Come Away Again

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It sounds more like her too. Despite the fact that Jones photographs like a goddess, in person she frequently wears large flowerpot hats, makes puns and has an adorably goofy laugh that she regularly hauls out at her own expense; she's kind of an exuberant dork. Jones often complains that Come Away with Me was "too mellow" and "too cool" and that Feels like Home sounds like a correction. The tempo is noticeably jauntier, and the band is more confident, even roguish, as it wanders in and out of jazz, country and bluegrass riffs. Jones also sounds significantly less precious. She perfected an innocent sensuality on Come Away with Me, but on songs like What Am I to You? and the terrific In the Morning, Jones proves she can do sex and jealousy without compromising her aura of propriety. There are still moments when she comes off like a young fogy — a lyric like "Who cares what the night watchmen say" seems a little moldy for a 24-year-old — but what lingers aren't the few odd phrases but the virtuosity of the instruments and, of course, the voice. Even on an average song — and there are a few here — Jones' vocals are indelible. She never fails to choose simple over flamboyant, never holds a note too long. She may prove to be the most natural singer of her generation.

As for that first question — will Feels like Home soon be welcoming you into every restaurant and retail outlet in America? — well, there's really no qualitative reason it shouldn't. And yet it's almost impossible to imagine a scenario in which Jones can repeat the cultural dominance her first album achieved. For one thing, she won't be filling her days with phone interviews and photo shoots. For another, multiplatinum-sales phenomena like Come Away with Me have a logic all their own. Buying the first album by a beautiful, jazz-inflected underdog was an act of self-definition. Buying the second album by a charming, known commodity shows nothing more than an interest in pleasant songs expertly sung. Feels like Home is equally as good as its predecessor, yet for external reasons, it may seduce only half as many listeners. You get the sense that would suit Snorah just fine.