Angie Stone, 'Unexpected'

Honored themes of grown-up R&B pervade the songs of Angie Stone: love lost and found, persistence in the face of tribulation, touches of defiance and statements of self-worth, and, ultimately, expressions of faith. It’s a classic storyboard and it has never steered wrong this powerhouse Atlanta singer, from her time with the underappreciated early-’90s group Vertical Hold (a precursor to the neo-soul wave) through this, her sixth solo album. “Unexpected’’ offers more musical variety than previous discs, from the lively and fun “I Ain’t Hearing You’’ - about a man who can’t possibly be cheating - to the more formulaic “Tell Me,’’ where synthetic beats and the dreaded Auto-Tune take away from the warmth of Stone’s spirit and voice. This may be a bid to reach a younger audience, but Stone needn’t fret about keeping up with the Beyoncés; her church-infused, middle-class songs carry a proud legacy, and when she decries her “haters,’’ it rings false. Where she shines is on the ballads: “Maybe’’ and “Why Is It’’ are classic slow jams of the old school, a sadly fading form of which Stone is one of the great current purveyors. (Out now) SIDDHARTHA MITTER