Her first album took a romantic journey to sophisticated nightclubs and elegant museums. Her sophomore effort wanders down a different road.
Norah Jones' Feb. 10 release of her second album, the Blue Notes Records' release "Feels Like Home," is a deliberate and conscious nod to traditional American music genres.
At the 2003 Grammy Awards, Jones took home eight awards for her debut album "Come Away With Me" including Best New Artist and Album of the Year.
It is always interesting to see how the future plays out for those who win the Best New Artist award. In Jones' case, with the release of "Feels Like Home" her presence in music is solidified.
By using a fusion of blue grass and conventional country, along with subtleties of her New York City jazz and blues influences, Jones' original dreamlike and obviously feminine nuances dissipate in the 13 tracks.
For the most part, the silky jazz ballads are left behind on "Feels Like Home." On "Creepin' In," a duet with country legend Dolly Parton, Jones still manages to figuratively melt the February snow with her warm, mysterious voice.
Her lyrics still speak of love and relationships. However, they lack the innocence of her first disc. "The Long Way Home" is an example of her new confidence and attitude:
"I put food on the table/ And roof over your head/ But I'd trade it all tomorrow/ For the highway instead," sings an experienced Jones.
To those who enjoyed the first album, but shudder at the strengthened influence of country music: do not jump to conclusions.
Whether or not the internationally recognized singer is actually cozy with her new record, "Feels Like Home" is a cleansing breath of country air after too much time spent inhaling the exhausted New York City fumes of "Come Away With Me."
