
Stone’s soul picnic has previously featured such funky guests as D’Angelo and Lenny Kravitz. Here, the South Carolina neo-soul queen invites Snoop Doggy Dog to join her on the smooth flowing “I Wanna Thank Ya” and Miami siren Betty Wright, best known as Joss Stone’s mentor, on the uptempo “That Kind.” As the title suggest, the emphasis is on romance. Where Stone was once known for a funkier groove, most of her latest is, regrettably, laid-back r&b—more suited to a candlelit dinner than a strobe-lit dance floor.