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Label: Blue Note - Rating:
Norah Jones presents her newest album, ‘The Fall,’ and from the first beat, it's immediately evident that this album leads the way to a path of defiance. Staggeringly different from her quiet, subdued debut, and a far cry from her seductive, and flirtatious second and third compilations, her fourth album sounds effortless and mature. Perfect, even. I wouldn’t change a thing.
On ‘The Fall,’ Jones takes risks. She takes chances, and she shows us that she is much more than a beautiful voice bouncing off the wood of her piano for the fourth time. In past albums, her impeccable vocals have lured me away from the music itself. However, on this album the instruments are not lost, as they compliment the singer in a way I have yet to see. Jones even ditches the Piano on several songs, picking up electric and acoustic guitars.
Though staying true to her jazz-like, strict-tempo nature, Jones steps out from behind her instrumental shield and brings a fresh feel to her album by collaborating with artists such as Ryan Adams in ‘Light as a Feather’ and Will Sheff in ‘Stuck.’ She submits herself to the partnerships, and it makes you wish she would step out of her comfort zone more often.
Leading the album as her first single is ‘Chasing Pirates,’ which ordinarily I’d assume would put me to sleep (in the best way), but this song wakes me up with its catchy tune. The same applies with ‘It’s Gonna Be,’ where the first few measures make up a tough sound that rough-tatted bikers would listen to as they rolled into the dive bar, only to reveal their softer side when the vocals kick in as they order Cosmopolitans at the bar.
Jones isn’t selfish as she deviates from her norm though, and she thinks of her fans as she delivers deep, soulful lyrics and droned out tunes as demonstrated in ‘I Wouldn’t Need You.’ Proving to be opposite of what I initially thought this album would be, ‘The Fall’ is energetic, zealous, and inventive while still offering Jones’ fan base what they’ve been patiently awaiting.
Norah Jones possesses the unique ability to present whimsical melodies time after time, and if the record needed to take on a physical form, I’ve got the perfect image. Love, gratitude, experience, loss, and lessons learned all bundled together in an easily punctured packaged. With each staccato note and burst of talent creating a tiny hole, I see this bundle deflating and the contents within pouring out to douse her audience in the very emotions she was feeling in the studio.
Like Norah Jones? Check Out: Corinne Bailey Rae, Etta James, Keri Noble
