Norah Jones risks a big change in her new album “Little Broken Hearts”.  The album was released May 1,and was her fifth studio album, co-written and produced by Brian Burton also known as “Danger Mouse”.  Jones’s music is often referred to as boring; critics have given her the nickname “Snorah Jones”.  Pairing up with Burton, who is one of the biggest indie-pop producers on the scene today, was a big step for Jones– especially because she has been resistant to conform to what is popular and excepted by the masses.

“Little Broken Hearts” is more up beat than Jones’ usual style mostly because of Burton’s influence.  You can see his input in almost every song, but it is Jones’ voice that really makes the album. Most of the songs written about broken relationships are comparable to Jones’s past lyrical ventures.  Burton’s influence is not as obvious in the lyrics as it is in other aspects of the album, such as the instrumental parts and some  melodies.

In the title track, “Little Broken Hearts” Jones plays the piano, which she has played on many tracks in the past.  Another potential hit off of this album is “Miriam” a song that speaks of revenge.  It has a dark and wicked feel to it but a surprisingly mellow sound.  “Say Goodbye” is one of the songs in which you can clearly detect Burton’s workings at play.  However, it’s a nice twist for Jones and does not stray too far from what her fans are used to.  Some songs, like “Take it Back”, do not do much for the album, especially when compared to a song as strong as “Miriam.”

Overall, the album is a new style for Jones, but still has a bit of her old Jazz/Folk feel to it.  After this album people may hesitate when going to call Jones “Snorah”.  The changes in this album take songs that could have been simple and bring them to life.  “Little Broken Hearts” is a very promising fifth album for Jones.