Norah Jones - The Fall

The Fall is the sound of Norah Jones shaking things up, trading the jazz-tinged piano intimacy of her early records for a moodier, guitar-led palette.

Released in 2009, her fourth studio album followed a period of personal and creative change, and she turned to producer Jacquire King, known for his work with Kings of Leon and Tom Waits, to help her find a fresh sound. The piano steps back, and in its place come electric guitars, looping drum patterns and a grainier, more nocturnal atmosphere.

"Chasing Pirates" opens the album and served as its lead single, a hazy, hypnotic song driven by a loping groove and Jones's dreamy, sleepy-eyed vocal. "Young Blood" brings more bite, with crunchy guitars and an undercurrent of restlessness, while "Back to Manhattan" is a wistful, cinematic ballad about love and the pull of a city.

Closing the record, "Man of the Hour" is a wry, charming number in which she weighs a string of disappointing men against her dog, and the dog wins. It's a perfect reminder of her sly sense of humor.

It remains one of her most distinctive albums, a confident left turn from an artist who could easily have played it safe. On vinyl, its late-night textures and warm grit feel especially at home.