Norah Jones is often criticized for being too wise. Without contenting herself with being a good student, she rarely goes outside the box and offers songs that are sometimes so perfect that they are a bit boring. With Visionsshe finally sets foot next to the paths she is used to walking.
Let’s not raise expectations too much: Norah Jones is not making a radical shift. His singing is, more often than not, as mellow as usual. She’s in no hurry either. We know she is used to subdued rhythms and she keeps these slow or average cadences to which she has accustomed us since Come Away With Mehis immensely popular debut record.
Visions was born from… night visions, explained the singer. This is not a vaporous or muffled album, however. It puts forward grainy, saturated guitars, a bit tense at times, without ever being really rock, a piano is not always beautiful and choirs which create beautiful arabesques. There is something psychedelic in these daydreams. An idea of psychedelia, rather, mixed with retro soul.
In fact, we have the impression that Norah Jones finally lets loose on this record. This can be heard in her piano playing as much as in her singing (she dares to use a falsetto voice here and there). She sings that she finally feels free and we believe her. She sings that she wants to dance and we almost imagine her leaving the safety of her piano bench to take a few steps.
Norah Jones signs here (with the collaboration of composer Leon Michels) a colorful, rich record, melodically daring at times and always easy to approach. After so many years, we no longer expected her to publish a record that we would listen to – finally! – other than to wrap up our dinners or our late evenings.
Norah Jones – I’m Awake
Jazz/Soul
Visions
Sarah Jones
Blue Note / Capitol