Matador

Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) has reinvented herself yet again with Sun, the Atlanta born artist’s ninth album and first of original material since 2006’s breakout effort The Greatest. Known just as much for onstage meltdowns and cancelled tours as she is for raw, emotionally-driven songs, here, Marshall is confident and grounded – replacing the confessional singer/songwriter and smoky soul siren of the past with a diverse electro-indie vibe that is heavy on drum machines, synths and layers of beautiful, at times ominous, vocals. Perhaps most impressive is that this is a one-woman show. Save for an appearance by Iggy Pop on the 11-minute “Nothin’ But Time” and a few guests on the insanely catchy “Ruin,” Marshall wrote, played, recorded and produced the entire album. Those looking for more of The Greatest may be disappointed at first, but the growth, vision, chances taken and execution of Sun should win them over quickly. It’s nice to have you back, Ms. Marshall.