Joss Stone's latest release, Introducing Joss Stone, opens with the lines, "You see I know change/I see change/I embody change/All we do is change." This introduction is spoken aptly enough by Vinnie Jones, the famous English-footballer-turned-actor, but is just as applicable to Stone. In particular, Stone's third release injects an energetic shot into her soulful R&B ballads.
Despite being only 19, she is already internationally renowned for her larger than life, diva-esque voice. Her vocal chords are put to good use on Introducing, especially in the belts on the single "Tell Me 'Bout It." And of course it doesn't hurt when this sound is amplified by the equally throaty vocals of Lauryn Hill on "Baby Baby Baby."
In contrast to Stone's powerful vocal range everything else is mere background music-but for background music it's more than decent. The instrumentation evokes a range of both genres and time periods, such as the '60s girl-group, the '70s Diana Ross disco queen and more modern R&B and soul.
It would be nice, though, if the music could sometimes take center stage and let Stone rest her vocal chords. And it is this that ultimately detracts from an otherwise stellar release.
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