Norah Jones – The Fall
Blue Note Records (11/17/09)
Jazz / Soul / Pop
Is it much ado about nothing?
So much was made of Miss Jones’ foray into a more mellow-rock-based approach prior to the release of The Fall that, when finally giving the album a spin or two, listeners will feel a little let down. Of course, that’s not to say the album is bad—not by any stretch of the imagination.
Rather, the better selling point would have been that Jones is continuing to work more layers into her sound, aptly crafting a subtle mix of soul, jazz, pop and hints of the aforementioned rock into her sound. Much on The Fall could be considered worlds away from her 2002 breakthrough debut, Come Away With Me, while, somehow, at the same time, a much-wanted re-tread. The best description would be to simply call the album a logical progression.
Whether it’s been elements of country, jazz or adult contemporary pop blended together onto a track, Jones has proved herself a capable, albeit somewhat pigeonholed, musical artist. The fact that she was/is able to not only stick to a somewhat niche genre to begin with, let alone become a (for lack of better term) breakout hit-maker really says something for her abilities. Whether it be the gentle mellifluous quality of most of her music, or the thick, wholesome quality of her voice, something just seems to continuously resonate with listeners.
On The Fall, Jones deviates very little musically (the ballad “You’ve Ruined Me” or the up-tempo “It’s Gonna Be” immediately spring to mind), but she, for the most part, stays fairly true to form (“I Wouldn’t Need You”). The shift this time around is more in the lyrical content.
There’s more to love for fans, of which The Fall may win over a few more, but the style shift isn’t quite as drastic as previously suggested. This, in the end, really makes you respect her as an artist that much more.
