The last album from Norah Jones "...Featuring" is a collection of Norah's collaborations with numerous other top artists with tracks ranging from 2001 to the present- a collaborative retrospective if you will. In a nutshell, the sounds of the album span a mixture of jazz, blues, lounge, country, hip hop, and pop (and more) in combination with Norah's soft and sweet signature vocals via duets or solo. Just a few of the notable collaborators include Willie Nelson, Outkast, Ray Charles, Belle & Sebastian, Foo Fighters and Herbie Hancock.
The majority of tracks on "Featuring" have been written by artists other than Jones or her regular collaborators, so I'm not sure whether or not these songs have a typical "Norah Jones vibe". However, what can be said is that the vast majority of the tracks seem almost painfully conventional and repetitive. Because "Featuring" is not a studio album, the flow of the album from track to track seems slightly jumbled and disorganized (similar in style to a compilation or a greatest hits album) and lacks a sort of fresh, creative flow. This isn't to say that none of the tracks have their own charms or aren't enjoyable, its just that the culmination of all these tracks together is slightly overwhelming. Although the album combines various musical elements (which is always nice), every song is rather low key, droning and somewhat predictable- no real quirks, surprises or magic to be found here. On top of that, Norah's voice seems to lack some of the boldness and flare that might help lift up most of the tracks on the album, something that lends slightly to its overall monotony.
**I was provided with the product mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. **
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