Madeleine Peyroux: Half the Perfect World
The third album from Madeleine Peyroux
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Tuesday, 31, Oct 2006 12:00
Rounder/Universal Records, out October 30th.
In a nutshell…
Sultry. Meandering. Jazzy. Blues. Elegant.
What’s it all about?
Half the Perfect World – the title of one of the Leonard Cohen songs that she sings on the album – is a mix of Peyroux’s own songs and her take on the works of other singers and songwriters that she admires. Of the 12 tracks on the album, four were written by Peyroux and the remaining eight are covers. These include works by Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Serge Gainsbourg and the aforementioned Cohen.
Her sultry, wistful and romantic voice lends a distinct and refreshing take on these classic songs, with the album allowing Peyroux to explore their meanings from her own feminine perspective. "These love songs come from an extremely personal place, and therefore allowed me a most intimate reading," she explains.
Who’s it by?
32-year-old Peyroux has been slowly amassing acclaim for her distinctive, sultry voice since she released her first album, Dreamland, in 1996. Despite this growing popularity it seems that she would rather be busking on the streets of Paris as she used to than becoming an international star.
Although born and raised for a number of years in America, after her parents’ divorce Peyroux moved to Paris with her mother. It was there that she discovered street musicians and her passion for singing at the age of 15. Following a number of years touring Europe singing the songs of jazz legends of the past Dreamland was released. This was then followed by Careless Love in 2005.
Both albums were followed by a period where Peyroux put her head in the sand; after Dreamland she went incognito for a number of years in Paris and after Careless Love she again went Awol – this time with her record company becoming so worried that they hired a private detective to find her. They need not have looked far however as Peyroux was found with her manager in New York. This desire to shun the limelight has added to the intrigue surrounding her; try as she might it’s unlikely that Peyroux will be able to disappear again without a battle from her growing number of fans.
As an example
You got a lot of tenderness,
So much love you can’t get no rest –
If you’re willin’ to waste a little time –
Well I don’t want all of it,
All I need is a little bit (A Little Bit)
He made me laugh, he made me cry
He smoked his stogies in bed –
But I’m all right, I’m all right
I’ve been lonely before (I’m All Right)
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Half the Perfect World is a beautiful album, but its popularity is likely to remain within a niche sector. For those who like her style of music, the album will no doubt be a huge success. But outwith this group, Peyroux may find it difficult to draw the award-winning attention she perhaps deserves.
What the others say
"The subtle combination of guitar, keyboards and brushwork is always a delight, and Peyrou’s latest yields a wistful setting of that Serge Gainsbourg classic La Javanaise. Expect to hear this album being played non-stop at a late night grown-ups’ party near you, very soon." – Clive Davis, The Sunday Times
"Peyroux’s behind-the-beat timing, insinuating pauses and dreamily preoccupied upward elisions of notes give everything a pensive air, but there’s plenty of energy in tracks such as I’m All Right and even Leonard Cohen’s Blue Alert, with its atmosphere of sexual tension." – John Fordham, The Guardian
So is it any good?
Half the Perfect World will undoubtedly build on Peyroux’s success to date. Her voice embodies so much; wistful yearning, romanticism, sadness, joy and more. The tracks she wrote in collaboration with other writers demonstrate her own writing ability, while her interpretation of the classics she covers is fresh and personal. There is very much the sense of Peyroux singing these absolutely as she wants, meandering and taking her time over the lyrics in a luxurious fashion.
Occasionally the tracks can feel stilted and frustratingly slow; her cover of Fred Neil’s Everybody’s Talkin’ may leave you wishing she would take less time over the lyrics. But on the whole they are fantastic new tracks in their own right. In particular her cover of Joni Micthell’s River, a duet featuring KD Lang, is absolutely beautiful. Their voices work perfectly together, tumbling over the delicate guitar and piano chords. Any frustration at the slower, more sultry numbers is quickly erased by the upbeat tracks on the album, including I’m All Right and A Little Bit.
If Peyroux goes Awol again following this album, no doubt her fans will be hoping it will not be long before she’s back.
8/10
Carolyn Robertson
Watch a clip of Madeleine Peyroux here