Description
Madeleine Peyroux – Secular Hymns – Vinyl Record
Recorded in a live setting at the Parish Church Of Saint Mary The Virgin, Great Milton ,UK on January 12th and 13th, 2016
Secular Hymns is a warm, intimate, and soulfully eclectic album by Madeleine Peyroux, released in September 2016 via Impulse! Records. Known for her smoky voice and jazz-inflected interpretations of classic songs, Peyroux takes a slightly different approach on this project: rather than focusing strictly on jazz standards or original compositions, Secular Hymns is a collection of covers—a deeply personal selection of spiritual yet non-religious songs that explore faith, struggle, longing, and resilience through the lens of American roots music.
The concept behind Secular Hymns emerged from a serendipitous live performance at the St. Mary’s Church in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England, where Peyroux and her stripped-down trio—Jon Herington on guitar and Barak Mori on bass—were so taken with the acoustics and ambiance of the church that they decided to record the entire album live there. The result is a raw, earthy, and sonically rich recording that captures both the reverence of the space and the down-to-earth honesty of the songs.
Rather than presenting hymns in the traditional sense, Peyroux draws from blues, gospel, soul, folk, and R&B, choosing songs that carry emotional and moral weight—secular, yes, but deeply spiritual in their exploration of the human condition. Her voice, often compared to Billie Holiday’s for its phrasing and emotive restraint, brings new emotional textures to the material, making each song feel like a quiet act of devotion or contemplation.
The tracklist includes:
“Got You on My Mind” (Howard Biggs, Joe Thomas) – A slow, haunting opener that sets the tone for the album’s introspective mood.
“Tango Till They’re Sore” (Tom Waits) – Peyroux delivers a poignant, jazz-tinged take on this surreal, world-weary song with reverence and melancholy.
“Hard Times Come Again No More” (Stephen Foster) – A 19th-century American classic that Peyroux renders with quiet dignity and soul, turning it into a timeless meditation on suffering and hope.
“Shout Sister Shout” (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) – A joyful, rhythmically lively number that pays homage to one of gospel’s greatest innovators.
“Trampin’” (Traditional) – A freedom song associated with civil rights and spiritual resilience, sung with haunting understatement.
Other notable interpretations include Allen Toussaint’s “Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)”, Lil Green’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (popularized by Nina Simone and The Animals), and a touching version of Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You.”
Throughout the album, the sparse trio arrangement allows Peyroux’s voice to sit front and center. The interplay between her vocals and Jon Herington’s tasteful guitar work gives the songs a quiet, lived-in atmosphere. The lack of overdubs and studio trickery enhances the authenticity and intimacy of the performances, as if you’re sitting in the back pew of that little English church, listening to these secular hymns ring out into the rafters.
Secular Hymns is not a flashy or virtuosic album—it’s contemplative, grounded, and emotionally resonant, a slow burn that rewards repeated listening. It reflects Peyroux’s unique ability to blend genres and eras, bringing together blues, jazz, folk, and Americana into something cohesive and quietly powerful. For fans of Peyroux’s earlier work, especially her thoughtful covers and minimalist arrangements, this album feels like both a continuation and a spiritual deepening of her artistry.
Secular Hymns is a meditation on the sacredness of everyday life and song, a celebration of the human spirit through the lens of roots music, performed with gentle reverence and soulful authenticity.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Got You On My Mind
Tango Till They’re Sore
The Highway Kind
Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)
If The Sea Was Whiskey
Hard Times Come Again No More
Hello Babe
More Time
Shout Sister Shout
Trampin’
