Cat Power's incomparable creative work

American singer Chan Marshall more well-known under the scenic nick-name Cat Power has been surprising the audience with her unique and incomparable creative work. Her inimitable style has been formed up with the years accompanied by rises and falls of which the latter overly prevailed and were mostly to do with the never-ending struggle with her own fears and the lack of self-confidence. During the time Marshall has been going in for music she has come a long way, and today one can easily make sure of that. This year the artist releases already the second collection of cover versions called Jukebox, a follow-up to 2000's The Covers Record. Cat Power once again demonstrates her original approach to covers on the record: one can hardly recognize the original of the compositions on Jukebox because of the greatly changed melody, the general slant, tempo and often the lyrics of the songs. At her concerts the singer is known to surprise the audience with cover versions, and the new record is only the part of what one could heat of late. Yet the faultless quality and the wonderful novelty of songs on Jukebox provide the fullest idea of what this original performer is able to do.

Chan Marshall's cosmic voice is in the centre of attention on Jukebox

There are ten covers of other artists' songs, one of her own and one brand new composition on Jukebox, which seems to be in a full correspondence with the tradition of a cover collection. In fact, it is only the form that meets the requirements for the content is anything else that you have expected. Faithful to her minimalist style Cat Power reduces each song to guitar and her voice with rare additions of piano, organ and drums. Her band she put together last year The Dirty Delta Blues Band plays so artfully that it gives you the creeps, despite the fact that it is practically unheard on Jukebox as there is Chan Marshall's cosmic voice in the centre of attention throughout. The album’s opener New York, the famous anthem sung in their times by Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli, is turned into a beautiful ballad full of amazing half tones, and Cat Power's song Metal Heart that this year turns ten year obtains an absolutely different coloring symbolizing the changes that have happened during this time: from a young shy girl the performer has grown into a brilliant artist who still remembers her past. The songs that merely leave one speechless here are Silver Stallion, a splendid emotional composition performed with the guitar accompaniment only and Aretha, Sing One For Me, refined with the spectacular sounds of organ, whereas piano lead tracks Don't Explain and Women Left Lonely are interesting jazzy numbers. Certainly new composition Song To Bobby devoted to whom but Bob Dylan deserves attention proving that Cat Power's talent of an author and composer is still on top.

An inspiring story of professional growth

Back in the beginning of the 1990s when she just hit twenty the singer began experimenting with her voice, guitar and a piano and perform as the opening act for more famous bands and singers. Whereas her own shows were always accompanied by heavy alcohol drinking, which resulted into Cat Power's gaining the reputation of not a professional self-conscious and eternally drunk artist who, nevertheless, did compose and perform interesting music and possessed a wonderful voice. Gradually Marshall got a constantly growing fan base, her albums were warmly welcomed by the critics, and the collection The Greatest released in 2006 proved to be among the best records of the year. After the collection release Chan had a nervous breakdown and took a hiatus, and on restoring her force recorded probably her most professional and confident work that is Jukebox. The story of Cat Power is a story of professional growth which can leave nobody indifferent and is sure to inspire more than one desperate. It is hard to say what form this personality creative in all ways will take the next time, and it is exactly what makes the expectation so exciting.

Alexandra Zachernovskaya
23.01.2008