LP1

With her first self-release, vocal wunderkind Joss Stone teams with producer Dave Stewart to expand on her retro-soul sound, weaving bluesy riffs and sultry pop melodies under her smoky, powerful vocals. With its funky keys, “Karma” is pure dance-floor boogie, while “Newborn” starts with gentle folk guitars before Stone explodes with pane-rattling howls. She exudes a defiant rock swagger on “Don’t Start Lying to Me Now”, but on “Cry Myself to Sleep”—with twinkling piano and sweet vocals—she takes the energy down a notch.