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Norah Jones releases “The Fall’’ on Nov. 17. |
Sound Off
On our minds and on our playlists
Never the most ardent of fans, I took an interest in Norah Jones early on, a few months before her debut, “Come Away With Me,’’ became 2002’s sleeper hit. I liked her songs’ honesty, her graceful understatement, and her small but expressive voice that made her heartbreak palpable.
But the more famous she got, the more her music began to represent a kind of music I didn’t particularly enjoy. At Jones’s peak, she was unfairly crowned the queen of modern easy-listening, purveyor of songs that pair well with candlelight and chardonnay. I eventually tuned out Jones, listening to her only when required for work.
Maybe that’s why I’m so revved up about “Chasing Pirates,’’ the first song released from Jones’s upcoming album, “The Fall,’’ due Nov. 17. This week VH1.com debuted a video for the song, and it suggests the singer-songwriter is pursuing a more pop-oriented direction.
Picking up from 2007’s “Not Too Late,’’ Jones’s last studio album, “Chasing Pirates’’ doesn’t exactly sound like anything else she’s done. It’s slinky and sexy, two qualities I’ve never associated with her consistently tasteful music.
Jones’s songwriting remains the same, but there’s an irresistible and seductive tinge to her vocals, and there’s a pronounced importance put on the bass and drums. The more I hear it, the more I suspect I haven’t given Jones enough credit in the past few years.
The “Chasing Pirates’’ video is available at www.vh1.com under the “Top 20 Premieres’’ category. 
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