Even though she came to prominence on the back of the success of neo-soul artists such as D’Angelo and Erykah Badu, Stone has never sat comfortably with those incense-burning cats. For starters, her material had far more crossover potential than the offbeat offerings of her Afrocentric peers. So it comes as no surprise that her first album for legendary label Stax appeals less to the urban headwrap brigade and more to those who go all misty-eyed for the soul hits of yesteryear. If Kool & The Gang’s Summer Madness is a fave of yours, then Stone’s Sit Down will give you goosebumps all over. Likewise Play With It conjures up images of Earth, Wind & Fire boogying in dry ice and platform heels. True, there’s nothing groundbreaking here, but then Stone isn’t trying to reinvent R&B. The Art Of Love & War is brimming with soulful songs that hint at a time criminally forgotten — and, as you’d expect from Stone, it’s a rock-solid effort.
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Album sample[mp3t track=”art_of_love_and_war.mp3″ title=””]
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[one_half_last]Websites
Angie Stone
Stax Records[/one_half_last]
[one_half]Angie Stone’s Baby video
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