Not Too Late

iTunes Review

It may not be obvious at first, but this is a breakthrough album for Grammy-winner Norah Jones. The sultry vocals and consistently laid-back tempos of her first two releases (the mega-selling Come Away With Me and Feels Like Home) are here, the slow pace only interrupted by “Sinkin’ Soon,” with its cabaret vibe, funky trombone, and pots and pans percussion. But Not Too Late has a more stripped-down, earthier feel that signals a subtle shift in Jones’ sound, and it’s significant that she wrote or cowrote all of the songs on the album. She continues to borrow and blend the quieter elements of jazz, soul, and country, but the songs are spare, full of space, and less reliant on jazzy arrangements to hold them up this time around. Her use of strings adds texture to these simmering songs, and there are plenty of thoughtful lyrics that range from the personal to the political. Jones is young and still finding her true voice as a songwriter, but Not Too Late is a move forward artistically and further confirmation of her considerable talent.