Where did Norah Jones come from? In 2001, no-one had heard of her, and yet one year on, she was everywhere, and her debut album was virtually inescapable. All too often when this happens, it shouldn’t. Most artists that leap to that kind of instant fame don’t really deserve too, and either disappear as quickly as they arrived, or stumble through a career of diminishing interest. Norah Jones seems to have largely avoided falling into either of these traps. Admittedly, she’s been unable to repeat the all-out success of ‘Come Away With Me’ but since this album sold over 20 million copies worldwide, that would have been no easy task.
As for the album itself, it holds up well. It’s not the sort of record that’s going to change anyone’s life, on inspire a devoted level of fandom, but its 14 tracks of gentle piano led jazz-lite is a perfectly pleasant listen with just enough variety of texture to keep itself interesting. Jones herself has a good voice, and her band showcase it well – understated enough to let Jones be the star, but with enough flourish to sound like a band, not just a random collection of subservient session musicians.
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