Angie Stone new album titled Unexpected
Nov 24th, 2009 by Bilal Ali
Angie Stone returns after two years with her aptly-titled album, Unexpected
Fans of the singer may be in for a shock as this is a slight departure from her past offerings: âI wanted this album to be something different. I didnât want to make the kind of neo-soul record I had made in the past. That would have been repetitive.â
Known for her use of old samples on classics such as âWish I Didnât Miss Youâ and âNo More Rain (In This Cloud)â and her simple melodies on new beats for tracks like âBabyâ and âBrothaâ, Angie flipped the script for Unexpected, citing the sudden passing of her father as the inspiration for the album title. This time around, sheâs going for a more trendy sound as evidenced on âFreeâ, which sounds like a reject from Rihanna and âI Donât Careâ which replicates the hip-hop tinged soul of the â90s.
Old school influence still manages to shine through, though, on the first single, â« I Ainât Hearinâ U, as well as âThink Sometimesâ which stands out as one of the albumâs best tracks and sounds like it could have been included on Angieâs debut, Black Diamond. The auto-tuned âTell Meâ, however, is definitely unexpected from someone as talented as Angie. The same is true for âI Found a Keeperâ which is reminiscent of a mid-tempo âHeâs Mineâ from mid-â90s R&B trio MoKenStef.
On ballads such as âWhy Is Itâ and âAll Over Your Bodyâ, Angie sounds best showcasing everything weâve come to know, love and expect from her. Itâs understandable that after four albums, Angie would go searching for a different sound. Unfortunately, she didnât find anything new. Her ânewâ sound is more of a throwback to the â90s which fails to highlight the talent that is Angie Stone.