Madeleine Peyroux: Let’s Walk
That winter, December of 2006, I fell head over heels in love with a wonderful lady. She and I took a trip to Niagara Falls. We drove around the Niagara River Parkway at night in the rain, viewed the holiday lights, and listened to Madeleine Peyroux’s Half the Perfect World.
Last Thursday, she, who is now my lovely wife, and I revisited the Falls 18 years later, with our entire family. As we were driving from Toronto to the Falls, Ms. Peyroux’s latest album popped up in my Spotify. Her voice is still beautiful, but her style has changed. Let’s Walk is filled with gospel music including “Find True Love,” “Blues for Heaven,” and “Please Come On Inside.”
Then again, Ms. Peyroux is no angel when it comes to “Me and the Mosquito.” Over the reggae groove, she confesses, “My heart is tenderly respectful of every living incarnation / But when this minute sucker bites, I won’t be reading its last rites.” The lyrics are hilarious, but she sings with her heart out.
The album closes out with the environmental-conscious “Take Care.” She rhymes over Jamaican-inspired beat: “Food is good if it’s organically grown / Without pesticides, plastic wrap, or Styrofoam / Growth hormones or horrific conditions for hard working humans or the cows or the chickens.”
I definitely enjoyed Ms. Peyroux’s sense of humor. Furthermore, her music has a special connection to us.