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Mind, Body & Soul

by Joss Stone

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These days, it seems anyone can make an R&B album. However, recording a soul album takes that special intangible element. The 17-year-old Devon, England, native first proved that she has it with The Soul Sessions, a collection of rare soul grooves. She does it here again with Mind, Body & Soul, her first album of original material. For those who thought that Stone could only interpret vintage ballads, witness the midtempo attitude of "Jet Lag." Backed by a thumping backbeat, Stone tells of a love of so all-encompassing that it is physically draining. On lead single, "You Had Me," Stone takes the persona of a woman done wrong with biting edge and a funky wah-wah guitar introduces her "get lost" sentiment over an infectious hook. Mind, Body & Soul also features a host of moving ballads that are reminiscent of the more downtempo fare characteristic of The Soul Sessions. The choir-backed "Security" is an organ-touched tale of love and support in the wake of tragedy. "Spoiled," a song Stone wrote with the legendary Lamont and Beau Dozier of Dozier-Holland-Dozier, is a romantically lush offering in which Stone's alto caresses the piano-driven arrangement. Other Mind, Body & Soul highlights include the hypnotic "Snakes & Ladders" and the roots reggae vibe of "Less Is More." While The Soul Sessions introduced Stone to the world, this album will make her placement in the soul canon undeniable. --Rashaun Hall