The Power of Cat Compels You

I'll start by saying that I generally don't take part in the gigantic fawning love-fest that involves every move Chan Marshall (Cat Power) makes in the music scene. I find her reasonably attractive, but nowhere near the pedestal of hottness she's usually placed on, a fact important only because I think it's at least one reason (possibly a big one) she's revered so much as a musician. I think her voice can be incredibly beautiful, with smoky and ethereal resonance, mostly so on well-arranged ballads with near-naked instrumentation. Still haven't bought into the traveling circus, however.

Jukebox will drop Jan 22, the second full-length covers record of her career. There are many highlights and I can't wait to get my physical copy. "Song for Bobby" is the lone original track, a pretty melodic and lyrical homage to one Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan), and it's placed smack in the middle of songs by Janis Joplin, Billie Holliday, Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell, and James Brown. The slow burners work the best for me ("Blue", "Don't Explain", "Metal Heart", "Silver Stallion"), but the pace notches up in between. It's a very balanced record and the songs, as with the first covers LP, sound like original compositions. She treats them, beautiful artifacts unearthed and polished up, like family heirlooms. There is love, beauty and respect here.

Listen: (links removed, sweet)
Blue (Joni Mitchell)
Song for Bobby
[from Jukebox|buy]