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Album Review
by SashaS
2-7-2004
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| Angie Stone: stoned love & entire life |
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Angie Stone: 'Stone Love'
(J Records)
Angie Stone: ‘crimes’ in the name of passion
There is nothing sane about the worship of, what we perceive as, beauty. That’s where lies the celebrity secret: we don’t judge it, just admire and, obviously, taking it in at an image value. The zeitgeist culture is like opinions of the ignorant that are being aired to keep us informed about the demands, requirements and desires of yob-hood. Mainstream has brought the common denominator below the average level in its greedy search for a new customer. Resulting in the market being like a convention of optimists, so pointless because it only propagates delusions.
Whether anything deserves it, it is hard to see. It is not only tedious, not just monotonous but it is monochromatic. Like an Orwellian scene: when it rains, and being the Wimbledon fortnight [although seasons make little difference anymore with the total climate screw-up] a lot of water washes the urbanity regularly and bricks display this dull hue to make the whole place look bleaker than its usual grubby self. People appear morose and the outlook turns to mood similar to the post-War [WWII, to be precise]; it settles on the faces of natives with their body language... you wish they spoke Kylie! Or, some R&B…
It could be more difficult for aliens, Americans in particular, to understand the pessimistic outlook of life the Euro-denizens prefer because their nation likes to boogie their troubles away and focus on enjoyment on one-to-one basis. They’d rather not worry about the ‘global crisis’. Escapism and hedonism at the time of turmoil; happiness appears perma-plastered as the world wallows in materialism to care for else but myths, clichés and nostalgia to reconfirm whatever we need to be reloaded with against the violent reality…
Angie Stone is all about talent, songs and delivery to melt your cheese. From the opening ‘I Want To Thank You’, featuring Snoop Dogg, the current single sets the tone by masterfully working in parts of old hits ‘Come Into My Life’ and ‘All This Love’; the song also closes the album but this time rap-less. Floetry are featured on the following cut, ‘My Man’, that sounds like a female twin of Prince. Missie Elliott wrote/produced/background vocal’d ‘U-Haul’ that is a surprisingly slow, ballad-ish, a bedroom track indeed.
‘Lovers’ Ghetto’ pays homage to the old-skool but this is generally neo-soul of some quality that defies the current norm of the technological innovations having pushed creativity into subordinate role for the realm of battery operated taste. Not Angie Stone whose singing about love, ‘Come Home (Live With Me)’ in particular, can get you stoned… on emotions.
This is a sensual dope, Eugene!
7/10
SashaS
2-7-2004
Angie Stone’s album ‘Stone Love’ is released 28 June 2004 by J Records/BMG
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