Not Too Late (200 Gram) [Vinyl]

Norah Jones sophomore effort shows her musicianship on tunes such as Broken, Wish I Could, Sinkin' Soon and the title track Not to Late among others. On this record she is more confident and exhibits her control of nuance that she is famous for live. Firmly back to the Come Away with Me style songs and My Dear Country, Norah and the band are in the groove on this release and it shows. On Wake Me Up, Norah delivers a stirring Mary Chapin Carpenter-ish performance accompanied by producer/band member Lee Alexander on lap steel guitar. Norah delivers her most solid and fluid record to date. Mastered by Bernie Grundman directly from the original 1/2-inch analog master tapes and pressed on 200g Super Vinyl. Pressing by Classic Records for Blue Note and Norah.

Although the music of Norah Jones continues to blend pop, soul, folk, and country with a seasoning of jazz, her third album for Blue Note is the first where she's written (or collaborated on) all the material. Beneath the smooth surface lie darker strains on the album-opening "Wish I Could" (about a boyfriend lost to war), intimations of mortality in "The Sun Doesn't Like You," and the post-election horrors of "My Dear Country." The last seems to channel the inspiration of Brecht/Weill, while the equally bleak "Sinkin' Soon" is set to a jaunty Dixieland rag. Throughout, Jones's vocal intimacy and melodic warmth remain as disarmingly understated as ever. The soulful "Thinking of You," the countryish "Wake Me Up," and the syncopated "Be My Somebody" reflect the captivating style of her previous work. Although too much in the same midtempo mode becomes a dreamy lull, cut by cut, Jones's voice is irresistible. --Don McLeese