Cat Power - You Are Free
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Free Music Notes for You Are Free
Free Music Review: Some kind of masterpiece, I'm sure of it.
Hit: 5 Stars
Chan Marshall just keeps getting stronger as a musician and lyricist. Perhaps as a parallel to the album title, the melodies are alarmingly simple and sometimes child-like, but the lyrics are mature and confident.Stand-out tracks include "Speak For Me", "Fool", "Maybe Not", and the instant classic "Good Woman". There's only a couple "throw-away" tracks which fail to support the overall mood: "Names" and "Evolution", but they are still better than most crud you'll hear on popular radio.
Long-time Cat Power fans will loves this album, and new Cat Power fans will hunger for her back catalog. May I recommend "What Would The Community Think" (another masterpiece) and "Moon Pix". Happy listening!
Free Music Review: Emerging from her reputation?
Hit: 5 Stars
As I write, the "free download" from this disc is "He War" -- a great choice. Hardcore Cat Power fans seldom mention my favorite songs (like "He War" and "Cross Bone Style"); not surprising, since those are the tunes where the mask of fragility that people erect around her image is stripped away to reveal that behind it all is someone who actually knows a few things about rhythm and harmony (and especially about when the break them). I'll wager many of those same hard-core fans are disappointed by this record. After all, it's skillfully made, and demonstrates arranging ability and musicianship. And, most importantly, because she squirms away from the "fragile artist" anti-hype. That's got to annoy some people...
Free Music Review: Get Free with Cat Power!
Hit: 5 Stars
Yeah! Chan Marshall just gets better and better. There's nothing new here, just a refinement of what's been going on before, and it's a beautiful, lie-back-and-soak-in-the-tub pleasure. Like a lot of very strong albums that've been coming out lately -- Good Morning Aztlan by Los Lobos, Sea Change by Beck, Nocturama by Nick Cave -- this is an effortless (though it took 5 years) synthesis of an artist's career -- with early angular, post-punk/grunge Cat Power stuff and later The Covers album stuff dripping like honey off the kitchen table after Nick Drake's arm knocked over the jar post his final anti-depressant binge. Real mellow without being boring fall-asleep-in-the-tub-and-drown mellow due to all the subtle craft put into each song.Free Music Review: Cat Power bears her soul
Hit: 5 Stars
This record is completely unassuming, yet quietly dazzling. It's one of those albums whose flaws are to be relished, because it has a tremendous character seeping through. Listening to the tortured whisper of Chan Marshall is almost uncomfortable at times, making the listener feel like they are evesdropping in on her.
You Are Free is one of those rare great records where it doesn't really matter if you listen to the songs in order, on shuffle, or even every track. The album has a surprising variety, even instrumentation, considering its general sparseness. Whether the title is meant to be ironic or not, You Are Free is a rewarding album reflecting the very human existence we are all experiencing.
Free Music Review: beyond brilliance
Hit: 5 Stars
Chan Marshall has finally managed to combine the soft coziness of 'Moon Pix' with the raw emotion of 'What Will The Community Think', & the result is unbelievable lovely.'You Are Free' is crafty, melodic, layered, painful, beautiful & inspired. Its' quiet spaces give way to angry lamentations that manage to flow together seamlessly.
If you're into early PJ Harvey (esp. her demo work) the Cowboy Junkies 'Whites Off Earth Now' album, Edith Frost, or Patty Griffin's first album- then this is an absolute must!
Anyone who can sing, "turn out the lights, set yourself on fire, say goodnight," & make it sound sexy & like a piece of freedom, deserves attention.
Highly, Highly recommended!