Colour Me Free! is the newest album by Joss Stone, the soulful, bohemian singer-songwriter you may remember from her rockin' performance at the 2005 Grammy's with Melissa Ethridge, covering Janis Joplin. Her choice was apt, since for the most part, Stone's music is a healthy, unique mix between Norah Jones, Lauryn Hill, and, yes, Janis Joplin herself. Although it sounds similar to her earlier albums (2003's
The Soul Sessions, 2004's
Mind, Body, and Soul, and 2007's
Introducing Joss Stone), Stone has revealed that, unlike her previous work,
Colour Me Free! was written and recorded in roughly a week.
The opening track, "Free Me," is the catchiest song on the album. It's also spattered with Stone's occasional background laughter, which is a nice, complementary addition to the groovy instrumentals. Another notable song is the bonus track, "Mr. Wankerman," a cool 13-plus-minute-long track, which sounds almost improvised and which is available only on the UK release. "4 and 20" is strong in its use of effective jazz piano, giving the album some soul. The album also features a few guest artists, including Nas and guitar legend Jeff Beck.
Colour Me Free! is a lovely, chilled-out collection carried by Stone's raspy, soulful voice, sounding like the classic African-American singers of the past - despite the fact that she's as white as can be. Nevertheless, Stone has created an album that could be listened to at any time - and one that should be.
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