Madeleine Peyroux's delicate phrasing with that breathy inflection is so reminiscent of Billie Holiday. Peyroux has a unique ability to deconstruct a lyric and melody and stitch it back together in her own arrangement that leaves me spellbound. For me, this is her finest album by far. She includes timeless classics and makes them her own with her jazz, country and blues influences.
Madeleine covers Charles' "Take These Chains From My Heart' with an upbeat tempo and just makes it sizzle, with strings arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza. She includes gems like Warren Zevon's "Desperadoes Under The Eaves" and Randy Newman's "Guilty" - a heartbreaking slow tempo number that Peyroux gives new depth to. Her resurrection of a wonderful and obscure Buddy Holly song "Changing All Those Changes" is breathtaking.
The album is produced by Larry Klein and engineered and mixed by Helik Hadar and was recorded at THE VILLAGE RECORDER, Los Angeles, CA and Market Street, Santa Monica, CA. The album artwork photos were shot at The Blue Room - the oldest bar in Burbank, California.
Every song on this album depicts the genius of Madeleine Peyroux, a songstress of sublime talent:
- Take These Chains From My Heart
- Bye Bye Love
- Changing All Those Changes
- Born To Lose
- Guilty
- Bird On The Wire
- I Can't Stop Loving You
- Gentle On My Mind
- You Don't Know Me
- Desperadoes Under The Eaves
I have played this album three times today and this lady can bring tears to my eyes with her approach to the material. This is an album that is letter-perfect but coursing with blood and as comfortable as an old pair of shoes.
Madeleine Peyroux reinvents everything she touches.
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