Album Review: Joss Stone - 'The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2'

Back in 2003, a then-16-year-old Joss Stone released her debut album, The Soul Sessions, a collection of covers of 1960s and '70s songs, plus a contemporary song that was remade as a Soul track. Since then, Joss has accomplished a lot in her career, including recording four more albums, winning a Grammy and joining a music supergroup that includes Mick Jagger and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, among others. But on her sixth studio album, The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2, Joss, who's now 25, returns full circle. Like her debut, the album is a collection of covers of 1960s and '70s songs, plus a contemporary song that's been remade Soul style. The album, which was released in the U.S. July 31, 2012, doesn't quite capture the magic of her debut release, it's still far superior to most contemporary R&B/Soul out there today.

In recent years, as she's matured, Joss Stone has tried to break away from the pre-packaged image that her then-label, EMI Records, has crafted for her. Despite her first two albums, which were released when she was just 16 and 17 years of age, following a successful formula, Joss felt stifled by being trapped in a retro-Soul music box. She steadily gained more creative control with her next three albums, which experimented with hip-hop and rock, among other sounds. So it's a little surprising that on her sixth album, she chose to return to the sound that she spent years trying to free herself from. But the fact remains that her first two Soul-drenched albums remain her most popular with fans and music critics alike. So The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 should likely be seen as a welcome return "home." And for those who first became fans of Joss back in the early-to-mid 2000s, there's much to like here. Her powerful voice, which is perfect for singing Soul songs, hasn't eroded one bit over time and creates just as much of an impact as it did when she was her in teens. Likewise, her co-conspirator Steve Greenberg, who produced both Soul Sessions volumes, hasn't lost his touch as an in-studio mastermind.
There are multiple songs here that are vintage Joss Stone, most notably "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People," which was originally recorded and released by the Chi-Lites in 1971; "I Got The ...," a largely forgotten jam by British singer Labi Siffre is perfect for Joss' honey-drenched vocal style; and the album's one contemporary remake, "The High Road," which was originally recorded by indie rock duo Broken Bells in 2009. Also worthy of mention is her version of the 1973 Sylvia hit "Pillow Talk," a sensuality-drenched song that Joss probably wouldn't have been allowed to record while in her teens.
But as great as the vocal and production are, if there's one drawback to the album, it's the source material. Nearly all the songs remade here were pretty obscured before they were dusted off and re-recorded, but a few of them were so bland to begin with that they were undeserving of being remade. The cover versions of John Loudermilk's '60s doo-wop hit "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" and one of the four songs on the deluxe edition (Willie Tee's "First Taste of Hurt") are so musically bland, they probably shouldn't have been allowed to see the light of day. But overall, there's much more to like than dislike about The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2. it remains to be seen if Joss continues re-recording classic Soul tracks after this, but if so, a Vol. 3, in this series would be welcomed.