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Review: Jack Foley & Hollie Cade
EIGHTEEN months after Norah Jones’ phenomenally successful,
eight times Grammy-winning debut, the Texas-born artist releases
her much-anticipated follow-up and the good news is that she seems
to be progressing nicely.
Feels Like Home certainly feels like Norah, but it is
also a more upbeat affair, building on the elements that made
Come Away With Me so successful and adding a more uplifting
aura to them.
Beginning with the forthcoming single, Sunrise, a quietly
inspiring track which recalls the warm, early glow of a bright
Summer’s morning, the album then sets about mixing things
up a little, while bringing in a few well chosen collaborators.
Dolly Parton is probably most notable of the guest vocalists,
on the country-rooted Creepin’ In, but she never takes
the focus away from Jones’ sweet vocals, while The Band duo
of Levon Helm and Garth Hudson, lend a blues vibe to the somewhat
melancholy What Am I To You?
Central to the album’s success, however, is the decision,
by Jones, not to dwell in any one style for too long – so
while the first album has been criticised by some for being too
downbeat and not lively enough, this one isn’t afraid to
change tempo and liven things up every now and again.
Those Sweet Words, for instance, is typically sultry Jones,
but is offset neatly by the blues rock of In The Morning,
in which the singer swaps the honey-coated vocals for an altogether
grittier sound; the type of which wouldn’t sound out of place
in some deep-fried bar in America’s Deep South.
Humble Me, conversely, is a sweet little lullaby, which
talks of sleeping babies and lost opportunities, while Long
Way Home is a folksy little breath of fresh air, to break
up some of the weightier issues.
At all times, The Handsome Band, Jones’ trusty group of
musicians, are able to stamp their own signature on proceedings,
lending the album a rawness, which feels as though it could have
been recorded from a live venue, rather than in some slick studio.
As the artist, herself, states: “I didn’t want to make
some big recording that was over-produced. Besides, the band has
been playing together steadily for two years now and it feels
good…We picked good songs, many of which were written by
the band, and tried to get the best takes of them we could.”
The result is a richly satisfying affair for Jones aficionados,
while also possessing the ability to appeal to an even wider fanbase.
On the strength of this, her forthcoming London dates should
be real classics, for Feels Like Home possesses the confident
sound of an artist at the peak of her powers.
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Track listing:
1. Sunrise
2. What Am I To You?
3. Those Sweet Words
4. Carnival Town
5. In The Morning
6. Be Here To Love Me
7. Creepin' In
8. Toes
9. Humble Me
10. Above Ground
11. The Long Way Home
12. The Prettiest Thing
13. Don't Miss You At All
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