Review Summary: Cat Power is the singing mother i never had.
Memories with Cat power are seldom happy. From break ups to fights I found myself swearing off of her music. I'm happy to say I found myself back under her spell again for this album, again in an unfortunate state but instead of feeling like she was torturing me with her crawling voice and harsh tone I felt more like she was holding me and singing lovely tunes numbing my nerves instead of heightening the discomfort. Cat power is the singing mother I never had.
With a voice like honey, Chan Marshall manages to carry me away into a world much like a twisted Wonderland. She has captured, using her voice alone, the cold and slightly broken feeling that dwells after losing love. Using vocal hesitation to break my heart, she has slipped wine in my milk leaving me dazed and confused but mostly numb.
Chan Marshall manages to rework every song on the album until it looks like Heidi Pratt, hardly recognizable. Lucky for Chan, this album is still pretty and it’s songs worked the surgery to their advantage. With genius tracks including Kingsport Town, Sweedeedee, Wild is the Wind, and the completely unrecognizable (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Chan has become the greatest cover woman I know to a fault, making the original songs less enjoyable.
As far as mothers go, none are perfect and can only be taken in small doses, Chan Marshall is no exception. Though I found myself falling asleep to most tracks on this sweet album I was so rudely awakened by the tracks Salty Dog and Paths of Victory and while I fully respect her attempt at adding a few lighter songs to the album these just didn't work. It was the same awkward feeling I get when the plane is completely silent and suddenly the kid next to you starts screaming. Not only is it out of place, it is fully annoying.
Overall, Chan Marshall stole my heart with this album. As any mother she has managed to confuse me, hurt me, love me with her voice, lull me to sleep, and mostly numb me. She has reworked the way I see covers and I think we should all beg her to do more so long as she edits the track list a bit.
