The Very Best of Angie Stone

by Nicky Zhang

One of the first neo-soul artists to hit the scene, Angie Stone’s number one priority seems to be sticking close to the roots of the old school. “I don’t go for the trendy commercial approach,” she says, quoting her major influences as soul legends Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye et al. “What I do is basic soul music – no frills added.”

That statement is about half right. True, her style – neo-soul with touches of hip-hop and funk, tempered with hints of classic soul - harks back to decades long gone. There is real talent at work here; the sound is always rich and smooth, and the arrangements on tracks such as 'Stay for a While' often back up the warmth in Stone’s voice to lovely subtle effect. Brotha is swathed in swaggering confidence, and 'I Wanna Thank Ya', an upbeat duet with Snoop Dogg, is all rollicking hip-hop touches and bouncy vibes.

That’s the bit about no-frills soul. Talking about eschewing the commercial approach, however, might be a bit of a stretch. Stone really hasn’t been around all that long – her breakthrough album Black Diamond was released on this side of the century, and for a career thus far consisting of three albums and a handful of club hits, a Greatest Hits collection carries a distinctive whiff of too-much-too-soon.

Still, this record manages to collate Stone’s most successful tunes into a neat little package, and there are three previously unreleased tracks, among them an alternate version of 'More Than a Woman' and the fabulous 'Little Boy'. This is comfy, sit-back-and-lounge music: nothing particularly spectacular, but enjoyable nonetheless.

1/30/06

Source: varsity.co.nz

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