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Cat Power, "You Are Free"
Without the assistance of over-the-top production, Chan Marshall has managed to craft one of the best albums I've heard this year. Her fifth album (sixth counting The Covers Record) is an amazing adventure through the sounds of loneliness, resignation, memory, and empowerment.Matador
The power of her piano, guitar, and voice all resonate throughout the album as clearly as a solo bird's song echoing through the trees on a hot summer day. None of the instrumentation is overly-processed or produced, thankfully. The piano part on "I Don't Blame You" rings clear and true as Marshall's voice floats effortlessly over the top, winding down a dirt road filled with memories both painful and endearing. Energizing tunes like "Speak For Me," "He War," and "Shaking Paper" are going to feel great this summer on the road with the windows rolled down. Visions of the tall grass and green trees and a warm breeze rushing through hair, probably at about 60 or so miles per hour, are all possible on this cold winter day thanks to Chan. Tunes like "Werewolf," "Fool," and the cover of John Lee Hooker's "Keep On Runnin'," on the other hand, evoke images of dark and/or tense and lonely nights under the moon and stars. The best part about this album is that I've barely looked through the lyric sheet provided and yet I feel as if I understand exactly what Marshall is singing about. Her ideas and emotions bleed through the instruments and the sound of her voice with such grace and ease (and the music just sounds so damned good!). The one-two-three punch of "Babydoll," "Maybe Not," and "Names" is both uplifting and heart wrenching and is worth the price of admission alone. All the songs on this album have been stuck in my head for days now and I simply cannot reccomend it enough. It is refreshing to hear an album of this caliber that is both simple and stunning. 
