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BUY THE CD
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Okay folks, this new CD by the sultry sounding Norah Jones certainly threw me for a loop. After my first listening, I said to myself “Wow. This is an aptly named title because she really fell far from her previous releases as far as great music goes.” Unfortunately, I liked only two of the thirteen tracks.
“Could I be wrong?” I asked myself. I gave it a few more listens but still wasn’t able to say how wonderful this CD is. In fact, Norah Jones fans, I just don’t like it.
She enlisted the help of some heavy hitters, including Ryan Adams and Okkervil River’s Will Sheff to assist in the song writing. Ms. Jones also brought in different musicians for this effort including drummers Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green), and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer). Somehow, these great musicians seem to be stuck in an uninspired groove; the ambiance of electronic sounds put me on edge more than they relaxed me.
I know Jones’s music is the mellow, jazzy, soothing music some also identify with Sade or Fiona Apple, but there is just a lack of a collective effort. The sound mix also seems to clash with her voice, to the point where I had to struggle to concentrate on hearing the words. When I was able to concentrate, I found that I liked some of the songs, such as “Back to Manhattan,” the highlight of the CD, where Norah sings of the dilemma of having a boyfriend on each side of the river separating New York City and Brooklyn. “Tell Your Mama,” is another song I enjoyed, an effort that harkens to the female-sung country songs with the theme of “being done wrong” by the man in their life.
All but one of the tracks is under four minutes. That’s a good thing. It gets you from one song to another speedily. You need that quickness when you hear lyrics from “Man of the Hour”—choosing between a vegan and a pothead—coming out of your speakers.
I have no doubt that Norah is a very talented singer, and some may consider The Fall to show musical growth on her part. Bigger artists such as Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen left their long time band mates to do other projects, with varying degrees of success; and eventually they reunited with their original bands. I feel Norah needs to go back to her former band, The Handsome Band, which included, Lee Alexander, Andrew Borger, Adam Levy, Robbie McIntosh, and Daru Oda.
There’s something to be said about familiarity. It provides a nice comfort zone working with the same individuals who you had grown with; the ones with whom you achieved prior success. I notice the difference and think it would ensure future success.
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