"It's a shame not many people get to know Joi's music.I have to say this is truely one of the best albums I've ever heard ! Not only is it well produced ,the class and elegance of Joi's voice is really God's gift to music lover's. So if you like your music full of moving vocals and supurb beats look no further!"
Power.
Yiannis Psaroudis | soho, ny | 04/06/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"on joi carwell's epynomous solo album, she both puts the joy back in disco and inspires a whole slew of divas to return to the dancefloor--gloria estefan, robin s., cher. cardwell's album, though, also succeeds at proving her vocal acumen to those who consider dance music a lesser art form with the live track "stop & think", a jazzy number more remeniscent of sade than ultra naté (further proof of cardwell's proficiency with a variety of musical styles is present on "love connection", available on dj towa tei's debut solo release). even the more dance-inspired cuts on the album range from light, breezy adriana evans-like vocals ("found love") to more hard-hitting, straight-forward disco roars ("run to you", "soul to bare"). in the style of lonnie gordon and cece penniston, cardwell pumps out accessible, vocal-centered, quality dance music that is as enjoyable to listen to off the dance floor as on. remixes of "soul to bare" and "power" provide hi-energy versions of those tracks for the true clubland fanatic."
Fierce Diva Vocals
Marc Hsu | 11/30/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Joi Cardwell has fierce dance tracks, sulty soul tunes, and some of the best female R&B vocals out there. I highly recommend this to anyone."
A overlooked masterpiece. Truly Brilliant!
Mervin Malone Jr. | Austin, Texas United States | 05/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As dance artists go, Joi Cardwell has a pretty impeccable record. Boasting credits that include vocal submissions to house music's commercially formative years (Lil' Louis "Club Lonely"; Joi and Jorio's "I Won't Waste Your Time"), as well as avante-garde electronica's soulful excursions (Towa Tei's "Luv Connection"), Cardwell has carved out a devoted underground following. Regrettably, she has yet to receive the kind of widespread acclaim that her sizable talents deserve, through no fault of her own.
The American music industry is often at a loss as to what to do with artists as edgy as Joi Cardwell, choosing instead to promote and release the blandly insipid music that now permeates the commercial airwaves.
"Joi Cardwell" boasts a range of styles, from immediately accessible R&B tracks like the album-opener, "Run to You" to hard-house tracks like the haunting "Soul to Bare and "Turn Back Time [M.C.D.C.'s Album Version]. There's even a hint of Nu-Soul -- "Crying Eyes". Perhaps the most interesting track is the peculiar "Wet".
It's a shame that artists and albums of this sort are almost strictly the listening domain of the more informed music listener. The general public doesn't know what it's missing!"