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MagnetDec 22, 2017While it's hard not to hear Soul Of A Woman and mourn Jones' death, the joyful vibrancy and old-school expertise coursing through these tracks quickly supersede any hint of sadness. [No. 149, p.58]
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Nov 17, 2017Soul of a Woman is a more than worthy farewell by one of the hardest working and talented women show business has ever known.
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Nov 15, 2017Soul of a Woman is a final set of genre-perfect old-school soul: brisk rumba-soul in “Sail On,” hand-clapping neo-Motown in “Rumors,” a girl-group slow dance topped with hovering strings in “When I Saw Your Face.” The band sounds as if it’s playing live in the studio.
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Nov 14, 2017It’s not just a rousing bookend to a remarkable, late-starting career, but a terrific and moving soul explosion that stands as one of the finest in her limited yet extraordinary catalog.
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UncutNov 13, 2017Soul Of A Woman proves to be so much more than your average swansong. ... Sly, spirited and sublime, it packs a whole lot of action into its 36 filler-free minutes. [Dec 2017, p.16]
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Nov 15, 2017Soul Of A Woman offers up a piece of everything that made Jones a powerhouse up to the very end.
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Dec 4, 2017When all is said and done, Soul of a Woman cements itself as a fitting send-off for a woman who flat-out owned the stage and spearheaded a scene, transcending the notions of “neo” and “revival” to make music that was impassioned and pure. Sharon Jones lives on every time you press play.
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Dec 18, 2017It fits nicely into Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' formidable catalog, but just happens to be the best album of their career.
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Dec 8, 2017The first half of the album follows an upbeat style, reminiscent of raspy rhythm ‘n’ blues, sharp-edged funk, and early Motown. ... The second half of the album harks back to the golden era of soul with gospel roots and orchestral interludes.
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Nov 27, 2017It’s to her credit that it [final song, “Call on God”] doesn’t sound like a farewell. Instead, the song—the entire album, in fact--is a poignant statement of the determination that motivated her all along.
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Q MagazineNov 22, 2017[Her] final LP gives as much pleasure as her 2002 breakthrough. [Jan 2018, p.110]
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Nov 20, 2017A record replete with drama and succour that wrestles with the messy business of being alive.
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Nov 17, 2017Jones remains emotive yet controlled, her artistry enhancing the warmth of her delivery, taking a sound from the past and making it still new and still vibrant. This one is a time machine of sorts, but it looks back to push forward, fulfilling the persistent vision of Soul of a Woman and Sharon Jones.
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Nov 17, 2017Soul of a Woman catches Jones at her liveliest and most defiant as she lets her powerful voice loose in catchy, funky songs about overcoming hardships and dealing with fickle lovers.
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Nov 17, 2017Soul of a Woman is a rich, life-affirming work from an artist who valued her life and her music too much to not make the most of them up to the very end. This isn't just a fitting farewell to Sharon Jones; it's one of the best albums of her career.
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Nov 17, 2017It's easy to read themes of mortality into the lyrics, but this is a stirringly indefatigable farewell.
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MojoNov 13, 2017The ballads confirm that she was singing better than ever. [Dec 2017, p.88]
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Nov 13, 2017Throughout, Jones’s characteristic optimism holds true, in songs such as Binky Griptite’s latter-day civil rights anthem “Matter Of Time” (“It’s a matter of time before justice will come”) and especially Crispiano’s “Come And Be A Winner”, whose light country-soul stylings and rhythm guitar seem to channel Curtis Mayfield.
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Nov 13, 2017Soul Of A Woman finds Jones bowing out in the finest form, somehow filling the space between Gladys Knight and Etta James.
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Nov 13, 2017The loving details with which she and her band fill these songs transcend the same R&B clichés they reinforce.
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Nov 17, 2017After the James Brown frenzy of its opening tracks and the less memorable Motown-inspired middle ground, the album changes course. This reprise of Jones’ established work ends and listeners get a peek at what would have come next: an odyssey of densely symphonic funk and soul.
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Nov 15, 2017Jones’ best work came through exploring the emotional intricacies and broad passions of romantic relationships, and that’s no different on Soul of a Woman. In fact, these affairs of the heart smolder even more heatedly than usual on the record’s ballad-heavy second half.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 33 out of 36
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Mixed: 0 out of 36
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Negative: 3 out of 36
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Jan 9, 2018
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Nov 24, 2017