Mahogany Soul

11/17/2001 4:00 PM, LAUNCH
Dan Leroy

She's not as exotic as Erykah Badu or as eccentric as Macy Gray, and maybe that's why on her second album, Angie Stone seems to tap into the bottomless reservoir of genuine old-school R&B more frequently than her new-soul contemporaries. The funk is deep indeed on the mellow Mahogany Soul, and while the hooks are occasionally plain, it's hard not to get caught up in the warmth of Stone's gospelish vocals and the range of her concerns.

There's been much ado about her in-praise-of-black-men single "Brotha," and the dispatch from the poverty line, "20 Dollars." But just as interesting are the common-sense observations about subjects like attention-addicted drama queens ("Mad Issues") and the burgeoning bandwagon of revivalist R&B ("Soul Insurance"). And while that same sensible sensibility helps ground the grooves, Stone takes flight on a half-dozen, acoustic-flavored ballads as lovely as anything released this year, most notably the duet with Calvin, "More Than A Woman," and "Easier Said Than Done," where she adds her own sumptuous vocal backing. In all, calling this album new--or neo-soul--probably does it a disservice; there's plenty of the real thing here.