Album Review: Cat Power - Sun

Artist: Cat PowerAlbum: SunRelease Date: September 4, 2012Label: MatadorCat Power (AKA Chan Marshall) mixes it up a bit on Sun, her latest and ninth album. Diverging from her past singer-songwriter tendencies, Marshall takes electronica and makes it her own. Synth is dominant throughout the record, but it weaves through bright pianos, 60s guitar, the ‘tseer’ of an eagle (on “Cherokee”), and the voice of Iggy Pop (on “Nothin But Time”).As the lyrics address issues of human nature and self-appreciation, the album as a whole feels poignant. Though it begins with repetitive tracks that adeptly fit the pop style of the album, the style itself detracts from the lyrical message. In “Ruin,” Marshall rattles off a list of places she’s been and then condemns Americans for “Bitchin’ / Complainin’ / When people ain’t got shit to eat.” While this is an excellent point, the mere naming of some countries across the globe does not say much on its own, and the repetition of the same verse a second time says even less.The marriage between the heart of the singer-songwriter and pop is uncomfortable for the first few tracks. For example, on the seemingly playful “3, 6, 9,” Marshall depicts a struggle with substance abuse: “3 6 9 / You drink wine / Monkey on your back, you feel just fine.” The song echoes “The Clappin’ Song” recorded by soul music singer Shirley Ellis in 1965, which opens with: “3 6 9 / The goose drank wine / The monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line.” Interestingly enough “The Clappin’ Song” itself is an evolution of the song “Little Rubber Dolly” by the folk group Light Crust Doughboys, first recorded in 1930.Marshall seems to solidly find the groove after “Always On My Own,” a slow, heavily instrumental track that serves as an intermission. The last half of the album departs from repetitive verses and tells better-defined stories, as in the vivid imagery of “Manhattan.” She confronts the idea of complacency in “Real Life,” followed by the ideological and 60s folk-reminiscent, “Human Being,” all the while still keeping up on her electronics.The second-to-last track (a whopping eleven 11 minutes long) is the hopeful “Nothin But Time.” The cries of “I wanna live!” and “It’s nothin’ but time / and it ain’t got nothing on you!” accompanied by piano and drums layered with wavering laser-noise ring out like an anthem for existence itself. If just to prove it to the listener, Iggy Pop joins in to let everyone know that “The world is just beginning / It’s up to you to be a superhero.” This track matches the optimism of the title track near the album’s opening, solidifying the idea of a dawning new and bright future for Cat Power.Rating (by pizza size):10″ (small pie)12″ (medium pie)14″ (large pie)16″ (X-large pie)18″ (Really big pizza)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDbPrOuXq2s