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Elly Roberts reviews
Blue Note Records
Special Edition: 
- January 2007
- Rating: 8/10
Fighting off hot competition from The View, Klaxons and Jamie T, Norah Jonessat sitting pretty at the top of the UK album charts, w/c February 5th.
In terms of chart history, its the 800th album to gain the top spot. Hersurprisingly successful debut Come Away With Me did the same back in2002. Amazingly, it sold 18 million copies and scooped 8 Grammys. In the interimperiod shes recorded with friends as The Little Willies in early2006, which saw her leave her usual template.
On Not Too Late, shes moved on significantly as a songwriter, stillretaining her penchant soul-country-jazz-folk ethos. The setlist, withcontributions from Jones or Jones and boyfriend and producer Lee Alexander,the album was recorded in or around New York. Now the 27 year-old songbirdshows her mettle as both singer and songwriter.
The songs, which are predictably laid-back, show no real surprises, unlessyou count a right old pop at president Bush on Sinkin Soon, “Atiny hole has sprung a leak / In this cheap pontoon / Now the hull has startedgrowing weak / And were gonna be sinkin soon.”This smacks of tricks learnt with the Willies, full of playful trad jazzNew Orleans styled trombone by J.Walter Hawkes.
Credits also reveal pots and pans being used maybe its a joke though Idoubt it. So on to Opener Wish I Could: this is a supreme countrifiedgem: full of swaying vocals, backed by deft acoustic picks (Jesse Harris) andtwinned cellos adding the sombre drama a wonderful start. Floaty and snoozyThe Sun Doesnt Like You and Until The End are familiar territory:smokey vocals, gentle balladeering etc etc.
Song five, Not My Friend, a genuine weepy, is mesmerisingly beautiful:so tender itll garb you instantly with the shifting and tinkling Yamaha pianoand guitar, with splashes of marimba and cymbals the effect is stunning.Returning to template, Thinking About You is nothing more than a filler.Broken breaks the mould, slightly: swaying bowed basses, pizzicato,and cellos top up the observational lyrics about a sad character. I wonder who?
Bush is back on the agenda. My Dear Country spouts, “Who knows maybethe plans will change / Who knows maybe hes not deranged.”
Deeply countrified Wake Me Up with large dollops of pedal steel, by,yes, Mr.Alexander make this a real drifting beauty. Jones isnt known for herpace, though a welcomed upbeat Be My Somebody perks along at a, well,Jones pace, which might make a solid single release. It also stretches herout of her comfort zone, though Not Too Late takes her back there.
Jones’ forte is keeping things nice and simple, uncomplicated, but withfinesse and class. Her trademark understated singing is sweeter than ever,which bodes well for the future. Every part of this CD is lovingly (andextremely) well crafted.
Her best album to date.
Weblinks:norahjones.com /bluenote.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Wish I Could
2. Sinkin Soon
3. The Sun Doesnt Like You
4. Until The End
5. Not My Friend
6. Thinking About You
7. Broken
8. My Dear Country
9. Wake Me Up
10. Be My Somebody
11. Little Room
12. Rosies Lullaby
13. Not Too Late
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.