Jukebox

American singer/songwriter Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, returns with her eighth studio release, 'Jukebox'. Following up 2006's 'The Greatest', this album, like 2000's 'The Covers Record', features mainly cover versions. Songs like Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' and Hank Williams' 'Ramblin Man' (or Ramblin' (Wo)man here) are dismantled and practically made unrecognisable. The lyrics are the same yet the melodies and soft guitars and pianos belong to Cat Power. The only original track is 'Song To Bobby', a tribute to one of her biggest influences, Bob Dylan. Deluxe edition includes bonus disc with five more cover songs.

Spin (p.p.95)
- 3 stars out of 5 -- "She's unafraid to be unfaithful and that's JUKEBOX's greatest strength....With Dylan acting as a bridge between the covers and her originals, Marshall finds intriguing new shadows to stalk."

Uncut (p.80)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he music does get swampy and dark, but the atavistic urgings of the group are held in check by the gentle clarity of Marshall's voice."

Alternative Press (p.114)
- 3 stars out of 5 -- JUKEBOX begins to mesmerize when Billie Holiday's 'Don't Explain' gets a Spartan, darklands-country overhaul, and Joni Mitchell's 'Blue' seems beamed in from a Holiday Inn lounge run by David Lynch."