Because I know there are fans of Chan's on the board, I'm surprised there has been literally ZERO discussion about this album. It was released this past Tuesday, and it's her first album of all new material since The Greatest. Critics have noted that it's somewhat of a full circle album, which I can partly see, but I think it shows how she's evolved. It's a mature record in that her typical deeply emotional introspection has a "lived-in" quality rather than being newly raw. She seems generally more self-assured.
I also like the contemporary electronic programming and production of the songs. If the story is true that she played, wrote and recorded all of the music on her own, then it also shows hows she's grown as a musician. EDIT: from a Drowned in Sound review, it looks like Jim White and Judah Bauer and Gregg Foreman played instruments on "Ruin", which is damn catchy tune.


Spotify|DL

What are your thoughts?

didn't realize that this was out! if it's not related to the conventions of the past 2 weeks, then I don't know about it. I'll get after it ASAP.

just ordered the vinyl, looking forward to it

I agree with all of that and like the album, but I still can't help but be a bit disappointed. The Greatest was such a leap forward, and the way she followed that up with a couple years of covers of indisputably great songs, suggested to me she was going to put all those lessons together when she got back to original material. In a way I guess she did, but this still feels like the album that could have come after You Are Free, so it's either "full circle" or a step in reverse, depending on your perspective on such things.

I picked it up last Monday during a Labor Day record store run at Decatur CD. I've gone through it twice now and feel pretty similar. I felt a little wary initially with the electronic elements but she still manages to maintain that Dusty Springfield by way of PJ Harvey vibe throughout. It's an interesting direction. It would've been stale had she kept doing covers. Still, some of the lyrics have been a little off putting. "3,6,9" for example. Just comes off a bit corny for me.

Her records are always such a slow burn though so I'll reserve full judgement until I've spent more time with it.

Early impression though: B-

That first single I heard was awful. Just sounded like some with really bad writer's block.

How does the rest of it compare?

Sounds like Scout Niblett who sounds and has always sounded like a really fucking abysmal version of Cat Power, who also has sounded like an abysmal version of Cat Power for a while.

"Ruin" I presume? Yeah, well, the lyrics aren't mind-bending or anything, but they do convey both intro and extrospection which creates a cohesive theme throughout the album. I really like the song for being a catchy pop tune. I definitely sing along to it in the car.



fuck, she's still so gorgeous, at age 40 nonetheless.

Who has a link for this? I think I missed it the first go 'round.

click "DL" under the album art in my first post

I've only listened to the first song "Cherokee" so far. It's good up to the point when an eagle comes out of nowhere and ruins the song.

listened to it today. didn't really like it outside of manhattan but i'm not a huge fan of hers anyways.

Chan Marshall directed this mindfuck