Album: Joss Stone

The apparent contradiction in the title of Stone's third album hints at an underlying truth, as her career seems to be proceeding in reverse. Her Soul Sessions debut of rare soul covers is the kind of thing established artists do to span a songwriting shortfall, while this ho-hum collection sounds like the groundwork for 2004's Mind, Body and Soul. Worse, as her profile rises, her work loses more of its individual character: just as US residence wore her Devonian accent down into bland transatlanticisms, so it has eroded the very characteristics that made her work special. This must partly be due to new producer Raphael Saadiq, though as it's the first album Stone wrote for herself, the change probably comes from her. Sadly, she's no Smokey or Stevie. As recent live performances of songs such as "Family Affair", "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Cry Baby" showed, she still brings power and commitment to well-known material - which is perhaps why the better tracks here tend to recall familiar songs like "No Woman No Cry", "Spooky" and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". What a pity she didn't just record them and have done with it.

DOWNLOAD THIS: 'Tell Me What We Gonna Do Now', 'Tell Me 'Bout It', 'Baby Baby Baby'