Cat Power

Chan Marshall's mercurial voice is ready for its close up on Jukebox, her second covers album. After the success of her seventh LP, The Greatest, which was recorded with the Memphis Rhythm Band, Marshall seems, at long last, both comfortable and confident. Jukebox dusts off classics and non-standards popularized by Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, James Brown, Billie Holiday and Janis Joplin. Ever the distinctive interpreter, Marshall completely transforms these songs—often past the point of easy recognition, but always with memorable results. She manages to infuse "New York, New York" with cagey desperation, while "I Believe in You"—a tune from Dylan's Christian period—becomes an affirmation of fervent, yet ambiguous, passion. Even the two non-covers here fit in rather seamlessly: There's a rousing version of the Moon Pix classic "Metal Heart" (which plucks lyrics from "Amazing Grace"), as well as a gorgeous new track, "Song to Bobby."

Marshall is backed by the Dirty Delta Blues Band (made up of members of Dirty Three, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Delta 72 and Lizard Music), and for the most part they tiptoe around her dusky crooning. Occasionally, they open up the throttle, but the bulk of these arrangements are understated, set to a slow drum pulse and cloaked in reverb, plaintive melodies and luscious peddle steel. The overall exquisiteness of the production, combined with Marshall's polished voice, has led a few critics to grumble that Jukebox is just too smooth. But back when Marshall was a mess of nerves and notes, people complained that she was too vulnerable and too inconsistent. Sure, there are times when you might miss that early fragility, but it's a pleasure to hear her sound finally stretch to its full and sensuous limits.

—Toby Warner
02.04.08

Eight years is a long time in almost any artist's career, but in Cat Power's case, it's an even more sizable gulf, as Chan Marshall's collections of other people's songs reflect. Released in 2000, The Covers Record found her becoming an ever more nuanced performer, tempering the rawness and intensity of her earlier albums with a lighter approach. Arriving in 2008, Jukebox reaffirms what a polished artist she's become, especially since her Memphis soul homage The Greatest. But where The Greatest sometimes bordered on slick, Jukebox's blend of country, soul, blues, and jazz feels lived-in and natural. Marshall recorded this set with her touring act, the Dirty Delta Blues Band, featuring some of indie rock's finest players, including her longtime drummer, the Dirty Three's Jim White -- who gives even the quietest moments vitality -- as well as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's Judah Bauer and Chavez's Matt Sweeney, so it's not surprising that the album often plays like an especially well-recorded concert. However, some of the session legends she worked with on The Greatest make guest appearances, including Teenie Hodges and Spooner Oldham. Oldham's song for Janis Joplin, "A Woman Left Lonely," appears here, and the original's sophisticated yet earthy sound is one of the album's biggest influences.

As on The Covers Record, Marshall makes bold choices. She citifies Hank Williams' "Ramblin' Man" (switched to "Ramblin' [Wo]Man" here), turning it slinky and smoky with spacious drums and rippling Rhodes; despite the very different surroundings, the song's desperate loneliness remains. Joni Mitchell's icily beautiful "Blue" gets a thaw and a late-night feel that are completely different but just as compelling. Not all of Jukebox's transformations are this successful: Marshall's penchant for turning formerly brash songs brooding (like The Covers Record's "Satisfaction") sounds too predictable on Frank Sinatra's "New York." And, while the choice to change James Brown's "I Lost Someone" from searing and pleading to languid was brave, the results fall flat. One of the most drastic remakes is Marshall's own Moon Pix track "Metal Heart," which adds more drama and dynamics to one of her prettiest melodies. While the way this version swings from aching verses to cathartic choruses works, the subtlety and simplicity of the original are missed. Indeed, many of Jukebox's best moments are the simplest. Marshall's reworking of the Highwaymen's 1990 hit "Silver Stallion" frees the song from its dated production, replacing it with acoustic guitar and pedal steel that impart a timeless, restless beauty. She pays Bob Dylan homage with a gritty, defiant, yet reverent take on "I Believe in You" from his 1978 Christian album Slow Train Coming and "Song to Bobby," Jukebox's lone new track, dedicated to and inspired by Dylan so thoroughly that she borrows his trademark cadences without sounding like an impersonation. Uneven as it may be, Jukebox is still a worthwhile portrait of Chan Marshall's artistry. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide