After contributing vocals to Danger Mouse’s Rome last year, Norah Jones teams up with the busy producer for her fifth album, a summit of their respective musical worlds. Jones offers her usual sultry tones, while Danger Mouse injects subtle but inventive textures into … Little Broken Hearts‘ 12 tracks. Many songs play out like a morning-after hangover of a love gone wrong. On the opening “Good Morning,” a loop of strings is met by a rising Jones, who realizes that a chance of romance isn’t nearly as bright as the daylight peeking through her curtains. Later, she tries to move on without much luck: “So you tried to replace me, but you didn’t get far/And I tried to repay you, but I only got scarred,” she sings on “4 Broken Hearts.” There’s lots of remorse on this repetitive but hypnotic journey, which traces the wounds of Jones’ heart. — John Patrick Gatta
This article appears in May 2-8, 2012.
