Strange as it seems,
Never Forget My Love is
Joss Stone's most R&B-oriented set of original material since
Introducing Joss Stone (actually her third album), released 15 years earlier.
Stone works again with
Dave Stewart, her producer and writing partner on the rock and soul hybrid
LP1 (actually her fifth album). As with that 2011 full-length, these songs come across as deliberately crafted in a way that differentiates them from the much greater volume of comparatively off-the-cuff material in
Stone's catalog. The singer sounds more comfortable than she has in some time, whether she's referencing prime
Burt Bacharach (with whom
Stone performed in 2019), classic Memphis soul, or
the Staple Singers, or bringing to mind a cross between
Betty Wright and
Bill Withers (specifically on the title song, a highlight). For the most part, this is full-tilt
Stone -- a delight for those who want to hear her let it all out, even when the song doesn't necessarily call for it. She eases up only to tango on "The Greatest Secret" and jubilate on "When You're in Love," a sweet finale with all the elegance and casual grooving energy of an early-'80s
Ashford & Simpson or
Luther Vandross production. ~ Andy Kellman