Peyroux set out to record a collection of songs with their own hymn-like stories of self-awareness and inner dialogue, a communal consciousness and a spiritual essence. Here, madeleine intimately renders tunes by seminal blues artists like willie dixon and lil green, gospel singer sister rosetta tharpe, dub star linton kwesi johnson, 3 renowned american composers (tom waits, townes van zandt, allen toussaint), 19th century composer stephen foster and ending with a traditional african-american spiritual.