Cover heavy release from Cat Power
By Susan Pugh on Jan. 31, 2008
Charlyn “Chan” Marshall, better known as Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter with styles ranging from indie rock, to soul, to blues, to folk. Throughout her career her sound has been characterized as minimalist; it is usually textured with guitar and piano, albeit very softly. Cat Power’s unique, strong voice sits aloft these intricately created soundscapes.
Cat Power’s latest effort is “Jukebox” and is her eighth official album. The record has already reached No. 32 in the UK. It contains twelve tracks and every song, save for one, is a cover song. The only original track on the entire album is “Song to Bobby” and is a tribute to Bob Dylan. Other popular tracks include “Theme from New York, New York”, “Ramblin’ (Wo)man” by Hank Williams, “I Believe in You” by Bob Dylan, “Don’t Explain” by Billie Holiday, and “Blue” by Joni Mitchell.
This is Cat Power’s second album consisting of cover songs and like it’s predecessor, it does not disappoint. Her style may be a bit avant-garde for a mainstream audience, especially here in the States, but she is leaving an indelible mark on many contemporary musicians in the same way that Bob Dylan did for folk early on in his career. For more information visit Cat Power’s official Web site at http://www.matadorrecords.com/
cat_power. The website features an in-depth look at the making of Jukebox along with a streaming preview of every track on the album.
—Chagnon also writes for michael chagnon.com
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