing results. Joss Stone is the latest songwriter to attempt such a feat, but this comes with a few exceptions. Namely, Stone has been known for genre-hopping to great effect in her decade long career. To add to its legitimacy, Damian Marley, her bandmate in supergroup SuperHeavy, is among the producers of the album and contributes vocals on the track, “Wake Up.” Water for Your Soul has a rich pedigree to validate its existence and, perhaps surprisingly, does not stumble much in the delivery.
But it does stumble. Coming in at 14 total tracks, Water for Your Soul is a lot to process in one sitting. This is especially true as each individual track comes in around the four-minute mark. While diversity of sound is a strength near the beginning ot the album this dilutes a lot of the overwhelming presence that Stone eagerly contributes. It has the effect of feeling tired, even redundant in parts as certain beats are recycled throughout. Adding on to this is the retread of soured relationships within the lyrical content. Eventually these themes lose their focus, their passion.
Yet while this passion may fall down flat in some of the more reggae-heavy grooves, Stone does not simply imitate a poor shade of the genre. She incorporates elements she’s familiar with, namely soul, funk, even trip-hop in parts, to arrive at something that is able to stand on its own laurels. The diversity of sound ranges anywhere from the Caribbean to the Indian subcontinent within the context of the album. “This Ain’t Love”, “Stuck on You”, and “Star” all capture Stone at her very best. The latter of these tracks is where some of those trip-hop elements come into play between the sweeping intro of strings, full-bodied backing vocals, and the minimal touch of electric guitar tracking Stone’s vocal performance.
All this said, it’s unfair to classify Water for Your Soul as a true blue reggae release. The inspiration behind the album is clear, yet the highlights noted above allowed for variation and experimentation, all of which worked to great effect. Stone unwraps herself from the trappings of the genre to arrive at another solid album to add to her already lengthy and diverse repertoire.
Rating: Listenable
