Cat Power

Dark End Of the Street EP (Matador)

By Emily Elhaj
Published: December 18th, 2008 | 9:07am

Chan Marshall is one complicated character. She began her career plucking away at her Danelectro guitar, lyrically spilling her metal heart and wooing listeners with her beautifully textured voice. These days, wooing voice intact, she places her guitars in their cases and reflects on the catalogs of other musicians.

As with The Covers Record (2000) and Jukebox (2008), the new EP, Dark End Of the Street, is a rumination on songs popularized by some of music's most treasured artists. Dark End tracks are actually pieces of Jukebox that were not released this past January, culling gorgeous renditions of two Aretha Franklin songs (“It Ain’t Fair” along with the title track); “Ye Auld Triangle,” a Pogues cover; a rousing version of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long"; Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" is hammered out with a pulsing beat, light chamber elements, and the soul of a barroom fly in New Orleans; and Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention is represented with a tender remake of “Who Knows Where the Time Goes?” that bleeds note-for-note.

Marshall sounds as though she spent months studying the inflections of each song, but the truth probably sits a little closer to a smoky studio and 20 minutes of improvisational takes. Either possibility is testament to her level of creativity and talent. It is hard to tell what will come for Cat Power, but it is assured to be unique, whether it is a fourth covers effort or original material.

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