|
In retrospect, it should have been Madeleine
Peyroux hitting it big with a mainstream audience. This chanteuse
emerged in the late '90s with a smooth musical hybrid of blues,
folk, jazz, and country years before Norah Jones became a household
name. Peyroux dropped out for several years after her magnificent
debut Dreamland, but now returns with this latest eclectic
collection. Having had experience as a bohemian busker, the sound
of this record evokes the restless after-hours mood of strolling
on the streets of Paris, represented on tracks like "J'ai
Deux Amours" and "Between the Bars." Peyroux,
whose vocal phrasing is dead-on Billie Holiday, reinterprets
Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"
and Hank Williams' "Lonesome Blues" with a almost swinging
tempo. The ballads that she does the exquisite "I'll Look
Around" is simply divine. The eight years between albums
fortunately didn't change her approach to her music. Peyroux's
sound remains thoughtful, intelligent, and romantic.
|
