As you can guess from the title, this is a break-up album. The brokenhearted songwriting is good and the production by the innovative Danger Mouse is interesting, but that's a hit-or-miss combination that, at times, makes this effort sound like a generic indie pop album. Jones is better than that. As Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes in his review, "it takes effort to ignore the alluring haze and hear the songs that lie beneath." Overall, I prefer Jones' earlier, sparse piano-based sound to this ethereal synth-pads and guitar strumming, but this CD still has its moments when it isn't trying to be the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie. Metacritic gives it a 69, which is slightly high IMO. I'm waiting for Jones to step back into my comfort zone.
FYI: the album cover is based on a film poster for the 1965 Russ Meyer film, Mudhoney. The thought of Norah Jones as Russ Meyer heroine is quite enticing indeed.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #2
Tracks: My favorites are Good Morning, She's 22, Out On The Road, and the deliciously evil Miriam in which Jones takes on the persona of the vindictive, murderous ex ("Never been the killin' kind, but you know I know what you did"). But, really, who would cheat on Norah Jones? I usually skip Take It Back and 4 Broken Hearts.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but Jones gets bonus points for her cameo appearance in the movie Ted.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Feels Like Home (2004)
Come Away With Me (2002)
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