This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
It was little more than a year ago that teenage neo-soul phenom Joss Stone burst onto the radar with throaty pipes, technique well beyond her tender years and an impressive debut disc dominated by well-chosen, superbly interpreted cover tunes — including a gender-switching take on The White Stripes’ Fell In Love With A Girl.
With her sophomore disc, the 17-year-old Stone ups the ante, puts her money where her mouth is — and emerges as an artist in her own right. Stone co-wrote most of the 15 tracks on Mind, Body & Soul, and even if her contributions were limited to lyrics and melodies, she still comes through with flying colours, displaying a knack for sharp hooks and catchy choruses.
As expected, Stone stays on the retro-soul course she established on The Soul Sessions, moving confidently from the Memphis soul of Right To Be Wrong through the funky R&B of You Had Me, the silken soul of Spoiled, the lightly reggaefied Less Is More, the folky Understand and the stark piano balladry of hidden closing cut Daniel. Even more impressive: Her vocal restraint. Instead of caterwauling continually like some attention-starved starlet (we’re looking at you, Xtina), Stone keeps a tight rein on her pipes, unleashing them only at opportune moments and to undeniably dramatic effect. And she knows the difference between sultry and slutty, making this an album you can listen to without feeling like a perv.
So even if the emphasis on original material means there’s no track as instantly familiar as Fell In Love With A Girl, Mind, Body And Soul makes it easy to fall in love with Stone all over again.
