Begin Again is a compilation album[1][2] by American singer-songwriter
Norah Jones, released through
Blue Note Records on April 12, 2019.[3] The collection is a compilation of singles Jones recorded from 2018 to 2019,[4] and includes collaborations with
Jeff Tweedy and
Thomas Bartlett.[5] Jones planned to tour Australia and the US in support of the album, before the
COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
Background and recording
Jones said of the album that she wanted to record different things, in particular songs that were "quick and fun and easy and low-pressure", including collaborations with musicians that took no more than three days in the studio.[4] She did not want to plan ahead aside from voice memo ideas, but to "create in the moment".[7]
Begin Again has a score of 70 out of 100 from Metacritic based on 5 reviews. On the music blog Idolator Mike Wass calls the musicians involved in the album and the final outcome "eclectic", concluding that "the resulting songs are some of the most inventive of her career."[7] Gabriel Fine wrote in his album review for Consequence of Sound that "there is something thrillingly free about the songs on Begin Again. They resist simple categorization and are experimental in the sense that they embody an unabashed confluence of Jones’ many musical inspirations", and sees that "much of the propulsion on the record comes from Jones’ personnel, who she manages to brilliantly highlight without losing her creative reigns."[9]
^"Czech Albums – Top 100".
ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 16.Týden 2019 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
