After Cat Power’s exquisite 2006 release, The Greatest, expectations were high. And with Chan Marshall’s new covers album Jukebox, fans will not be disappointed. As with 2000’s The Covers Record, Jukebox transforms songs beyond recognition as Marshall makes them her own. While The Covers Record explored Marshall’s influences through rock and folk, Jukebox takes a more diverse sample of genres with everything from Hank Williams to James Brown and Janis Joplin to Billie Holiday. The true spine tingling moments come with Marshall’s new take on her own haunting track ‘Metal Heart’ from 1998’s Moonpix - Marshall gives the song a new confidence and charisma – and in the gorgeous, wilting slide guitar of ‘Silver Stallion’ (The Highwaymen). It’s country the way it’s supposed to sound. Marshall is the master of the cover. Jukebox is testament to this. But when push comes to shove, her originals are still her real pièce de résistance.

Tessa Prebble