2004 · Album
Feels Like Home
Blue Note Records · Produced by [Arif Mardin] (main producer) · Released: February 10, 2004
Norah Jones Comes Home to Country
A solid, confident second album that trades piano ballads for guitars and twang without losing her voice.
When Norah Jones released Come Away with Me (2002), she became a phenomenon — a young jazz pianist who could sell millions of records. That kind of success can trap an artist. The follow-up has to prove you weren't a one-album wonder, but it also can't just repeat what worked. Feels Like Home takes a left turn, and it mostly works.
This album leans hard into alternative country. There are guitars everywhere, and Jones lets her voice sit differently in the mix — less breathy, more direct. She co-wrote five songs, which matters because it means she had something to say beyond interpreting other people's material. Working with Arif Mardin as the main producer, the album sounds warmer and looser than her debut. It's not a jazz record, even though Jones is a jazz musician. It's a country-tinged pop album with real instruments and some genuine charm. The songs aren't trying to reinvent anything, but they're honest and well-played.
Where does this fit in her catalog? It's a solid follow-up — better than a retread, but showing some growing pains as she figures out who she wants to be. If you loved the piano-driven intimacy of Come Away with Me, you might find this one a bit too slick. But if you're open to seeing where she was heading, it's worth hearing. It's not her masterpiece, but it's the sound of an artist testing new ground and mostly succeeding. The alternative country wasn't just a detour; it became a real part of her voice.
Who's playing
Lee Alexanderdouble bass
Norah Jonespiano
Kevin Breitacoustic guitar, banjolin
Tony Scherrelectric guitar
Jesse Harrisacoustic guitar
Adam Levyacoustic guitar
Garth HudsonHammond organ
Rob Burgerreed organ
Levon Helmdrums
Andrew Borgerslit drum
David Goldviola
Jane Scarpantonicello
Where next?
More by Norah Jones
All 23 albums →
