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DISCID=a30aa90d
DTITLE=Norah Jones / Not Too Late
DYEAR=2007
DGENRE=Pop
TTITLE0=Wish I Could
TTITLE1=Sinkin' Soon
TTITLE2=The Sun Doesn't Like You
TTITLE3=Until The End
TTITLE4=Not My Friend
TTITLE5=Thinking About You
TTITLE6=Broken
TTITLE7=My Dear Country
TTITLE8=Wake Me Up
TTITLE9=Be My Somebody
TTITLE10=Little Room
TTITLE11=Rosie's Lullaby
TTITLE12=Not Too Late
EXTD=Originally Released January 29, 2007\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Recoil
EXTD=s from fame usually aren't as subdued as Norah Jones' third album
EXTD=, Not Too Late, but such understatement is customary for this gen
EXTD=tlest of singer/songwriters. Not Too Late may not be as barbed or
EXTD= alienating as either In Utero or Kid A -- it's not an ornery int
EXTD=ensification of her sound nor a chilly exploration of its furthes
EXTD=t limits -- but make no mistake, it is indeed a conscious abdicat
EXTD=ion of her position as a comfortable coffeehouse crooner and a mo
EXTD=ve toward art for art's sake. And, frankly, who can blame Jones f
EXTD=or wanting to shake off the Starbucks stigmata? Although a large 
EXTD=part of her appeal has always been that she sounds familiar, like
EXTD= a forgotten favorite from the early '70s, Jones is too young and
EXTD= too much of a New York bohemian to settle into a role as a nosta
EXTD=lgia peddler, so it made sense that she started to stretch a litt
EXTD=le after her 2004 sophomore set, Feels Like Home, proved that her
EXTD= surprise blockbuster 2002 debut, Come Away with Me, was no fluke
EXTD=. First, there was the cabaret country of her Little Willies side
EXTD= band, then there was her appearance on gonzo art rocker Mike Pat
EXTD=ton's Peeping Tom project, and finally there's this hushed record
EXTD=, her first containing nothing but original compositions. It's al
EXTD=so her first album recorded without legendary producer Arif Mardi
EXTD=n, who helmed her first two albums, giving them a warm, burnished
EXTD= feel that was nearly as pivotal to Jones' success has her sweet,
EXTD= languid voice. Mardin died in the summer of 2006, and in his abs
EXTD=ence, Jones recorded Not Too Late at the home studio she shares w
EXTD=ith her collaborator, bassist and boyfriend Lee Alexander. Althou
EXTD=gh it shares many of the same sonic characteristics as Jones' fir
EXTD=st two albums, Not Too Late boasts many subtle differences that a
EXTD=dd up to a distinctly different aesthetic. Jones and Alexander ha
EXTD=ve stripped Norah's music to its core. Gone are any covers of pop
EXTD= standards, gone are the studio pros, gone is the enveloping lush
EXTD=ness that made Come Away with Me so easy to embrace, something th
EXTD=at Not Too Late is most decidedly not. While this might not have 
EXTD=the rough edges of a four-track demo, Not Too Late is most certai
EXTD=nly music that was made at home with little or no consideration o
EXTD=f an audience much larger than Jones and Alexander. It's spare, s
EXTD=ometimes skeletal, often sleepy and lackadaisical, wandering from
EXTD= tunes plucked out on acoustic guitars and pianos to those with r
EXTD=icher full-band arrangements. Norah Jones has never exactly been 
EXTD=lively -- part of her charm was her sultry slowness, ideal for bo
EXTD=th Sunday afternoons and late nights -- but the atmosphere here i
EXTD=s stultifying even if it's not exactly unpleasant. After all, unp
EXTD=leasantness seems to run contrary to Jones' nature, and even if s
EXTD=he dabbles in Tom Waits-ian carnivalesque stomps ("Sinkin' Soon")
EXTD= or tentatively stabs at politics ("My Dear Country"), it never f
EXTD=eels out of place; often, the shift is so subtle that it's hard t
EXTD=o notice. That subtlety is the biggest Achilles' heel on Not Too 
EXTD=Late, as it manifests itself in songs that aren't particularly di
EXTD=stinctive or performances that are particularly varied. There are
EXTD= exceptions to the rule and they all arrive with full-band arrang
EXTD=ements, whether it's the lazy jazz shuffle of "Until the End," th
EXTD=e country-tinged "Be My Somebody," or the wonderful laid-back sou
EXTD=l of "Thinking About You." These are songs that not only sound fu
EXTD=ll but they sound complete, songs that have a purposeful flow and
EXTD= are memorable for both their melody and sentiment. They would ha
EXTD=ve been standouts on Feels Like Home, but here they are even more
EXTD= distinctive because the rest of the record plays like a sketchbo
EXTD=ok, capturing Jones and Alexander figuring out how to move forwar
EXTD=d after such great success. Instead of being the end result of th
EXTD=ose experiments, the completed painting after the sketch, Not Too
EXTD= Late captures their process, which is interesting if not quite c
EXTD=ompelling. But its very release is a clear statement of artistic 
EXTD=purpose for Jones: its ragged, unfinished nature illustrates that
EXTD= she's more interested in pursuing her art than recycling Come Aw
EXTD=ay with Me, and if this third album isn't as satisfying as that d
EXTD=ebut, it nevertheless is a welcome transitional effort that prove
EXTD=s her artistic heart is in the right place.  -- Stephen Thomas Er
EXTD=lewine\n\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nAlthough the music of No
EXTD=rah Jones continues to blend pop, soul, folk, and country with a 
EXTD=seasoning of jazz, her third album for Blue Note is the first whe
EXTD=re she's written (or collaborated on) all the material. Beneath t
EXTD=he smooth surface lie darker strains on the album-opening "Wish I
EXTD= Could" (about a boyfriend lost to war), intimations of mortality
EXTD= in "The Sun Doesn't Like You," and the post-election horrors of 
EXTD="My Dear Country." The last seems to channel the inspiration of B
EXTD=recht/Weill, while the equally bleak "Sinkin' Soon" is set to a j
EXTD=aunty Dixieland rag. Throughout, Jones's vocal intimacy and melod
EXTD=ic warmth remain as disarmingly understated as ever. The soulful 
EXTD="Thinking of You," the countryish "Wake Me Up," and the syncopate
EXTD=d "Be My Somebody" reflect the captivating style of her previous 
EXTD=work. Although too much in the same midtempo mode becomes a dream
EXTD=y lull, cut by cut, Jones's voice is irresistible. --Don McLeese 
EXTD=\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNo Mere Grammy Guzzler, March 1
EXTD=3, 2007 \nBy  Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend" (NJ)\nLike her 2004 
EXTD=sophomore effort, "Feels Like Home," Norah Jones' latest maintain
EXTD=s the sound that brought her national acclaim while still further
EXTD=ing her artistic endeavors. \n\n"Not Too Late" proves she is not 
EXTD=given to relying on a cash- cow formula; she not only continues t
EXTD=o add inflections of country like last time around, but she esche
EXTD=ws the American songbook in favor of a uniformly original array o
EXTD=f songs -- all of which she co-wrote. This aids the record's warm
EXTD=, intimate atmosphere, which glimmers and glows despite the absen
EXTD=ce of the late legendary producer, Arif Mardin. \n\nThe slinky bl
EXTD=ues of "Thinking About You" is the ideal lead single. With its pl
EXTD=aintive melody, organic jazz horns and restrained yet expressive 
EXTD=vocals, it is musical chocolate cake. "Sinkin' Soon," meanwhile, 
EXTD=is the most perplexing track. With its curious lyrics ("Like the 
EXTD=oyster crack in the stew/The honey in the tea/Like the wheel of c
EXTD=heese high in the sky/We're gonna be sinkin' soon), the song sway
EXTD=s and jerks with Jesse Harris (writer of her monster hit "Don't K
EXTD=now Why") on banjo and drummer Andy Borger working pots and pans.
EXTD= It continues the theme of fame's fickle nature that began with "
EXTD=Carnival Town" on her last LP. \n\nIn spite of her popularity wit
EXTD=h white collar right-wingers, Jones is not afraid to infuse her m
EXTD=usic with passionate liberal beliefs. With its lush, nervous mix 
EXTD=of pianos and guitars, "Wish I Could" is the story of a lonely wa
EXTD=r widow and even lonelier other woman ("She says love in the time
EXTD= of war's not fair/He was my man but they didn't care/I don't tel
EXTD=l her that I once loved you too"), while "Broken" finds a soldier
EXTD= irrevocably hardened by war ("He's got blood on his shoes and mu
EXTD=d on his brim/Did he do it to himself or was it done to him?"). \n
EXTD=\n"My Dear Country," with a cabaretlike interlude, waxes on a ter
EXTD=rifying election and a "deranged" politician without naming names
EXTD=: \n\n"I cherish you my dear country/I love all the things that y
EXTD=ou've given me/And most of all that I am free/To have a song that
EXTD= I can sing/On election day." \n\nThe soothing "Wake Me Up" appro
EXTD=priately follows with its resigned, world-weary attitude, bringin
EXTD=g in sounds of the heartland that continue in "Rosie's Lullaby" a
EXTD=nd the fun-loving "Be My Somebody," the latter marked by cheeky l
EXTD=yrics: "Last night was a record to be broken/It broke all over th
EXTD=e kitchen floor." \n\n"Little Room" attempts to shed her fuddy-du
EXTD=ddy image with sexual undertones, while "Not My Friend" finds her
EXTD= safe in her own company -- not content to maintain a relationshi
EXTD=p with someone who wishes her unhappiness. \n\n"The Sun Doesn't L
EXTD=ike You" and "Until the End" are full of grace and character, and
EXTD= "Not Too Late" closes the disc with spare piano/vocal simplicity
EXTD=. Its optimistic message provides a perfect conclusion and its ov
EXTD=erwhelmingly pristine melody makes it an instant classic. \n\nIf 
EXTD="Come Away With Me" was rich, delicious comfort food, "Not Too La
EXTD=te" is more complex and sophisticated. Making artistic leaps and 
EXTD=bounds, Jones proves that she is not a Grammy guzzler laughing al
EXTD=l the way to the bank -- she is an artist's artist. \n\nThis limi
EXTD=ted-edition version contains a DVD jam-packed with goodies, most 
EXTD=notably the eye-popping video for "Sinkin' Soon," while iTunes ha
EXTD=s an exclusive alternate version of the aforementioned track avai
EXTD=lable. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nIf you're a big fan..., 
EXTD=February 6, 2007 \nBy  William Kawalec (Detroit, USA)\n...you'll 
EXTD=have to have it. Nothing new or really exciting here, but it is a
EXTD= solid album. \nMy complaint is with the DVD included with the "d
EXTD=eluxe edition." All of the video on there is letterboxed, which I
EXTD= guess is okay, but, if it's widesreen anyway, why not anamorphic
EXTD=? BUT, the real problem is that, if you have a widesreen TV, and 
EXTD=you use your TV's "zoom" function to fill the screen, you're goin
EXTD=g to find that some of the menu buttons are off the bottom of the
EXTD= screen! What were they thinking?!?!!? If you frame the menu for 
EXTD=16X9, it will all still be visible on a 4X3 screen. The opposite 
EXTD=is not true! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSimply Stunning, J
EXTD=anuary 31, 2007 \nBy  Crunchy Frog (aka Brian T.) "If we took the
EXTD= b... (Nashville, TN)\n\nI can not help but give her 5 stars on a
EXTD=ny recording of her... her vocals are sesually perfect... the mus
EXTD=ic is soothing and stunning... one of the most artistic women on 
EXTD=any music sceen... the Bonus DVD is a plus the videos have a uniq
EXTD=ue artistic quality...but watching her live is alway the real bon
EXTD=us...she ain't no studio trick...Norah Jones is the Real thing!!!
EXTD= \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe Voice and the Soul, July 1
EXTD=5, 2007 \nBy  Exguyparis "exguyparis" (Lansdowne, PA USA)\n\nBoug
EXTD=ht this CD after hearing "Wish I Could" on the radio; this is a g
EXTD=orgeous, hauntingly beautiful, moving song. \n\nI too am surprise
EXTD=d to see the strongly negative reviews here. Her 3 CDs have sold 
EXTD=more than 39 million copies worldwide, so there is clearly a stro
EXTD=ng fan base somewhere! The added plus on this third CD is that No
EXTD=rah wrote or co-wrote every song, so we are gaining a glimpse int
EXTD=o her musical soul as well as hearing the beauty of her voice. \n
EXTD=\nThere are some real gems here. "Sinkin' Soon" evokes 1930's jaz
EXTD=z with its honky-tonk piano (played by Norah) and its wah-wah tro
EXTD=mbone. "Until the End" has country roots. "Not My Friend" is a me
EXTD=llow, dreamy, wistful song with dagger-sharp lyrics. "My Dear Cou
EXTD=ntry" is a lament about what election day hath wrought. The final
EXTD= title cut, "Not Too late," winds things up on an optimistic note
EXTD=. \n\nIt is not surprising that Norah has good musical genes. Her
EXTD= father, Ravi Shankar, brought his sitar to the Beatles and India
EXTD=n music to a global audience. Norah's seamless blending of countr
EXTD=y, jazz, blues, pop, and folk brings great talent and aural delig
EXTD=ht to a new musical generation. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n
EXTD=Almost Mandatory on a Rainy Day, March 8, 2007 \nBy  S. Harris "S
EXTD=H" (Florida)\n\nIf you've liked what you've heard from Norah so f
EXTD=ar, you won't be disappointed with this album. Her soulful voice 
EXTD=is preserved clearly, and her beautiful, simplistic voicing of th
EXTD=e piano or plucked strings continues to lull her listeners. Howev
EXTD=er, if you're looking for a more adventurous sound this time arou
EXTD=nd, you'll have fallen asleep by the end of the first song. The m
EXTD=ellow nature of her album captures the melancholy sound she does 
EXTD=best, but leaves one wondering if she will ever try something wit
EXTD=h a little more spice. \n\nUsing more syncopated, folk rhythms li
EXTD=ke she experimented with in "Feels Like Home", her songs on this 
EXTD=album are definitely easy-listening--sometimes seriously-minded (
EXTD="Wish I Could"), and at other times, just fun ("Little Room"). Oc
EXTD=casionally, her jazz-influenced sounds and rhythms are more promi
EXTD=nent--more like the sound of "Come Away With Me"--and are arguabl
EXTD=y the better songs on the album. "Thinking About You" and "Not To
EXTD=o Late" are perhaps some of her most brilliant, pithy works. \n\n
EXTD=With an artist like Norah, it's hard not to set expectations too 
EXTD=high. She almost can't go wrong with that voice of hers. The albu
EXTD=m is a good investment, and definitely enjoyable for what it is. 
EXTD=When you sit down with Norah, it will almost be mandatory to grab
EXTD= a cup of coffee and stare out a raindrop-streaked window. \n\n\n
EXTD=AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBreaking new ground, March 5, 2007 \n
EXTD=By  Bhaskar Majumdar (Kuwait)\nI am surprised at some of the nega
EXTD=tive reviews on the site. I think people expect Norah to be a pop
EXTD= diva. This she is not. 'Thinking about you' is the closest that 
EXTD=she gets to the idiom of her first two solo albums. With the rest
EXTD= she is pushing frontiers. There are some who are trying to figur
EXTD=e out which genre her music falls into. This is the legacy of str
EXTD=aight jacketing music to suit marketing demands. Though she is in
EXTD=fluenced by multiple traditions, jazz, blues, folk etc, it is nei
EXTD=ther. This is her own unique music in her own unique voice, thoug
EXTD=h the base remains very American. The other development with the 
EXTD=ipod generation is to look at a single number and judge piecemeal
EXTD=. A CD presentation is a complete work of art and the whole is gr
EXTD=eater than its parts. The tempo starts slow and picks up in pace 
EXTD=and depth, reaches a crecendo and turns mellow again. The use of 
EXTD=the cello and pizzicato in 'Wish I could' and 'Broken' is inspire
EXTD=d. A liberal use of the acoustic guitar, trombone and tenor sax a
EXTD=nd some great bazz builds atmosphere and timbre. Is this a trend?
EXTD= I see Dylan doing the same in 'Modern Times'. This is a superb a
EXTD=lbum meant for the discerning listener. Fortunately, some kids ar
EXTD=e showing the way (Norah Jones, Jamie Callum, Katie Mellua). This
EXTD= is music that is still evolving. I am reminded of Jerry Garcia w
EXTD=ho started with the bluegrass tradition but pushed frontiers. The
EXTD=se artists cross boundaries and break barriers and grow well beyo
EXTD=nd the traditions they started with. Norah Jones is in the proces
EXTD=s of doing the same. She shows a range, flexibility, maturity and
EXTD= musical knowledge and capability that augurs well for the future
EXTD=. This is music that will endure when rap is passe and hiphop is 
EXTD=no longer hip. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nLanguid and drea
EXTD=my, a dash of smoky, sultry cabaret...., March 5, 2007 \nBy  Amsk
EXTD=eating\n\nWhile the first two albums were dominated by covers, "N
EXTD=ot Too Late" is all solo or co-written original material. \n\nIt'
EXTD=s not startling, as these songs continue her pop-meets-country wi
EXTD=th a dash of smoky cabaret style. Nor is it exactly revelatory. F
EXTD=irstly her life, apart from the fame, has been remarkably normal 
EXTD=and uneventful and lyrically the new material is mostly observati
EXTD=onal. ("I have a wonderful boyfriend. So how am I going to write 
EXTD=a tortured break-up song? My life is really good and I don't want
EXTD= to ruin it just for a good song."). \n\nStill, there are a few p
EXTD=ointed lines about misplaced love and even some mild political co
EXTD=mmentary in "My Dear Country". \n\nThe album has its share of str
EXTD=ong tracks, like the Dylanesque "Wish I Could", with its unexpect
EXTD=ed half-note elisions, or the trad-jazzy Tom Waits-like "Sinkin' 
EXTD=Soon", or the haunting, whimsical, cello-darkened "Broken". \n\nT
EXTD=he mood is mostly dreamy, lazy country-rockers, quirky waltzes, a
EXTD= little earthy bluesiness and bits of laid-back funk, and there's
EXTD= even a demurely delivered anti-Bush song. \n\nJones's voice, alw
EXTD=ays more characterful than the easy-listening tag ever implied, s
EXTD=ometimes shifts to a strange place between Madeleine Peyroux's or
EXTD= Diane Krall's jazzy smokiness and the sultry, jazz/soul balladry
EXTD= a la Billie Holiday.. \n\nBut Norah's and partner Lee Alexander'
EXTD=s tunes need to improve if the singer isn't to retreat to coverin
EXTD=g classics again, as she almost certainly will. It's pretty music
EXTD= (though the sugary " Little Room" gets to tooth-twinge point), b
EXTD=eautifully performed. \nBut Norah Jones has more to offer than th
EXTD=is, and the needs of the EMI boardroom probably won't help her fi
EXTD=nd it. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMore Melancholy Music fr
EXTD=om Jones in Deeper Emotional Hues With a Twang, February 25, 2007
EXTD= \nBy  Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA)\n\nEven though her pro
EXTD=ducing mentor Arif Mardin passed away last year, Norah Jones does
EXTD= not veer off the pervasively melancholic sound of her first two 
EXTD=albums with her third album. The difference is that Jones compose
EXTD=d all the songs this time and left the producing responsibilities
EXTD= entirely to her boyfriend, songwriter and bassist Lee Alexander.
EXTD= Still reflecting her unprepossessing manner and pleasingly low-k
EXTD=ey vocal style, she manages the neat trick of making her music so
EXTD=und familiar yet fresh enough with an effort that shows a somewha
EXTD=t deeper introspection and in "My Dear Country", a subtly raised 
EXTD=frustration with the current administration. If there is any aura
EXTD=l change directionally from her previous efforts, it may be that 
EXTD=her sensibilities seem to be moving her more decidedly into count
EXTD=ry and blues. \n\nWith its twangy sound punctuated by Alexander's
EXTD= lap steel, "Wake Me Up" is a nice, loping track. The two-steppin
EXTD=g "Little Room" is equally relaxing with Daru Oda whistling the h
EXTD=appy-sounding bridge, and perhaps the disc's most enjoyable song 
EXTD=is the Kurt Weill-like "Sinkin' Soon" with Kevin Breit's assertiv
EXTD=e mandolin strumming and J. Walter Hawkes' wah-wah trombone leadi
EXTD=ng Jones down a comfortably bluesy road. Her pop-jazz-infused cho
EXTD=ps are not ignored for too long as evidenced by the lovely, forlo
EXTD=rn opener about love during wartime, "Wish I Could"; and the nimb
EXTD=le fretwork on "The Sun Doesn't Like You" with echoes of Pat Math
EXTD=eny on the open road. \n\nJones gets near-virulent with the emoti
EXTD=onal nakedness of "Not My Friend", and she even picks up the pace
EXTD= with the help of a Wurlitzer and Larry Goldings' Hammond B-3 org
EXTD=an on "Be My Somebody". Not all the tracks show her off in the be
EXTD=st light, for example, the Memphis-style "Thinking About You" lac
EXTD=ks any real bite and suffers for its overly repetitive chorus, an
EXTD=d the dirge-like "Rosie's Lullaby" feels too much like a long-los
EXTD=t Linda Ronstadt ballad from the mid-70's. Finding its appropriat
EXTD=e place at the end of the recording, the title track epitomizes J
EXTD=ones' emotional preciseness with the song's haunting last-call so
EXTD=und. It's a mostly worthwhile effort from a recording artist who 
EXTD=never sounds overly compromised. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW
EXTD=\nAn Immediate Masterpiece : The Evolution of Miss Shankar, Febru
EXTD=ary 15, 2007 \nBy  Kabir Davis\n\nBy any stretch of imagination, 
EXTD="Not Too Late" is an immediate masterpiece. Gone are the cover ve
EXTD=rsions of songs that weren't hers, and those dull lullabies that 
EXTD=seven people took to cowrote. In its place are some gorgeous melo
EXTD=dies with self-written lyrics that elevate this album from being 
EXTD=a run of the mill affair to one of those rare animals - a bonafid
EXTD=e classic. \n\nA note about the music - let the reviews not deter
EXTD= you. The music is very Norah-ish, in the best way possible, but 
EXTD=there is something new here. What could be previously termed as "
EXTD=boring" is now "inspired". You won't fall asleep halfway through 
EXTD=this album if you pay attention to the lyrics. It is so great to 
EXTD=find an album these days that does not only speak about Love. And
EXTD= even though there are political messages on some of these songs,
EXTD= its muted enough to pass you by without offending you. \n\nAlso,
EXTD= while I consider "Come Away with Me" and "Feels Like Home" conte
EXTD=mporary American jazz albums (debatable by most, I agree), I thin
EXTD=k "Not Too Late" is her hands down "Southern" album, even though 
EXTD=it speaks of the very things the South hates to hear about. Its a
EXTD=mazing that an album like this would find an audience if Norah wa
EXTD=sn't who she is, but that's the beauty of it all, I think. \n\nTh
EXTD=e standout here is "Wish I could", the opening track. Wow. The ha
EXTD=rmonies blend perfectly. The wonderful thing about this record is
EXTD= that Norah's voice is allowed to shine without the distraction o
EXTD=f too much instrumentation (like on her second album). And while 
EXTD="Thinkin' About You" is hummable enough, its easily the most insi
EXTD=pid track here - speaking of love in the most infantile sense pos
EXTD=sible. I think that she can afford to move beyond songs like thes
EXTD=e, pretty as they are. \n\nWill "Not Too Late" win any awards des
EXTD=pite being at least twice as better than her "Come Away with Me" 
EXTD=album? Probably not. The reason being that Norah is not perceived
EXTD= as "new" or "fresh" anymore. However, if you listen to this CD, 
EXTD=it's the freshest thing out of the Jones stable so far. My favori
EXTD=te little piece other than the opener is "The Sun Doesn't Like Yo
EXTD=u" - listen and discover! What makes me really happy about this a
EXTD=lbum is the Repeat Value it carries - I have already played it ab
EXTD=out six times at work through and through and it just gets better
EXTD= on repeat listening. \n\nDo yourself a favor and pick this up, j
EXTD=ust to discover where American music is headed in general. This i
EXTD=s a wonderful time for American music, and it's a testament to he
EXTD=r growth and evolution that Norah Jones is the flagbearer for a n
EXTD=ew music generation. Yes, true talents like Joanna Newsom, Regina
EXTD= Spektor and Fiona Apple still don't get the adulation that they 
EXTD=deserve, but if artists like Jones can win acclaim, it proves tha
EXTD=t theres justice after all. \n\nFive Stars. Recommended without a
EXTD=ny reservations! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSuperficially 
EXTD=Familiar, but Subtly Different, February 11, 2007 \nBy  Thomas D.
EXTD= Ryan "American Hit Network" (New York)\n\nLet's cut to the chase
EXTD= here. If you are already a fan of Norah Jones, then you'll love 
EXTD=this album and if you don't care for her, well, this won't change
EXTD= your mind. Her characteristic sound is thoroughly intact on Not 
EXTD=Too Late, from the pensive piano-based song arrangements to the m
EXTD=olasses texture of her voice. It's a winning formula, and I find 
EXTD=it to be as pleasant as hot coffee on a cold Sunday morning. In o
EXTD=ther words, it meets all of my expectations, without posing much 
EXTD=of a challenge. The discernible differences from her past work ar
EXTD=e rather subtle. For instance, the songs go down as smoothly as e
EXTD=ver, but this time around the melodies are more intricate, and th
EXTD=e songs take a bit longer to sink in. \nPerhaps this is due to a 
EXTD=change in methodology; Previous albums were produced by Arif Mard
EXTD=in, whose deft touch provided a light and spacious feel on each r
EXTD=ecording. His passing necessitated a change, so Jones' partner (a
EXTD=nd significant other) Lee Alexander took the reins. As the couple
EXTD= live together and have a recording studio in their home, Not Too
EXTD= Late became a homegrown affair. With no clock ticking away expen
EXTD=sive minutes of professional studio time, the atmosphere was more
EXTD= relaxed, allowing the pair to experiment freely and focus on sub
EXTD=tleties. The result is an album that could pass for pleasant, yup
EXTD=pie dinner Muzak or one that rewards multiple listens - it's only
EXTD= as challenging as you want it to be. \nThe first indication of t
EXTD=his subtle shift in priorities is the complete absence of cover s
EXTD=ongs; Jones writes or co-writes every song on Not Too Late, and t
EXTD=he familiar, languid pace eventually gives way to an unexpected a
EXTD=genda. With its cabaret rhythms and political overtones, "Sinkin'
EXTD= Soon" is a good case in point. Lyrical details imply discomfort 
EXTD=with our current state of affairs ("In a boat that's built of sti
EXTD=cks and hay, we've drifted from the shore, with a captain who's t
EXTD=oo proud to say that he dropped the oar"), and this is made expli
EXTD=cit on "My Dear Country," when Jones sings, "that nothing is as s
EXTD=cary as Election Day." On "Until the End," she brings an unnamed 
EXTD=famous associate down a peg, and then grows even more critical on
EXTD= the next track, bluntly stating, "You are not my friend. I canno
EXTD=t pretend you are." It's surprising to hear such sentiments on a 
EXTD=Norah Jones album, but the languid mood disguises the dark moment
EXTD=s just enough to render them invisible. If you like Norah Jones b
EXTD=ecause her music goes down smooth and palatable, you needn't worr
EXTD=y, but fans who choose to read between the lines will notice the 
EXTD=change. B+ Tom Ryan \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists
EXTD=: Larry Goldings \nProducer: Lee Alexander \n\nAlbum Notes\nPerso
EXTD=nnel include: Norah Jones (vocals, piano, Wurlitzer piano); Daru 
EXTD=Oda (vocals, whistle); Jesse Harris (acoustic guitar); Adam Levy 
EXTD=(electric guitar); Kevin Breit (mandolin); Julia Kent, Jeffrey Ze
EXTD=igler (cello); Larry Goldings (Hammond b-3 organ); Lee Alexander 
EXTD=(bass instrument); Andrew Borger (drums).\n\nRecording informatio
EXTD=n: The Coop, New York, NY.\n\nFor a young and commercially succes
EXTD=sful artist, Norah Jones has admirably avoided playing it too saf
EXTD=e. After scoring an unlikely sales sensation and multiple Grammy 
EXTD=award winner with 2002's torchy COME AWAY WITH ME, Jones shifted 
EXTD=gears slightly to accent that album's country and folk elements o
EXTD=n the 1970s-styled follow-up, FEELS LIKE HOME. Following that, Jo
EXTD=nes deliberately played with expectations, first becoming a low-k
EXTD=ey sideman in a quirky alt-country band called the Little Willies
EXTD=, then playing the lead role in a new movie by Hong Kong arthouse
EXTD= director Wong Kar-Wai.\nJones's third album, NOT TOO LATE, is pe
EXTD=rhaps not as extreme as any of those other moves away from her in
EXTD=itial comfort zone, but it's a departure nonetheless. Recorded by
EXTD= Jones and longtime collaborator Lee Alexander in their home stud
EXTD=io and featuring only self-penned material, NOT TOO LATE is far l
EXTD=ess polished than Jones's previous records, with many songs featu
EXTD=ring little more than the singer's familiar croon, a Floyd Cramer
EXTD=-influenced piano, and Alexander's subtle bass. Not quite jazz, c
EXTD=ountry, or pop, NOT TOO LATE fuses all of Jones's influences into
EXTD= an immediately identifiable whole. It's easily her most mature a
EXTD=nd personal album to date.\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nGreatness t
EXTD=hrust upon her by Come Away With Me's Grammy sweep, Norah Jones m
EXTD=aintained her modesty at all costs on 2004's Feels Like Home, wit
EXTD=h results less jazzy but duller -- even duller, some would say. O
EXTD=n the mildly adventurous Not Too Late, she writes or co-writes ev
EXTD=ery song -- thirteen in all, five more than on the first two albu
EXTD=ms combined. Although she may never hit upon a hook to equal Jess
EXTD=e Harris' on "Don't Know Why," she's quirkier lyrically than any 
EXTD=of her helpmates. And she remains pop's nicest superstar neverthe
EXTD=less. \n\nNo matter the writer, Jones has always favored a verbal
EXTD= subtlety many would account bland: "When I saw the break of day/
EXTD=I wished that I could fly away." This effect is magnified by the 
EXTD=thoughtful, sweetly rounded melancholy of the voice people love. 
EXTD=So you have to concentrate to follow the twists of Not Too Late's
EXTD= opening "Wish I Could" -- Norah's friend misses (mourns?) an Ira
EXTD=q-bound guy she doesn't know Norah also had a thing with. And tho
EXTD=ugh the stark lyric "on Election Day" from "My Dear Country" will
EXTD= catch you short every time, you probably won't notice Jones call
EXTD=ing an unnamed but unmistakable George W. Bush "the one we hate" 
EXTD=just before.\n\nThese political moments contextualize Jones' calm
EXTD=, but lest her peace-at-all-costs legions fret, they're hardly th
EXTD=e norm: "Thinking About You," prereleased as a download, returns 
EXTD=to the soldier in "Wish I Could" only if you read a whole lot int
EXTD=o "sail across the ocean waters." Nor does the music assert itsel
EXTD=f. The second-line touches on the possible Katrina song "Sinkin' 
EXTD=Soon" and the cellos and bowed bass on the busker tribute "Broken
EXTD=" are notable because they're noticeable. In general, the organs 
EXTD=and cellos and even horns Jones enlists blend into what must now 
EXTD=be deemed an all-too-soothing formula. The fans who adore her tak
EXTD=e this formula as proof of her kindness, and they're probably rig
EXTD=ht. The rest of us wonder who else she hates.   -- ROBERT CHRISTG
EXTD=AU (Jan 22, 2007)
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