As every advertisement for her current tour states, Norah Jones hasn't been out to Australia for over seven years.
In the time since that album, the one that everyone can hum along to and more babies were conceived with than beer — Norah has diversified her sound and changed direction. So with the recent release of her critically-acclaimed album Little Broken Hearts, she’s back on the road and playing live once more.
The crowd at the BCC was eclectic, with everyone from grandmas to young families to hipsters and middle-aged couples walking through the doors. The stage was set up with hanging origami birds on long strands of fairy lights, a clutch of instruments in the middle of the stage and various soft spotlights.
Norah wandered out onto stage on time, wearing a cute but casual blue dress and followed by her band of misfit musicians who, even though looked like they had stepped off the set of a 70s flick, were all accomplished, enthusiastic and so fun to watch. The lady herself was chatty and adorably awkward, her conversation continually coming back to questions about what to call people from Brisbane (Brisbanites? Brisbanians? Brissylanders?).
But it was her voice that truly captivated. Still as soulful, husky, unique and mesmerizing — once Norah opened her mouth, all else was forgotten. She played a beautifully-weighted assortment of tunes ranging from country Hank Williams covers, her revered number one hits and new songs from her latest album.
It was a gorgeous mix of styles, with uptempo and slower numbers merging together to leave a tingly, warming glow on the soul.
