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Soul singer/songwriter Joss Stone released her seventh studio album, Water For Your Soul on July 31st. Her last project was in 2012, The Soul Sessions Vol. 2. This album is co-produced with Damian Marley, with a host of musicians listed on the album.
The album begins with “Love Me”, a nice reggae off-shoot rhythm; with a tight pocket and great horn arrangement.
All of the stand outs from the album: “This Ain’t Love”, is a great song lyrically. The bass line grooves throughout the song, with solid guitar licks. It was a nice music change-up going into the bridge. “Stuck On You” is a nice acoustic melody with thought provoking lyrics. “Star” had strong drumming, with a high octave guitar riffs. “Let Me Breathe”, had different mix of musical styles. The lyrics are saying she doesn’t want to be loved in the relationship anymore. “Cut the Line” has a great melody, and vocal harmonies. “Wake Up” is featuring the legendary Damian Marley. A great rhythmic record; with excellent instrumentation. “Underworld” is a metaphorically driven song for love making. The instrumentation is superb, with a strong accent on the drums. “Molly Town”, had a nice horn section, and rhythm change-up in the chorus. “Sensimilla” has a very warm and vibrant intro. It has a very soothing melody, with nice wind instruments throughout the song. “Clean Water” has positive lyrics with beautiful metaphors. The instrumentation is very flowing, and the guitar riffs were excellent. The last song on the album, “The Answer” is an upbeat catchy rhythm, with a lot of percussion on this song. Positive lyrics that are saying you should be doing things that will help you find the truth and answer in your life.
The growth of Joss Stone as a singer/vocalist is beyond unexplainable. You would think it would be difficult for her to switch up styles but it was not out of place at all. Reggae is the root of this album, but the branches attached to this album is a mix of all kind of musical styles. The title of the album is “Water For Your Soul” which equates to “music” for your soul. In which, that’s the energy reggae music gives you. Definitely a musical change-up from her previous work, but not really. Nothing says more soul than having reggae rhythms to create the base of your album.
Water For Your Soul is available in stores now; Available for (digital) purchase via iTunes and Amazon Music.
