Norah Jones

The Fall
Blue Note Records

Jazz songstress and Grammy winner Norah Jones returns to the world music stage with the release of her latest album, The Fall, this week (Nov. 16 worldwide; Nov. 17 for U.S.). However, this time, she stretches her wings musically. Gone are the piano and jazz overtones, as evidenced with the release of the first single, “Chasing Pirates,” last month. Jones proves she’s a master of more than just modern jazz as she forgoes her signature sound from the past three albums and instead barrels down the road of light, funky rock cemented with the prevalence of guitars and drums. It’s edgier and less innocent sounding than anything she’s produced before, thanks to collaborations with Ryan Adams, Tom Waits and producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon), to name a few.

 The 13-song record weaves in and out of cool drum beats and guitar harmonies as Jones sings of heartache and times long past. As much as other instruments have been used, it’s her voice that sets the tone for each track, and her confidence with this new sound is evident as she carries the weight of the album with each note she sings.

Tunes like “Stuck” and “December” are where her growth as a musician is most evident. Sometimes dreamlike, these songs remind me a lot of Patsy Cline, an early American 1960s country/pop singer with an emotionally expressive voice that was bold with every note. She brings the listener along on the journey with her. Haunting in “Waiting” and “Back to Manhattan,” where the longing and aching is almost felt in each word sung, she also still carries a tinge of folk in “You’ve Ruined Me” and blues in “Light As a Feather.”

The Fall is a true treat to hear from beginning to end. No song is the same, and as always, Jones’ sultry voice is welcoming, even as she ends the album with “Man of the Hour,” a cute, funny song about the kind of man she might want for now.

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