Stone enchants Deer Valley fans

JOSS STONE, Deer Valley Amphitheatre, Thursday

DEER VALLEY — Critics of Joss Stone's current tour have accused the British soul singer of lacking stage presence and the maturity needed to be a truly effective headliner.

But it's precisely those things — the onstage giggling, the playful twirling — that made Stone's Thursday performance at Deer Valley so enchanting.

Admittedly, Stone is not the most polished of performers. After all, not many stars these days would admit to being affected by the altitude at the Utah ski resort, and never would they publicly disparage a voice that's been called everything from "rich, deep and soulful" to "gutsy ... which can sting like aged bourbon or melt like strap molasses."

"Because we're so high up it's hard for me to sing," Stone said after performing her newest single, "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now." "So please excuse my crapness when it comes to my voice." And Stone's voice did, in fact, seem a little weak, at times becoming lost to the music.

Still, what Stone lacks in gloss, she more than makes up for in heart. Simply put, Stone is having fun on stage and it shows.

Thursday night, the 20-year-old singer found herself laughing so hard that she was unable to finish her lyrics more than once, the first time after seeing a pair of teenage boys in the crowd desperately trying to get her attention, and later, during what should have been a display of her amazing range, after being shaken by the crowd's strong reaction.

Taking the stage in a short teal dress and wearing a shy smile, Stone offered a simple "Hi" before jumping right into "Girl, They Won't Believe It," from her latest album "Introducing Joss Stone." She moved immediately into "Headturner" and "Baby, Baby, Baby," both from the new CD.

Stone, of Devon, England, released her debut album, "The Soul Sessions," when she was just 16 years old. She has since sold 7.5 million albums worldwide, and her latest debuted at No.2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 to become the highest-charting debut for a British female artist. (The record was set less than a month before by British phenom Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black.")

Nearly all of the songs in Stone's hour-plus set came from "Introducing," including the album's most popular single, "Tell Me About It." That song was by far the strongest of the night, with a rousing musical interlude by her eight-piece band and a chance for each of her three backup singers to have a little solo fun.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com