Playing Catch-Up: Part XVI

Artist: Norah Jones
Album: ‘Day Breaks‘
Year: 2016

After her 2012 release, ‘Little Broken Hearts,’ I was afraid that we were going to lose Norah the way country music (kinda) lost Taylor Swift. But Jones comes back with a soft, soulful jazz album that is as endearing and beautiful as her smash debut that came out … fuck, 16 years ago. *bends knee, hears audible creak*

Track of Distinction: “Peace” goes down as smooth as a fine whiskey with a touch of smoldering burn on the finish.

Artist: Esperanza Spalding
Album: ‘Emily’s D+Evolution‘
Year: 2016

If there was ever to judge a book by its cover, it would be here. Spalding uses her fifth studio album to deliver a daring Afro-fusion jazz album that is about as accessible as a bank vault. If you’re brave enough, and you have the patience, you will be rewarded with riches that include some of the best imaginative jazz out there. You’re not going to find some pop princess doing stuff like this.

Track of Distinction: “Elevate or Operate” challenges without alienating and would have been best suited earlier in the track list instead of at 10.

Artist: Mastodon
Albums: ‘Cold Dark Place EP‘ and ‘Emperor of Sand‘
Year: 2017 (both)

I’m kind of bummed to know that I came to a great band just in time to see their epic decline. Over their last three albums, Mastodon has tried to play a more conciliatory form of heavy metal in order to try and bring the genre into the mainstream more and broaden their fanbase. The problem is they lost their edge and that is no more obvious than on ‘Emperor of Sand,’ an album that sounds more like an adult contemporary album than anything done by the band that made this.

Track of Distinction: “Ancient Kingdom” gives us a brief return to their old form that satisfies as much as it can on such a thin offering.

Artist: Gorillaz
Albums: ‘Humanz‘ and ‘The Now Now‘
Years: 2017 and 2018

Every time I think I know what I’m going to get from this group, they come right back and keep me on my toes. Sure, I expect them to bring a lot of experimental sounds and vibes to everything they do, but ‘Humanz’ and parts of ‘The Now Now’ brings a big spirit of collaboration that requires a lot of buy-in from the other artists. Thankfully, their reputation precedes them and everyone who buys into a band that is becoming more of a beat-maker factory is ready for the ride.

Track of Distinction: “Strobelite” from ‘Humanz’ is an outstanding stone groove but I also have to give a nod to the Snoop Dogg collab “Hollywood” from ‘The Now Now’ that shows the versatility of both ends of that scope.

Norah Jones

Albums:
‘Come Away With Me‘ (2002)
‘Feels Like Home‘ (2004)
‘Not Too Late‘ (2007)
‘The Fall‘ (2009)
‘…Featuring Norah Jones‘ (2010)
‘Little Broken Hearts‘ (2012)

I have written about Renaissance talents before on this blog in terms of artists who can tackle a number of styles and genres and some even do it well. Norah Jones falls into that category as well because, let’s face it, her voice is pure magic. It can sing jazz, blues, country, pop, rock, and even a bit of the unusual, but it all works. Her voice is a musical chameleon and that is a wonder in this industry.

Thankfully, she has also stayed away from the pit that many other soulful songstresses fall into and that is using her beauty to overshadow her talent. Sure, she’s no stranger to a glamorous photoshoot, but she seems to make her music and her talent the focal point of her career. I applaud this even though I know it will diminish her value in the eyes of younger generations. It’s sad to think that Katy Perry might have more lasting recognition in music history than Norah Jones.

Track of Distinction: “Be My Somebody” is an ode to a toxic lover. We all know this person; the one who makes us feel oh so good for all the wrong reasons. And though we know this person will just leave us to ruin, we will beg, borrow, or steal whatever we can just for one more time.

The Little Willies

Album: ‘The Little Willies‘
Year: 2006

Started as a Willie Nelson cover band, The Little Willies became a band devoted to bringing the heart and soul of country music to folks who may not afford themselves the opportunity to do so. Fronted by Norah Jones, the band focuses on old-time country songs that may not have been very popular, as well as songs from newer artists who seek to revive that form of country music. The covers try to stay true to the originals but it’s hard to do that sometimes with Norah Jones taking much of the lead vocal work for the band. But the covers work.

What I did not add here was that, as part of this experience I listened to the group’s session at the Bridge School Benefit from a couple of years ago and found that their live show seems quite an intimate experience, better suited for a small venue than a large theater, stadium or festival. The songs do not have a lot of punch to them but that’s not the point. They are simply dusting off these old, forgotten classics and give them a polish in order to attract a new generation to a lost artform.

Track of Distinction: “It’s Not You It’s Me” is a cover of a newer song penned by Ashley Monroe and Richard Julian. It’s the kind of sultry kind of country song that is right in Jones’ wheelhouse and that makes it a great track.