Cat Power – Sun

Cat Power – Sun (Matador)

Sun is the first album of original material from Chan Marshall in over six years. Though her last studio album, 2006’s The Greatest, was her most successful and optimistic-sounding yet, she had a nervous breakdown after its release, then broke up with her longtime boyfriend as she was finishing its long-awaited follow-up. In spite of all the heartbreak, Sun is devoid of the despair so often felt in her earlier work; in its place is a sense of acceptance and remarkable fearlessness. The pair of boxing gloves on the cover of The Greatest proved portentous, but life’s not so much about winning as it is about not giving up, and Sun is ample proof that Marshall can take a licking and keep on ticking.

By Carly Blair