You Are Free

Cat Power is essentially one Chan Marshall with a number of friends and acquaintances helping out. Her songs are Tori-like left-of-centre diary observations, the voice a compulsive instrument.

You Are Free was recorded and mixed by Adam Kasper, producer of albums from the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam, both of whose mainmen turn up here in barely disguised roles: E.V. on vocals and D.G. on drums. Marshall specialises in layering multiple harmony and counterpoint voices, the overall effect being both fascinating and distinctive, marking her out as the kind of artist who will soon grow beyond a cultish following to something stronger. And you can add to that a distinctive look that has already earned her a series of Gap adverts in the States.

Alongside her own songs she has recorded a version of John Lee Hooker’s ‘Keep On Runnin’, plus maverick songwriter Michael Hurley’s ‘Werewolf’. These arrangements vary from sparse piano backing to full drum kit/distorted guitar (‘I Don’t Blame You’, ‘Shaking Paper’ respectively), lending the songs a welcome individuality.

Cat Power’s music has been dubbed ‘primal folk’, and while that label doesn’t really tell the whole story, it does manage to forge something singular and unique out of orthodox components. It’ll be interesting to see where she takes it from here.