From today's "New York Times"
Norah Jones is a lovely young woman with a lovely young voice who sings jazz-inflected songs of romance in a manner that can only be called consoling. Her first album, "Come Away With Me," earned her a double armful of Grammys last year and the attention of the entire music industry. Her second album, "Feels Like Home," has just been released. It made its debut at No. 1 and sold more than a million copies in its first week, proving that politeness does have its rewards. The sound of Ms. Jones's piano is amiability itself, and in her voice there lurks a plaintive contentment. It feels churlish to speak even that critically of a woman whose music is so palpably pleasing. Who knew so many people needed so much consolation?
As it happens, Ms. Jones's big week coincided with a big week for music sales in general. But then any week when a newly released album sells a million copies is going to look good by recent industry standards, especially if it also happens to overlap with Valentine's Day. Ms. Jones's numbers ââ'¬â€ and the fact that she's selling mainly to grown-ups ââ'¬â€ make record executives hopeful that a recovery in their troubled business is just around the corner. They are going to need to keep hoping. Their business seems to be structured against steady, long-term success. The psychology of the recording industry, like that of book publishing, is now so dependent on blockbuster sales that the idea of profitability based on modest sales across a diverse catalog has nearly vanished. The business depends on the hundred-year flood, not a steady rain.
There is no begrudging Ms. Jones her success. Part of her attraction is that she seems to be pursuing the art as it appeals to her, without pandering to her audience. But what's curious about her career so far is that she is essentially a midlist artist who broke into the big time. Her first album was rolled out in a way that suggested modest expectations ââ'¬â€ and on such modest, artful expectations, once upon a time, a gratifying career might have been based. But her niche is now the whole world. The industry will no longer be talking about Norah Jones; it will be talking about "a Norah Jones" or "the next Norah Jones," who comes out of nowhere to rescue the bottom line once again.
Although the problem with the Norahs and Didos and Davids of this world is that it fools the tasteless into believing they have taste. Full on bad taste like Aqua is something I rather like myself 
. Its a bit like magnolia painted anaglypta (Sp??) wallpaper versus some bad taste but vibrant swirly seventies stuff.
Especially a new one (apologies to any vauxhall owners out there - I am (half) joking 
). Like driving a four wheeled bowl of porridge.
