Dreamland - Madeleine Peyroux > Reviews > Dream on!

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	suave and very moody
Disadvantages:	don't like track 7 !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Madeleine Peyroux's 1st album - a mix of classic jazz songs and one in French -La Vie En Rose - sublime!

3 personally authored tracks which show a great talent. Hey sweet man is probably my favourite of these -very bluesey - with gentle guitar riff combining with Madeleine's dusky voice. The title track , Dreamland is on a different plane and much more upbeat and verging on pop-rock. The two different tracks here penned by the artiste do demonstrate a versatility that other more well known artists seem to lack.

The album does contain a variety of styles and each track takes you on a voyage of discovery. "Muddy water" is sung in a downbeat fashion and the very next track is more swinging jazz with a strumming banjo and much faster beat. Almost as if she is trying to disorientate the listener - what's coming next -and the trick works as you can't wait for the next track to come on to see what is served up! (At least I can't!)

This is perhaps not as good as the latest album but you can't go wrong if you like light jazz with a slightly husky vocal.
Track 7 ( A prayer) is a bit too religious sounding for my liking but the rest I can't stop listening to! "I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter" is sung in a fabulous way - in an almost jaunty tone and featuring a sax solo - classical stuff but so foot tapping!

CD sleeve notes written by Madeleine Peyroux contain the following verse:

For some a singer sings her love
For some she sings her youth
For others still she's like a dove
elated in her truth

A singer sings to the world
A world as yet divided
And lonely, naked bare and bold
She brings us deep inside it

Listening to the album you cetainly get this sense of love (of her music), but also her loneliness and chagrin which has been seen by her personal troubles (including a highly publicised disappearance). If she keeps it together she will become a major talent, even if the music never becomes part of mainstream popular culture - but then frankly it is not intended to be. Many artists sell their souls for money - but not this one!

I discovered this artist by pure chance as her new album was on the listining post in Virgin with a write up from one of the store employees. I have that person to thank for broadening my listening into this genre. Merci mon ami!