Critical Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Chicago Tribune | |
| Robert Christgau | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A– |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| Q | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| USA Today | |
Sons of Soul received general acclaim from contemporary music critics. Billboard complimented the album's traditional influences and contemporary sensibilities, and called it "a prismatic record from a maturing group". In his review for the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot called the album "the most accomplished merger of hip-hop attitude with a '70s R&B aesthetic" and commented that the group "delivers funk and soul with street-smart attitude". He compared Raphael Wiggins' singing to "a young Stevie Wonder" and said that, while the guitars raise comparisons to Memphis soul, the turntable scratches and "slinky" rhythms are "straight off an Oakland street corner". James Earl Hardy of Entertainment Weekly said that it is "fresh, funky, fierce, and it feels good". Gil Griffin of The Washington Post called the album "nostalgic, hip and atmospheric through its colorful textures" and said that it sounds modern despite the group's "adulation" for classic soul.
The New Yorker said that Tony! Toni! Toné! easily transitions from "irresistible dance tracks ... to lovely, sensuous ballads." USA Today's James T. Jones observed "infectious, instrumental-driven grooves" indebted to Sly Stone. Christopher John Farley, writing in Time magazine, found the album "graceful" and "more sophisticated, emotionally and musically", than their previous albums. Los Angeles Times writer Connie Johnson praised its "loose-jointed, eclectic and groove-conscious" style and said that their quirky lyrics and musical segues "keep matters lively". Elysa Gardner of Vibe commended its songwriting and found the group to be "a reverent bunch, whether serenading a lover or paying homage to the legends of soul".
In a mixed review, Jonathan Bernstein of Spin accused the group of "jockeying for position with battalions of H-Towns, Intros, and Silks" with songs like "If I Had No Loot" and "What Goes Around Comes Around", but complimented "Anniversary" as "a song for all seasons." Although he found it lacking a song as "strong" as the group's 1990 hit "Feels Good", Michael Saunders of The Boston Globe called Sons of Soul "unquestionably better than nearly all of the formulaic soul/pop albums littering the charts" and stated, "Without a homerun to rely on, TTT connects with several solid base hits." He added that its ballads are "sensual without crossing the line into maudlin." Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, gave it a two-star honorable mention, indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy." He cited "If I Had No Loot" and "Anniversary" as highlights and quipedly called the group "sexy liars of the year".
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