Cat Power: The Greatest
Label: Matador
Chan Marshall wanted a change, and she found inspiration in her Georgian southern roots, holing up with Al Green’s session men, and quietly delivering a brilliant album, perhaps her finest work to date. Reportedly recorded in only a week, Marshall makes great use of Memphis session veterans, filling her typically brooding indie sound with nice touches of horns, slide guitars, and violins. The change not only affects the sound but Marshall herself, whose presence dominates here like no album before, using her voice to convey a new range of emotions. Hard to believe it’s already been a year since The Greatest reached our store; the album continues to fascinate. A powerful, haunting, ethereal masterwork.
