My Mind’s Racing from Chasing Pirates

Norah Jones gets a rap of being overtly mellow. And for the most part it is warranted. But a funny thing happened on the way to your mother’s record collection: she somehow becomes a favorite among rappers. She sang hooks for Outkast, Wyclef Jean, Talib Kweli, and Q-Tip and was named checked by Kanye West. While her fourth album The Fall doesn’t feature any hip hop beats, Jones has expanded her musical palette from her regular mellow jazz.

Although she may not have those rappers directly to thank for her new exploration on The Fall, but Jacquire King (Kings of Leon) who produced the disk which moves away from piano based tunes with more songs based around guitars and organs. Of course the one thing that has stayed constant is Norah Jones’ voice, still silky as ever even if there are guitars distortions accompanying it. And the new sound mix together well with her classic voice.

The tone is set nicely with the first song on The Fall (as well as the first single) Chasing Pirates with its marching organ chords. While It’s Gonna Be features organs so funky it sounds like they come from a Booker T. album. Then the closing number Man of the Hour manages to sound like old school soul and modern day Fiona Apple even though it is a song about choosing her dog when her only other suitors are a vegan and a pothead. And for those that want classic Norah, check out Back to Manhattan.

The best of the album includes Young Blood, a driving tune that seems to build up to something but you know Jones would never let the song break. But she lets the guitars let loose on Stuck which may be the closest Jones ever gets to a straight up rock song even though her vocals grounds the song. But despite her turn in musical styles; The Fall should still keep your mother’s content if you still need something to buy her for Christmas.

Song to Download – Young Blood

The Fall gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.