This is only the second album Angie's releasing under her own name although she's in the music biz for a long time now. Before going solo she recorded two overlooked albums with Vertical Hold. Her first album Black Diamond for Arista was quite excellent and we all knew it will be very hard to top. But Angie wouldn't be Angie if she deliver mediocre material. Anyone who've listened to her inbetween albums contibutions to various soundtracks like Slippery Shoes for Bamboozled or her superb cover of the Simply Red chestnut Holding back the years for Love & Basketball knows there's more soul music coming. And here we are in 2001 and Mahogany Soul is finally with us and sees Angie on Clive Davis new label J Records (like Luther Vandross for example). And with Pissed Off we do have the aptly titled song for the relese policy of major record labels. Not only has the European release another (uglier) cover than the original US release but both releases differ in the featured songs. So if you wanna enjoy all Angie has to offer you'll have to pay twice. What's the sense of this? I'm really pissed off paying for another release just because it offers some songs that weren't on the import. Can't we just have one release featuring all?
But back to the music. Angie delves deep into the more retro/organic/nu soul sound once more...and don't we love her for this? Favourite songs include Pissed Off, the duet with Calvin Richardson More Than A Woman, Wish I Didn't Miss You (which borrows heavily from the O'Jays Backstabbers), Bottles & Cans (love the lyrics "I'd rather be pickin' up bottles and cans/ If you can't be my man/ I'd rather be homeless in the streets with no food to eat/ I'd rather be facing twenty to life/ If I can't be your wife/ Now I know that it seems like I'm crazy for you/ That's what love can do"), Mad Issues, the favourite song for all broke people 20 Dollars and as a bonus track Time Of The Month. And there's also a duet with Musiq Soulchild (The Ingredients Of Love) and a cover of Curtis Mayfields contribution for the Claudine Soundtrack (sung by Gladys Knight & The Pips) The Makings Of You.
Mahogany Soul is really a strong contender for album of the year.