STONE HITS:THE VERY BEST OF ANGIE STONE

The DVD portion contains live performances. Personnel: Angie Stone (vocals); Joe, Anthony Hamilton (vocals); T.H.C.. After three critically lauded studio albums, R&B/soul singer Angie Stone unveiled 2005's STONE HITS, a best-of collection that draws from all of those records and features two previously unreleased tracks, most notably the surging, funky "I Wasn't Kidding." The CD's non-chronological sequencing calls attention to the consistency of Stone's aesthetic, which is simultaneously old-school and state-of-the-art, with bold and lush, but never over-the-top, production on every track. Among the many highlights on STONE HITS are the poignant urgency of "Wish I Didn't Miss You," the dreamy funk of "No More Rain (In This Cloud)," and the hip-hop-tinged "Stay for a While" (featuring vocalist Anthony Hamilton), all of which showcase Stone's powerful, passionate voice. Although it might seem a bit premature to offer up a greatest-hits compilation only six years into her solo career, Stone has enough strong songs to fill out this set with ease, placing her at the very top of the neo-soul class.

• Genre: R&B
• Format: CD
• Released: 10/25/2005