Norah Jones – The Fall

Album Reviews • Tuesday November 17th, 2009 • 8:25 pm

Norah Jones has spent the last several years capturing audiences with her soulful voice and solid jazz chops on albums like Come Away With Me, Feels Like Home, and Not Too Late. Of course, the sultry songstress also took some side trips along the way, most notably lending her voice to the country sounds of The Little Willies where she showcased a whole new side alongside good friends. This time out on her latest album, The Fall, Jones again makes some subtle adjustments to her sound, choosing to soak in some shadowy soul accompanied by some moody rock vibes. The result is a revitalized and recreated Norah Jones who, smartly, doesn’t travel too far from her home.

The change undoubtedly comes as a large result of the attention of producer, Jacquire King, whose credits include artists as diverse as Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, and Modest Mouse. Couple that with songwriting collaborations with artists like Ryan Adams and Okkervil Rivers’ Will Sheff as well as a whole new backing band featuring folks like drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and you’re in for a whole new bag of tricks.

And it is a new sound for Jones, at least mostly. Gone are the familiar tinkling keys of her previous jazz-flavored jams. Replacing these are smooth keyboards and a groovy backdrop of sound. Jones sounds amazing, per usual, but the mixture of mood and soul is a fit that ebbs and flows for good or bad.

“Chasing Pirates” is a simple, slow jam that kicks things off to a good start, setting the tempo while “Even Though” ups the ante and finding Jones invoking some near Lucinda Williams-esque vocals at times. “Light As a Feather” kicks in with some great mood and attitude and stands as the album’s first standout track as follower “Young Blood” is a slow-builder that never quite gets where it’s going.

“I Wouldn’t Need You” culls some solidly lovelorn lyrics over a near country vibe and “Waiting” provides another album highlight, characterized by an choppy instrumental backing and Jones’ amazing voice and some of those signature tinkling ivories. “It’s Gonna Be” rocks some “Spirit In the Sky” guitar and allows Jones a chance to let her hair down while “You’ve Ruined Me” is another near country slow burner. “Back to Manhattan,” an overly simple tune that just really goes nowhere, is one of the few forgettable tunes yet “Stuck” brings things back into focus with some indie flavored rock and substance. “December” is reminiscent of some of Jenny Lewis’ solo work and “Tell Yer Mama” is a predictably jaunty and fun tune with “Man of the Hour” closing out the set list with yet another highlight track.

Norah Jones has once again recreated herself but, wisely, has not taken herself too far away from the hand that originally fed her. Straying enough to feed her creativity but staying close enough to not alienate her fan base is a strong decision and is one that’ll carry this new record far. It’s worth a listen for sure.

Tagged as: Brooklyn, Jazz, Rock, soul