Album Review: Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts

The serenely soulful, multi-Grammy award winning American songstress Norah Jones is back with her 5th studio album – ‘Little Broken Hearts’. Fresh from her work on the critically acclaimed superstar collaboration ‘ROME’, Norah has acquired the services of one Brian’ DangerMouse’ Burton, one half of the genius that is ‘Gnarls Barkley’, for production duties on what is one of her most accomplished albums to date.

Norah surprises many with a breakaway from here traditional roots to deliver her first heavy rock album, full of anger, frustration and primal rage………haha nah, although it’s a development from her traditional sound, with a strong theme of resentment, it’s still Norah Jones, a sweet, voluptuously soul jazz sound that whisks you away to a more tranquil setting albeit this time with dark undertones on a record that is clearly titled for a reason.

Opening track ‘Good Morning’ is fantastic, a mellifluous masterpiece that’s swaying groove carries the sensation of waking up and watching the sunrise on a boat on far away ocean. Very Morcheeba, very good, but with a bittersweet lyric.‘Say Goodbye’ has the heavy hand of Danger mouse, the distinct sound his production duties brought to the ‘ROME’ ‘Gorillaz’ and his other act ‘ Broken Bells’ are clearly apparent on this hook laden, radio friendly summer drenched track.

‘Happy Pills’, her latest single, is a highlight, a subtle slice of infectious jazz-pop, showing a mainstream side of Norah we’ve ever heard before. With a great video to match (in which she kills her lover, alright we get it Norah), there is no hiding the rich vein of angst and betrayal that runs through the core of the album’s twelve tracks.

Penultimate song ‘Miriam’ is a masterpiece, elements of Kate Bush intertwined with a Del Rey drawl that’s light and fluffy one moment before revealing its ‘bottom of a bottle’ underside. It’s a great example of the album as a whole, yes it has everything you know, love and expect from Norah jones but with a dark twist, beautifully realised by Danger Mouse’s expertly subtle production.

It is well documented that Adele’s mega selling ‘21′ was written as a result of a breakup, producing some of the biggest songs of the last 10 years. It seems these days as if that is a formula for success as Norah’s unlikely turn on ‘Little Broken Hearts’ sees her produce arguably her best work to date, an album that should see her open up to an even wider audience. Lana del rey and co, watch your back, the master of the beautifully broken ballad is back to reclaim her throne.

JS