ALWAYSBACK

7103 - ALLEN STONE (2011)

ALLEN STONE
''ALLEN STONE''
2011
38:22

1 /Sleep
Andrew Rose / Allen Stone 2:26
2 /Celebrate Tonight
E. Phillips / Andrew Rose / Allen Stone 3:23
3 /What I've Seen
Heidi Rojas / Allen Stone 2:40
4 /Say So
Allen Stone 3:32
5 /The Wind
Allen Stone 5:06
6 /Satisfaction
Allen Stone 4:54
7 /Contact High
Andrew Rose / Allen Stone 3:06
8 /Nothing to Prove
Andrew Rose / Allen Stone 3:21
9 /Your Eyes
Allen Stone 4:05
10 /Unaware
P. Sebastian / Allen Stone 5:49

Review
by Steve Leggett
Allen Stone calls himself "a hippie with soul," and he sort of is, but one would never expect to look at him that he possesses one of the most soulful voices this side of Marvin Gaye, with a joyous, positive feel and energy to match. This self-titled set was originally independently released by Stone in 2011 (an earlier self-released album, Last to Speak, appeared in 2010) and then picked up and given a national release by artist-friendly label ATO Records in 2012. It showcases this talented singer, although one really has to see him live to completely get him -- he doesn't look like he could possibly sing like that. But he does. There's a bright future here. Soul is where you find it.

Biography
by Mark Deming
Singer and songwriter Allen Stone describes himself as "a hippie with soul," and his music reflects both sides of this formula; his vocals and melodic style show the clear influence of classic soul and R&B of the 1960s and '70s, while his lyrics reveal an idealism and passion that recall the folk-inspired singer/songwriters of the same era.

Allen Stone was born in 1987 in Chewelah, Washington, a small town not far from Spokane. Stone's mother was an obstetrician while his father was the pastor of a local church; Stone grew up on gospel and Christian music, and began leading youth worship groups when he was only 14. He had little exposure to secular music as a child, but in his teens, he developed a taste for classic soul music, and started collecting vintage R&B sides, as well as golden age singer/songwriters. After graduating from high school, 18-year-old Stone left Chewelah to attend junior college in Spokane; a year later, he transferred to Bible college, but after a single semester he dropped out and relocated to Seattle. He began writing songs, and soon put together a band with a handful of local musicians; Stone and his group became a regular presence on the West Coast club scene, and developed a reputation for powerful live shows as they played up to 200 dates a year.

In 2010, Stone recorded an album called Last to Speak that he released digitally through his own Stickystones label. A second album, simply titled Allen Stone, followed in the fall of 2011, and quickly became an independent success story; online sales took the album to the Top Five of the iTunes R&B/Soul chart, and it placed on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, all without a formal distribution deal. As Stone and his band played more and bigger shows, they were invited to appear on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Last Call with Carson Daly, and features on Stone were published in Esquire and Billboard. The artist-friendly ATO Records label signed Stone in 2012, and reissued his eponymous album in the summer of that year. A follow-up album for the Capitol label was planned for 2014.