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Madeleine Peyroux - Half the Perfect World (2006)

Album details

Label:     Ref#: folk-0001
Date: 2006   Category: folk
Length: 49:02    
Format: CD    
Audio: Stereo    
Genre: Folk    

Notes/Reviews

Smokey-voiced chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux's third CD is a lovely collection of after-hours ruminations and should confirm her rise to fame. Credit producer Larry Klein for doing a bang-up job with the album's sound: the elegant, pared-down arrangements are all brushed drums, acoustic guitars, and cool organ licks. But of course it's Peyroux's voice that brings it all home--preferably one where the shades are drawn, embers are smoldering in the fireplace, and the white wine is kept dry. Two-thirds of the songs are well-chosen covers, including a duet with k.d. lang on Joni Mitchell's "River"; a relaxed version of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'," from Midnight Cowboy; a delicately lilting samba take on Leonard Cohen and Anjani Thomas's title track; Serge Gainsbourg's "La Javanaise," performed in the original French; and Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," from Modern Times. The four originals, all coauthored by Peyroux, easily keep up with such august company, especially "I'm All Right"--written with Klein and Walter Becker, it captures the easy sophistication of Becker's regular band, Steely Dan. Fans of Norah Jones (whose collaborator Jesse Harris cowrote three of the songs) should gobble up this album, but Peyroux is no mere imitator: She's her own, very real thing. --Elisabeth Vincentelli <strong>More Madeleine</span> </span> <BR> Dreamland</td> <BR> Careless Love</td> <BR> Got You on My Mind<br>(with William Galison)</tr>

Songs/Tracks

1.   I'm All Right  3:27
2.   The Summer Wind  3:55
3.   Blue Alert  4:10
4.   Everybody's Talkin'  5:10
5.   River (featuring K.D. Lang)  5:19
6.   A Little Bit  4:02
7.   Once in a While  4:00
8.   (Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night  3:27
9.   Half the Perfect World  4:21
10.   La Javanaise  4:11
11.   California Rain  2:57
12.   Smile  3:57

Recording/Credits

Links/Resources

Lyrics

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