"At heart, perhaps Peyroux herself is still the rather erratic Paris busker she used to be. But good songs, delivered with sensitivity, intelligence and charm, are what an awful lot of us want."
- The Independent -
Madeleine Peyroux has become a beacon in the music world. Soulful and enigmatic, Peyroux is often held up against Billie Holiday and Norah Jones; comparisons which are well deserved.
After capturing the attention of the world in 1996 with her first album, Madeleine Peyroux retreated from the spotlight. While continuing to perform, Peyroux was hesitant to do so under her own name until 2004 when she re-emerged with Careless Love, her sophomore release. Selling in excess of one million copies, Peyroux was thrust into the world's spotlight again. But this time she's here to stay.
Following her triumphant maiden voyage to Australia in 2005, Madeleine Peyroux returns in 2007, this time venturing to Perth, Adelaide and Auckland, in addition to return engagements in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Peyroux has come a long way from the Paris street corners on which she used to busk. Instead, now she performs in theatres and clubs before enthralled audiences, each enraptured with the show being laid out before them.
Those who have had the pleasure of seeing Madeleine Peyroux live understand the extraordinary talent she holds. On stage Peyroux is beguiling and mysterious as she shares her poetic insight with her audience.
Peyroux returns to Australia in support of her third album, Half The Perfect World (available now through Universal). Containing just four originals, Half The Perfect World is an album of interpretations where Peyroux has convincingly made each song her own. Reaching into the soul of each song, Peyroux possesses it, fusing the emotions of the original with her own definitive style.
From Joni Mitchell's "River", where she duets with k.d. lang, to her disarmingly sweet rendition of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" Peyroux has constructed one of the most satisfying and joyous releases of 2006.
Half The Perfect World has been showered with acclaim from critics and fans alike. The New York Times announced: "...on her new album, ''Half the Perfect World", you can read whatever emotions you want in her sly, enigmatic interpretation." Rolling Stone attested to its accessibility: "...you don't have to be a jazzbo or somebody's dad to appreciate its best parts..."
Experiencing Madeleine Peyroux is an opportunity not to be missed. Make sure you seize your chance to be enchanted and amazed when Madeleine Peyroux returns to Australia this January.
