Madeleine Peyroux is that rare thing, a Francophile American. Although born in Georgia, she partly grew up in Paris, and has so embraced French culture that you'd swear she was a native. Last year's Careless Love album has become a big 'word of mouth' success, consisting of her take on a succession of songs written by, amongst others, Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, and this one, Bob Dylan.
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go is just gorgeous. Despite being part of the Norah Jones inspired new wave of jazz singers, there's an old-fashioned tradition to Peyroux that's missing in many of her contemporaries. Just listening to her voice conjures up images of Billie Holiday or Bessie Smith - it's hard to believe she's only 30 years old. Imbuing the song with a sense of sadness and poignancy at odds with the bouncy rhythm track, this is addictive stuff.
With the power of Radio 2 behind her, it's likely you're going to hear a lot more of this song before August is out. Snap it out now for your personal slice of smokey, seductive, late night listening.
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