Style: Vocal alt-pop, compare to Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi’s Rome, Corinne Bailey Rae
Top tracks: “Out on the Road,” “Good Morning,” “Take It Back”
Good news if you’re going through a breakup—you’ve got your soundtrack. Each of Norah Jones’ twelve new songs offers its own little broken heart. The presence of co-writer and producer Danger Mouse is strong, bringing a hooky shimmer and sophisticated edge to Jones’ work. But it’s her pure and versatile voice that triumphs, making even bitterness sound sweet. The album examines heartbreak from every angle, including delicately restrained resolution (“Good Morning”), forlorn longing (“She’s 22”), hopeful determination (“Out on the Road”), and murderous revenge (“Miriam”). Jones gives more catharsis than spiritual answers but reminds us that the human condition is perhaps best revealed when the heart is laid waste.
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