Get You Out Of My Head

Norah Jones “Happy Pills”

Norah Jones is blessed with a gorgeous voice, but she generally errs on the side of singing material that does little more than frame her easygoing, honeyed tone. Her best material either gives her a top-shelf melody worthy of her vocal talent, like her breakthrough smash “Don’t Know Why,” or have enough emotional heft that she can understate the drama of the lyrics without draining them of urgency, as in “What Am I To You?” and “Stuck.” “Happy Pills,” from her new album produced by Danger Mouse, falls in the latter category. Its relaxed groove and bar room aura call back to the Pretenders’ “Brass In Pocket,” but Jones is too much of a sweetheart to put up a tough front like Chrissie Hynde. Still, it’s a terrific vocal performance that hits its emotional marks with a delightful ease. This is a song that benefits from her presence, both in tone and sentiment, as these lyrics about trying to force oneself into a positive mental state after a breakup ring true with this anodyne delivery.

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