It’s a measure of her standing in the marketplace that Norah Jones’ record label promises shareholders a sizeable increase in dividends on the back of her long-awaited third album. One doesn’t wish to take away from their unbridled optimism – this is a fine collection and a worthy follow-up to her first two – but it certainly doesn’t have the mass commercial appeal of her 20-million selling debut, Come Away With Me. In addition, the territory she once reigned over is now a much more crowded place – with the likes of Diana Krall, Katie Melua and Madeleine Peyroux, among others, vying for the easy listening consumer.
That said, this is arguably a better collection of songs (all self-penned), one which showcases her versatility and willingness to move away from the jazz/torch-song style.
Certainly, the single ‘Thinking About You’ could be her strongest number yet, with its Bonnie Raitt-meets-Dusty-in-Memphis soul stew. She takes surprising twists and turns, too, as on ‘Wish I Could’, an unadorned acoustic folk song, whilst ‘Sinking Soon’, with its banjo vamping and jerky time signature, wouldn’t sound out of place on a Tom Waits album. Recorded in one take after a beer drinking session, the track is a gamble that pays off. Among the guest performers are eclectic Americana artist M. Ward, whose time-warped tones complement Jones’ dusky voice.
Elsewhere, she does what she does best on songs such as the sleepy burlesque ‘My Dear Country’, the languid Nashville balladry of ‘Wake Me Up’ and the smoulderingly sexy ‘Be My Somebody’. Her downbeat delivery isn’t to everyone’s taste but for the millions who love her it might be time to light those candles and uncork a bottle.