Joss Stone has been successful from the start, her 2003 debut “The Soul Sessions” went multi-platinum and was the first of a string of albums to do so. She was only 16 when she recorded that first album, and, like most 16-year-old singing sensations, her career and song choices were left up to the producers who discovered her and signed her to her first record contract. Unfortunately, they were determined to try to take her incredibly soulful voice and attempt to fit it into modern rhythm and blues songs, thus watering down what was clearly a remarkably old-soul voice.

Luckily, that voice was so astoundingly powerful and expressive it shined through even the most mundane songs and over-production. With her third album, “Introducing Joss Stone,” she took over her own production and made an album that made her previous ones look lame, forsaking the hip-hoppy over-production and getting down to R&B basics. With her latest album, “Colour Me Free,” she’s taken that back-to-basics approach to the extreme, and made the best album of her life to date. When she delivered the album to her record company over a year ago, they wouldn’t release it, saying it was too raw, too basic. Oh, the fools just don’t get it.

Joss Stone is without a doubt the new Queen of Blue-Eyed Soul, picking up and taking over where the great Dusty Springfield left off so many years ago. Over-producing takes away from the overwhelming power of her voice, and “Colour Me Free”proves it in every way. Sounding more like a ‘60s-era Aretha Franklin album than the cheese-laden production of today's popular R&B artists, the album is chock full of strong, well-written soul songs and Joss' voice has never been in better form. Her delivery is powerful and confident, sweet and soulful, raw and polished. There simply isn't a better soul singer around, and it's wonderful to hear her sing the songs the way they should be sung, without all the muck and allowing her fabulous voice to be the star of the music.