I was fortunate to "discover" Madeleine for the first time on the radio at noon, then see her performing that night. (Oct. 12 @ Yoshi's in Oakland).

It's three days later, and my wife and I have gone to sleep each night reliving her performance on her signed CD, Careless Love.

The CD follows the sequence of her live set, helping to preserve the live experience, especially her spunky guitar play. Her voice would be at home coming from a cathedral radio, and while some say it is smoky, I find it crystalline. Every word is perfectly audible, allowing the repeat listener to continue to dive deeper into the songwriter's meaning and her intrepretation. There is a playfulness between sylables, like a wink during prayer, that sweetens any bitterness in the lyrics.

At this moment, my favorite is Lonesome Road. It has "weary words", but a lilting tone, and I can picture Mr. Natural truckin' along to the beat, with Bambi by his side. The song, and the CD, is an invitation to stop and bask in the beauty of life, something easy to do when listening to Ms. Peyroux.