Year In Review: Cat Power - Jukebox (2B)

Bee OK · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:48 am

Average Metacritic score is 72 (38 reviews):

Cat Power
Jukebox (Matador)
US Release Date: January 22
Ranking: 85 (8.5)

http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cat-po ... box/16828/

Jukebox
Release Date: January 22, 2008
Label: Matador Records
Review
By
Travis Woods

Prefix Rating 8.5
Average Rating 7.5

The sexy hip-sway of a young woman against an old Wurlitzer, Cat Powerâ€™s Jukebox finds the once-troubled Chan Marshall still basking in the deep neon glow of Southern soul that so dominated The Greatest (2006). Whereas the focus on that album was the sumptuous Dusty Springfield fever-dream of hazy strings and brassy trumpet fills, her second covers album (the accompaniment to 2000â€™s The Covers Record) features far fewer overproduction flourishes. Full of simmering restraint, Jukebox sounds lived-in and genuine, less a genre experiment than full fledged statement -- it expands the sound of The Greatest by pulling it inward, treating the sensuousness of Stax like one of Marshallâ€™s covers, internalizing it and making it her own.

The primary sound here is that voice: warmer and fuller than ever before. Marshallâ€™s vocals slide through the songs with a husky, seductive lilt, moving around and behind the beat, from the back alleys to the front stage, passing through sheer waves of muted keyboards bound to lulling guitars. The confidence Marshall shows here is staggering considering her stage history of collapsing into the event horizon of her own self-doubt and alcoholism.

Opening with the rhythmic, driving pulse of â€œNew York, New York,â€

Mick · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:25 am

loved the band and the live show especially

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:59 am

I've listened to this album a lot and really like it...

I'm holding out hope though that one day she will make a genu-ine "rock" record...so sleepy.

Dalen · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:33 am

superb, start to finish.

Senator LooGAR · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:39 am

I actually WANT to like Cat Power, but can just never bring myself to do so. MEH.

DumpJack · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:41 am

Senator Loogar Wrote:

I actually WANT to like Cat Power, but can just never bring myself to do so. MEH.

Me too, although she certainly made me reconsider after her song on 'I'm Not There'.

paper · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:23 am

Dalen Wrote:

superb, start to finish.

Rick Derris · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:44 am

I love the smoky vibe throughout this whole thing. I may actually get this on vinyl at some point. Easy Top 20 choice for me. Her voice has never sounded better.

I never would've guessed the same person who made "Moon Pix" could make an album like this and pull it off.

I continually am impressed with her. She could've been written off years ago but she keeps carving out this niche for herself.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

i didn't care for (or really try that hard to explore) her early stuff, but I seem to like her last two albums quite a bit, and I expect her to keep getting better. I particularly like that one song that sounds like a lost Led Zeppelin sound check.

catswilleatyou · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:19 pm

i think it's pretty excellent
and shewilleatyou LOVES this record

MontyTheMongoose · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:39 pm

jewels santana Wrote:

i didn't care for (or really try that hard to explore) her early stuff, but I seem to like her last two albums quite a bit, and I expect her to keep getting better. I particularly like that one song that sounds like a lost Led Zeppelin sound check.

Bingo, bango.

rogneeb · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:07 pm **Posts:** 12618

very good album but not quite as good as her last one as I don't hear any real stand out tracks. should make my top 20, though.

discostu · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:30 pm

Goes well with weed and wine, but not driving.

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:42 pm

It's a good sign that Chan is learning to revel in the gorgeousness of her own voice - fills me with great anticipation for her next release - but this album is a bit of a let-down after The Greatest. It feels like more of a Will Scheff-style addendum to that album rather than a new work, and it's hard not to compare these songs to the originals without feeling like you've suddenly been transported to a yuppie dinner party. Still, I like it. And the high point for me is the cover of her own "Metal Heart", which is another of those aforementioned good signs for the future.

paper · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:44 pm

yeah, that version of metal heart is one of the best songs of the year.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Radcliffe Wrote:

It's a good sign that Chan is learning to revel in the gorgeousness of her own voice - fills me with great anticipation for her next release - but this album is a bit of a let-down after The Greatest. It feels like more of a Will Scheff-style addendum to that album rather than a new work, and it's hard not to compare these songs to the originals without feeling like you've suddenly been transported to a yuppie dinner party. Still, I like it. And the high point for me is the cover of her own "Metal Heart", which is another of those aforementioned good signs for the future.

I agree with everything you've said here but imagine that I probably consider the idea of being transported to a yuppie dinner party as less unappealling than you. As a result, I'd also put it top 10 rather than top 20.

FT · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:11 pm

paper Wrote:

yeah, that version of metal heart is one of the best songs of the year.

it's good, but i will admit to being disappointed that it wasn't an accept cover

shiv · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:16 pm

Bee OK Wrote:

fuh.

paladisiac · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2008 11:49 pm

drones her voice out in this one making it boring and a step down from "the greatest"

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

more girls should have pubes poking out of their jeans.

shiv · **Posted:** Wed Nov 26, 2008 2:17 am

jewels santana Wrote:

more girls should have pubes poking out of their jeans.

hellz yeah. nsfw.

harry · **Posted:** Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:02 am

Yail Bloor Wrote:

I've listened to this album a lot and really like it...

I'm holding out hope though that one day she will make a genu-ine "rock" record...so sleepy.

You know, I've respected but not liked her. I saw her live where she did a cover of Fortunate Son with Neil Young, and she absolutely rocked. I'd really like to hear a record that was a little less precious and just a little more rock.

I heard this one once and wasn't motivated to listen again.

Postmersh · **Posted:** Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:20 am

I really wanted to like this record, as I really liked "The Greatest", but this one didn't click with me for some reason... Plus, maybe the venue was too big (Hollywood Bowl), but the live show I saw didn't blow me away either.

Maybe I'll have to revisit it now that it's finally fall...

Black Magic Putin · **Posted:** Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:41 pm

Quote:

For Christmas 2008, CATPOWER presents a 6-song deluxe double-gatefold 10" vinyl and digital EP composed of tracks recorded for Jukebox (January 2008) but not released on that album. In keeping with the theme of the Jukebox album, all songs are covers.

Below is the track listing. The name in parentheses belongs to the performer(s) who popularized the song:

1. Dark End Of The Street (James Carr, Aretha Franklin)
2. Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
3. Ye Auld Triangle (The Pogues)
4. Iâ€™ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) (Otis Redding)
5. Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Sandy Denny / Fairport Convention)
6. It Ainâ€™t Fair (Aretha Franklin)

Code:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?0ujmotmyzn1

perfect after thanksgiving listening.

duckyboy · **Posted:** Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:41 am

awesome thanks

Year In Review: Cat Power - Jukebox (2B)

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