A NEW album by Diana Krall is always going to be cause for excitement, but the latest offering by the multi Grammy award-winning artist will have set the pulse racing of red-blooded jazz fans.

Krall is a phenomenon who has sold 15m albums, seven going multi-platinum. Part of her appeal may be explained by glancing at her album sleeve, which shows the pulchritudinous chanteuse reclining in basque, stockings and suspenders. But don’t be deceived, for Ms Krall possesses more than just a visage which is easy on the eye.

Produced by T Bone Burnett, the songs may be old, but it is no nostalgia trip. Described by her as her “song and dance record”, it sees her playing with the boundaries and striking out in new directions. Blues, soul, spirituals, acoustic and jazz all get the Krall treatment in songs which swing between breezy fun and regret.

The heftily titled There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth The Salt of My Tears pairs her strident vocals against a dirty electric guitar and dobro straight out of a Chicago blues joint, while Just Like a Butterfly That’s Caught in the Rain features electric and acoustic guitars and ukulele, as well as Krall’s 1890s Steinway piano. It is swooningly lovely.

The title track is as sweet and warm as molten honey, the smoky-voiced Krall here sounding like that sexy rabbit from the old Cadbury’s Caramel adverts.

A rendition of Gene Austin’s Let It Rain, waltzes while Buddy and Julie Miller’s Wide River to Cross is pure country.

Sublime, soothing and playful, here’s an album to fall in love with.