By the time Norah Jones released her third album, “Not Too Late,” it had already set presale records on Amazon.com. Last week the album debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the U.K. Albums Chart.
Undoubtedly, Jones has established her distinctive pop-jazz style of vocals and piano. She has been touring and collaborating around the world since her 2004 release “Feels Like Home.”
With this release, she comes into her own. Unlike her previous studio releases, all the songs on “Not Too Late” were written or co-written by Jones and 30 different instruments accentuate the album.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the ambience of “Not Too Late” is as sweet as making love in the afternoon. Her voice is as silky as her fair skin and her lyrics reveal dirty little secrets in “Wish I Could” and express the pangs of fragile love in “Be My Somebody.”
The mood of the music is tranquil but catchy, jazzy yet simple.
The vibe throughout the album is uniform, yet it has eclectic undertones. Listeners can find a bit of New Orleans rag in “Sinkin’ Soon,” bluegrass in “The Sun Doesn’t Like You” and country in “Be My Somebody.”
“My Dear Country” is a lyrically driven song that jabs at politics with such delicate tact the Dixie Chicks would be proud – yet shouldn’t spawn a conservative boycott.
The title track, “Not Too Late,” is a slowly layered piano tune with enlightened lyrical gems such as, “I’ve seen people try to change and I know it isn’t easy. But nothin’ worth the time ever really is.”
The poetic beauty of the lyrics reveals unexpected twists to the stories and the musical resolutions lend themselves as a charming platform. For those who have not yet become familiar with the sound of Norah Jones, it’s not too late.
Dustin Smith can be reached at [email protected].
