Album review: STONE FOUNDATION – Is Love Enough?

100 Percent Records [Release date 11.09.20]

Ever since Stone Foundation’s 2005 bow ‘Small Town Soul’, the band’s ethos has been collaboration. With their new album ‘Is Love Enough?’ this approach spills over into the thematic content of the record too.

Sonically sitting somewhere between Incognito and Soul II Soul, opener ‘Freedom Starts!’ is a plea for harmony and building bridges through music. Inspirational lyrics like “freedom starts with happiness” or “if the music takes you there, it’s alright” could seem trite in less capable hands but fortunately founders Neil Jones and Neil Sheasby are capable of producing authentic-sounding soul.

‘Changes’ is a creeping slow number, that evidences an awareness of their soul history – calling to mind Bootsy Collins’ ‘I’d Rather Be With You’ or it’s more recent copycat ‘Redbone’ by Childish Gambino. With layered backing vocals, high pitched synthesizers and an opulent horn breakdown, the end product is class all the way. The Funkadelic comparisons later return on the penultimate number, ’83: This is Our Time’.

Paul Weller’s guest appearance ‘Deeper Love’ has of course garnered the most column inches, with its showbiz lead vocals. The song fits nicely into the husky, blue-eyed soul niche Weller has been cultivating for the last decade plus.

The album was recorded at Weller’s Black Barn Studios and his involvement only elevates an already quality album. Again the “come together” theme is in play as the band chant “we know you’re strong enough, to give somebody love”.

The guest appearances continue with Durand Jones taking lead duties on ‘Hold on To Love’, a pleasant mid-tempo number that could be an Amy Winehouse outtake, while Laville brings a disco groove to ‘The Light In Us’, delivering a gorgeous, silky vocal.

The title track is slinky funk with crisp drums and a luxurious woodwind section. A highpoint in the already strong collection is the anthem-like, ‘Learn to Love Again’ replete with sing-along chorus and church organ.

Every soul album worth its salt needs to throwdown and ‘Af-Ri-Ka’ is a foot stomper in the vein of ‘Sugar Lee’ by Donny Hathaway, all showboating musicians and chants.

If there is criticism to be made of the album, it’s that at 17 tracks ‘Is Love Enough’ is not a slender collection however the package is nicely pulled together by several interludes pondering the main theme of love, including an appearance by a Time Lord himself – Peter Capladi, reciting words by Vincent van Gogh. ‘Is Love Enough?’ is a confident collection, completely assured in what it’s doing; delivering polished, A-grade soul. ****

Review by Phillip Beamon

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)