Pretty much everybody knows Norah Jones from “Don’t Know Why”.  She could have stuck to making NPR-friendly jazzy tunes, but instead she decided to put out “The Fall”, which shows a welcome stretch.

Jones experiments with a lot of different styles, and they all seem like a perfect fit.  Oddly, this feels strongly like an alt-country album at moments, just without the twang.  The songs run the gamut from up-beat numbers to quiet, spare ballads.  Not precisely a gym album, but there’s a welcome variety.

The production is also a welcome change of pace.  The mixing emphasizes Jones’ voice in the songs, and her singing deserves it.  But there’s a care in the production and mixing that you don’t usually see on a major label album, where cranking the compression and volume, and damn the clipping, is a way too common attitude.

Overall, Jones does a lot with this album to dispel the image of her being just another woman with a piano singing ballads.  Definitely worth a listen, and a welcome change for her.

Upcoming TV appearances:

• December 15 – NBC Tonight Show w/ Conan O’Brien
• December 16 – ABC Jimmy Kimmel

In support of Norah Jones new album, we have some prizes for two lucky winners. First we have copy of the album, and also you can win a signed poster from Norah Jones’ exclusive Soundcheck performance.

To be eligible to win, you must complete just two easy steps:

• Join (or already be a fan of) our Facebook Page
• Comment on this article on our Facebook Page, letting everyone know you are entering to win.

…and if you don’t win, you can always purchase a copy of “The Fall” on Amazon. We’ll end with some photos, in case you happen to enjoy looking at cute female singers :