Music Review: Joss Stone - Water for the Soul

Joss Stone is best known for her 2004 debut The Soul Sessions, which paired her smoky vocals with a classic r&b sound. But the singer from Devon, England has been feeling the island vibe ever since meeting Bob Marley’s son Damien in SuperHeavy, the short-lived supergroup with Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart and A.R. Rahman. For her seventh album, Stone embraces a more global sound, dabbling South Asian percussion on “Stuck on You” and Spanish guitar on “Let Me Breathe.” There are still hints of her trademark soul on songs like “This Ain’t Love.” But she and Marley cook up mostly sunny reggae on the album’s 14 tracks. Their “Wake Up” duet is a dancehall-flavored warning about the power of subliminal messages in mass media, while “Clean Water” and “The Answer” are inspired, life-affirming empowerment anthems. Best of all is “Harry’s Symphony,” in which Stone even delivers some convincing patois with Jamaican legend Barrington Levy. Stone cold reggae.