REVIEW: NORAH JONES-BEGIN AGAIN

4/5

Keeping Up With The Jones.

Sunrise again. Apart from Alicia Keys, there is nothing more New York than Norah Jones. Apart from Broadway and bagels that is...and come to think of it, how about Broadway Bagel? If you've never been there, you've never been to New York my friend. And if you correct me and say you have, well time to call it like it is and go there twice. Anyway I digress. "New York City such a beautiful disease", Miss Jones once sang back in her time with the Peter Malick Group. And only someone with Norah's playlist could call you a disease and make it sound like she loves you as much as you do her. Jazz club blues, smoky, smouldering vocals. Smoother than velvet, but like a revolver to touch. Ever since her encrusted in diamond debut in 2002, 'Come Away With Me' and it's self titled beautiful ballad (have you ever heard something sung so movingly as, "come away with me in the night/come away with me and I'll never stop loving you") Miss Jones has racked up Grammy's like Miss Keys and been as significant to the great American songbook as Springsteen. 9 majors and counting. Striking several significant solo notes and numbers. Like the 'Sunrise' morning after of 'Feels Like Home'. Or the in her own lane and stride of 'Not Too Late'. She's also been a major part of the classic collaborative process too. Duetting with everyone from Ray Charles to Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest. Andre 3000 of OutKast to The Lonely Island. And Rolling Stone Keith Richards to that talking, swearing, fuzzy bear 'Ted'. 'Take Off Your Cool' that never goes out of style and the bluesy inspired 'Illusion' the playlist pick standouts of this set she's also collected together and released. Jones has kept up, cutting records with Dangermouse, Daniele Luppi and Jack White and albums with her own bands like the super girl group Puss N Boots and The Little Willie's (Nelson not penises). She even made an Every Brothers covers tribute album with Green Days Billie Joe Armstrong, 'Foreverly'. All this has helped her solo work soar. From the change of tune in 'The Fall'. To the 'Little Broken Hearts' that pushed and cracked the envelope further for her most diverse set yet. And then in 2016 the Billboard top jazz artist of the 2000's decade took it back to basics and her signature sound for 'Day Breaks' like another sunrise on a new morning.

But now like a Keira Knightley movie getting over a douchey Adam Levine with the help of the Hulk whose just been fired by Mos Def it's time for Norah Jones to 'Begin Again'. And again this is something different from the dynamic Jones of traditional music texture. On the same day the South Korean mega pop outfit BTS arm themselves with another seven seals, Jones also releases a seven track album in what seems to be the new Spotify trend halfway house between EP's and LP's (SP's anyone?). Just see all those Kanye West produced works in one week last year from his own album, to the latest from NaS and Kid Cudi. Artists today know that in this social media age of the swipe audiences attention spans are waning as the classic album is dying to this cherry picking time for your favourite songs. Even so Norah still delivers her most compelling, cohesive set in years for something that plays like a short classic album from a bygone pre-digital era that didn't have to hit double figures to be top ten. These songs collected together almost like a greatest hits of her last couple of years or a Smashing Pumpkins week by week concept album over a calender are from sessions Jones has recorded since her last album, vowing to never stop writing and singing and to just she what she's got. It's a different and definitive route that works for Norah like her most amazing album artwork yet (think the video to Taylor Swift's 'Style' meets something her contemporary Ray LaMontagne would do). As in this time of an electric Joni Mitchell, Maggie Rogers showing she is the all American star of the future next door now, Norah Jones shows she is still more than a legend, but someone still crafting her own creative legacy for listeners, moving with the time signatures.

Dylan would be proud of the outstanding opener 'My Heart Is Full' too. This chant call to conscious arms looks at the world today held at the length of one and offers a hand and resolute chorus in unison. Before breaking into a beat of polished production straight out of the independent side of mainstream music's playlist playbook. Old meets new as the times are still a'changing, yet somehow staying the same like this vintage modern hallmark new start from the top from Jones. It like this all sounds like nothing Norah has ever done before. And she and we are all the better for it. As she asks, "are we broken" again and again, singing, "I can see (see, see)/People hurting (hurting, hurting)/People preaching (preaching, preaching)/People watching (watching, watching)/Some are listening (listening, listening)/Some are hearing (hearing, hearing)/Many talking (talking, talking)/Others working (working, working)" and at the top of her voice "I will rise" even more to the fade of one of the most important and influential things, simple in its nature, but profound in its statement that she's ever put down. Whilst the title track is back on that 'Day Breaks' signature, yet making that sound shimmer and shine in time with someone who knows a classic record of their own making is their daily bread and butter, on both sides. As 'It Was You' segues into a more grown up love yearn. Before 'A Song With No Name' over spaced acoustics dedicates short but lasting lines like, "If I go on my own/And I see you in my dreams/And I hope to again/I have silently schemed/If I had a gun/If I had a knife/If I was the one/If I was your wife". This sets standout session 'Uh Oh' sounds like a Luppi loop from the Dangermouse 'Seasons Trees' changing age. Whilst the fall piano of 'Wintertime' is the perfect song for that time of year as our pulled coats in N.Y.C. look to still escape that type of breezing and bracing weather. Whilst the perfect closer of this chapter, 'Just A Little Bit' is all you need for these relaxed but focussed sessions of tracks recorded over three days or less to show that this confident but care free collection is exactly what music needs when an artist is in her prime and stride. Purity and the natural order of songwriting and concept creation, birthed off a pad and pen, microphone and instrumental accompaniment. And if this today trend and musical styling really is a new beginning for Jones, then like Sam, play it again. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Playlist Picks: 'My Heart Is Full', 'Uh Oh', 'Just A Little Bit'.

REVIEW: BTS-MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA

4/5

Seoul Mapping.

Alright, alright, alright. If Matthew McConaughey is down with them, then they must be cool. I ain't dazed and confused. Unless Moon Dog has been smoking some of that Snoop Dogg. The 'Dallas Buyers Club' of a 'True Detective' McConaissance can't be wrong. Late Night's Jimmy Fallon can't be wrong. Ellen Degeneres can't be wrong. Selling out Wembley stadium in London, England can't be wrong. TIME magazines iconic cover can't be wrong. The UNITED NATIONS and that stirring speech can't be wrong. The heart of Asia, Seoul and the whole South of Korea can't be wrong.  The entire world singing along on a Richter Scale between One Direction and Beatlemania all in word for word, not Bill Murray in translation Korean can't be wrong. A billion served can't be. An army. A movement. Burning the stage and igniting the studio. The Bangtan Boys. BTS. V, Jin, Jimin, J-Hope, Suga, Jungkook and R.M. They told you to 'Love Yourself' too and you invited them to the Grammy's in tuxedos dancing to Dolly Parton and awarding H.E.R. in Hollywood. Next year, they'll probably win one. Or even have a category invented for them and their K Pop genre for music's Oscars. Tomorrow they will be live from New York for 'Saturday Night'. But today Seoul music's finest and the biggest boy band ever, from the Backstreets to all those other boys are getting 'Persona' personal with their 'Map Of The Soul'.

Google and put a finger on it. Or just go into the map like Joey friends and right from the "YO" jump you'll see that these boys are back like their town that they've put on the soul of this world cities map. And these idols are getting bigger and better than ever like their "what's good Korea" Nicki Minaj remix feature. They're about to be bosses for the whole careers. With collabo duets from everyone from singer of the moment Halsey (the American dream theatre meets candy coloured like the hair video visual of the sugary pop 'Boy With Luv', that even features these dance steppers playing the 'Big' piano) and millennial icon Ed Sheeran ('Make It Right'. That sounds distinctly BTS and sheer Sheeran, all at the same instrumental in synchronicity time) who can both expect their own new army soldiers. There is no 'Fake Love' for these Seoul men who drop the mic once again like their Steve Aoki D.J. set, cake throwing like it's your birthday banger, as they stay in their land for their victory lap, comfortably in the driver's seat with the whole world riding shotgun. And it all begins with the hardest working leader in all of K Pop and mainstream music. The group's official spokesman on the mic and translator R.M. with pure bars like when he hot potato passed it, passed it, back and forth with Washington's Wale, holding his own on 'Change'. With pockets of rhymes, leaving other rappers coming up with lint. Now paid in full, R.M. is releasing playlist mixtapes for fun and free. Like last year's 'mono.' music that he gifted gave right between these idols era of love yourself revolution and this soul persona. One moving, mood music that featured an introspective perspective and shout-out to his hometown 'Seoul', with big in Asia, electric British duo Honne (who also have R.M. jumping back on the remix of their heartbreakingly cool track 'Crying Over You'), one to the testimonial, travel journal tribute traditions of 'Tokyo' and of course the artful, deep look into depression with soaring strength in the beautiful downpour of 'Forever Rain'. For a cool, cohesive set of real music, more personally profound than pop and with a longevity to it that will play for longer than its unofficial full release status. And now with this 'Intro' to 'Persona' going it all alone like his army of one amazing video serving as a trailer, channeling the flow of his favourite rap gods and taking them all to his own language school, R.M. shows he really is a rap monster with delivery for days like FedEx. Real hip-hop is real hip-hop regardless of the language and if you don't get it it's time to Google translate and catch up to this real rap from a real rapper. There isn't a bigger or better way for this album to start than with this Moonchild.

Seven seals track this latest release from BTS that is set to move more millions than those who will be tuning in for NBC's SNL this weekend. These billboard stars are about to be number one on the Hot 100 with a bullet quick sell out like their stadium tours the minute they hit the net. And if you think seven members coming up with just the same amount of tracks as days of the week for this highly anticipated and long awaited release isn't enough, then haven't you learned in this Spotify streaming age already? Rest assured with headphones on that this is just the first route on their 'Map Of The Soul' magic, mystery musical tour. After starring down 'Face Yourself' they had two 'Tears' and 'Answers' to 'Love Yourself' with last year for a holy trinity, big three. And besides music icon Norah Jones released a new album too today. Her beautiful and best in years 'Begin Again', sounding like nothing she's ever put on record before. And guess what? Guess how many tracks long? Yep! A magnificent seven! So come away with that in the night and I will write you a song. We can't wait for the next 'Persona' from these mag 7's, but until then we're having fun getting lost in this journey not destination map. 'Mikrokosmos' is classic BTS. Whilst the computer game closer 'Dionysus' sounds like it could be the epic introduction themes song of an awesome anime. But the real standout here is the on repeat, 'Euphoria' warmth of 'Jamais Vu'. A beautiful ballad of soaring feeling, singing along to "please give me a remedy" and all the love language to yourself later. But it gets much deeper and closer to the heart on 'HOME' (as they sing "For some reason filling this makes it empty faster/The more we're together the more I feel more alone/Half closed eyes, sleepless night/The place where you are"), for this club of billionaire boys who on their own 'Burn The Stage' movie from theatres to YouTube weren't afraid to admit that despite the biggest stages and Korean dollar bucks they weren't immune to the effects of depression and other mental health afflictions that come with this type of pressure on young people in the social media age of anxiety today. Especially those in the most glaring of spotlights from the paparazzi to the fans and the critics ready to write them off again and again. No matter how many times they prove them wrong, over and over again. It's a long and lonely road, hotel room to hotel room, where you're far from home and can't even remember the city. But still night after night these kids take to the stage and make music, maturing as young men and real positive role models for a world of fake love and false idols. But these genuine ones are offering light to a nation and its young men plagued by downing depression and rising suicide rates like they are the oppression of the north. Yet fighting all this with the same love that the world has been told again and again is all you need there is no one better right now to put that notion and where they're coming from on the map. With 'Persona' it's getting personal. Even with the power of South Korea girl group BlackPink biting at their heels, looks like these artists and music for healing are still a Big Hit. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Playlist Picks: 'Intro: Persona', 'Boy With Luv' Feat Halsey, 'Jamais Vu'.