Yahoo! Music Album Review

Released on 29/1/07
Label: Blue Note

One thing about Geethali Norah Jones Shankar is for certain - she's shifted some units. The 2002 debut, "Come Away With Me", fuelled by the impossibly catchy title track, has now sold in excess of 20 million copies and won her eight Grammys in total. The soulful jazz of those early records has morphed into more of a country flavour on subsequent releases, leading us to "Not Too Late", which is probably Norah's most personal collection of songs to date.

We can only assume that this is what she's been waiting to record since graduating from the University of North Texas with consecutive Performer Of The Year awards. Precocious? Well maybe. But when you can sing and play piano with such style, while also mentioning that your estranged father is Ravi Shankar, doors around the world will surely open. She's certainly had a head start on Joan As Policewoman.

"Not Too Late" is a gentle, self-assured record on which Norah knows she doesn't have to try too hard. At its best, there is plenty of variety, aligning pastoral folk guitars - "Not My Friend", burlesque, jazz vamps - "Sinkin' Soon" - shuffling blues - "Be My Somebody" - and sparse, piano pop - "Not Too Late" - to Norah's many other rich qualities.

The main highlights are the gentle but haunting "My Dear Country", which is all rippling piano twinkles, sweet as apple pie vocals and reflective lyrics, reaching its crescendo at the dramatic instrumental break. "Until The End", meanwhile, stalks its quarry on chugging, bluesy chords with tastefully restrained backing from Norah's band, who do a decent impression of Bob Dylan's "Modern Times" backing group here.

Elsewhere, "Rosie's Lullaby" is pushed by organ and pedal steel guitar and an effortlessly great vocal, while "Little Room" bounces its way along, full of country stylings, including a whistling solo. And although it may seem like rather a fluffy moment, you can hear how natural the style is to Norah and her lush tones.

Of course, occasionally you feel that an injection of pace and va va voom might not go amiss. A brief appearance of the ghost of Amy Winehouse, for example, would certainly liven things up and make this a very different experience. But ultimately that's not why you're here or why "Not Too Late" will be both an enormous commercial and personal success for all concerned.

    by Andy Strickland