Cover albums are usually the efforts of aging musicians - the Barry Manilows and Michael McDonalds of the world - looking to make one last cash grab. So, it's surprising that Chan Marshall (under her stage name of Cat Power) would release two in the span of eight years. Unfortunately, her latest effort, Jukebox, is almost as boring as the ones created by her white-haired, pear-shaped predecessors.
There's certainly a consistency to the songs on Jukebox, and the smoky atmosphere meshes well with her beautiful, textured voice. But this sound feels like a gimmick once it's repeatedly applied to familiar songs. She makes structural and melodic tweaks to the tracks, but lyrics from recognizable songs like "Theme from 'New York, New York'" come off as flat and lacking the emotion and heartbreak that is so much a part of Marshall's appeal.
It's no shock that the best song is "Metal Heart," a Cat Power song from her 1998 album Moon Pix. It relies on a piano with occasional guitar squeals until it erupts as Marshall cries out her own lyrics. This and the other original song, "Song to Bobby," give one hope for her next album of original songs. It should provide more of her own trademark confessional, sorrowful lyrics, which match perfectly with her own textured voice.
