The Fall - Plak

ENGLISH

Norah has taken a new direction on 'The Fall', experimenting with different sounds and a new set of collaborators, including Jacquire King, a noted producer and engineer who has worked with Kings of Leon, Tom Waits and Modest Mouse. Richly detailed and vocally lush on 200-gram, super-silent vinyl from Analogue Productions, 'The Fall', Jones' fourth album, may surprise some of Jones' die-hard fans, Billboard magazine notes. During the 13-song set, Jones ditches the gentle piano playing of her previous work and tears into fresh, beat-savvy arrangements, playing plenty of electric guitar and exploring the piercing quality of Wurlitzer electric piano. Jones' smoky voice and soulful veneer highlight the opening track and first single, 'Chasing Pirates'.

Jones displays a slinky kind of ambience on 'Light As a Feather' (co-written with Ryan Adams). The social commentary 'It's Gonna Be' offers a garage-rock attitude, and 'You've Ruined Me' has a rich Americana flavor. But Jones is still a little bit country ('Tell Yer Mama') and a little bit rock'n'roll ('Stuck'). Overall, writes reviewer Gary Graff, Jones straddles those lines in an entirely different manner than she ever has before.

For 'The Fall', Jones enlisted several songwriting collaborators, including Ryan Adams and Okkervil River's Will Sheff, as well as her frequent partners Jesse Harris and Richard Julian. Musicians include drummers Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green) and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer).