The country road we're on

Both John Mayer and Norah Jones are established recording artists, with Grammies and rave reviews tucked under their respective belts. While Norah has never forgotten her Texas roots and affinity to country music, John has been more of a musical chameleon through his career, so it’s a bit of a surprise to find his new CD traversing that “country route.” The good thing is both artists produce their “countrified” music in their own individual styles.

John Mayer — Born & Raised (Columbia Sony). This is ’70s Southern Rock rearing its nostalgic head with a Mayer twist. From Queen of California, to Shadow Days and If I Ever Get Around to Living, it’s like echoes of Jackson Browne and the Eagles resonate within these songs. And having Chuck Leavell on keyboards and Greg Leisz on pedal steel, give the proceedings an Allman Brothers/Gram Parsons veneer. The ambitious storytelling tune is Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, and it’s a true winner. On the title track, David Crosby and Graham Nash come in on the chorus. Ever changing, this is Mayer putting his stamp on a genre of music we’ve missed, and proving he can make it on his very own, without losing his own identity. 

Norah Jones — Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note EMI). Still haunting and subdued, Norah’s latest is produced by Danger Mouse and this adds a new dimension to her music — they’re like aural poems, coming at us from the darkness of night. Happy Pills and Out On the Road are the relatively upbeat tunes, with the latter sounding like a female Chris Isaak/Bryan Ferry. Miriam is another stellar track that reminds me of a more cheerful Leonard Cohen... if that means anything at all. Norah worked on Danger Mouse’s Rome last year, and that perhaps is where the idea for a full album of collaboration started. Moody and atmospheric, this is like a modified country music soundtrack to a noir film.