Norah Jones
“NOT TOO LATE”
While much of Norah Jones’ third album of songs tinged with pop, soul, folk and country elements is formulaic, some numbers rise above mildness. On the uncharacteristically dark, well-crafted “The Sun Doesn’t Like You,” for instance, Jones’ plaintive, smoky voice puts across lyrics like, “We can build a fire/In the open field past the razor wire/Sneak by the dogs when they go to sleep.” The opening track, “Wish I Could,” is another melodic gem, this time utilizing two cellos and acoustic guitar. That and other moments here recall a time before computers ruled the earth, when people played real instruments to create music that was allowed to be imperfect. You don’t hear that too often these days.
RATING: 3 SOUND LEVELS