Norah Jones "Little Broken Hearts"

Norah Jones has a new one which hit the physical and digital racks yesterday. "Little Broken Hearts" is a collaboration with Danger Mouse. Norah, like Jack White who I mentioned in my last post, contributed vocals to the excellent "Danger Mouse-Danielle Luppi" album that came out last year. I will be giving it some "spins" this morning. I gotta confess to being a big fan of Norah. I know that a lot of people jumped off the Norah train after she changed styles from the jazzy songbird she was on portrayed on her zillion selling debut "Come Away With Me."  While her album sells have remained healthy and the envy of her peers she has not reached the heights of "CAWM" but I think that's just fine. I have stayed with her as she has thrown curveballs at her fans like the country "Little Willies" albums. I've liked them all. Even got a chance to catch her in concert for a memorable show at A2's Michigan Theater a couple of years back!

As the first single "Happy Pills" which I have posted below points out, this is not the late-night torch singer Norah we were introduced to nearly a decade ago. This is upbeat, radio-friendly, "take-me-on-my-own-terms" Norah. The vocals are "processed" becoming another element in Danger Mouse's electronic palette. This is the video and Norah has never sounded or looked better in my opinion.

In case you weren't aware, Norah has released a couple of "country" albums with her side project "The Little Willies" consisting of mostly cover versions of country classics. Norah seems very comfortable playing with old friends like Richard Julian and Lee Alexander. The style fits her like a pair of comfortable gloves. The Little Willies have been a group she has played with off and on since 2003, kind of a "Fringe" universe Norah though they did not record until 2006. Here is Elvis Presley's "Love Me" from her collaboration album of a year or two back. Norah contributes fine vocals to this Leiber and Stoller classic, singing "call and response" vocals like her band had the Jordanaires themselves backing them up!