Norah Jones is probably best described as the American Dido: a shy, unassuming young woman who made a low-key album with no great expectations of success, then found herself with a global smash hit on her hands. Now, just like Dido, the 24-year-old singer-pianist faces the challenge of how to follow it up. Perhaps uncertain of which direction to go in, her second album sees her trying out a bit of everything, adding country and blues influences to the jazz-club template her Grammy-winning debut Come Away With Me. This makes Feels Like Home a rather disjointed affair - but given the sheer quality of Jones's dreamy vocals, few of her fans will be inclined to complain. The odd lapse into blandness aside, there's some great material here, including a sprightly bluegrass duet with Dolly Parton, an exquisitely slowed-down version of Townes Van Zandt's 'Be Here to Love Me' and a new Tom Waits song which he wrote especially for the New Yorker after hearing her voice. Another first-class package, then, which should confirm Jones as jazz's biggest crossover star in decades.
