Little Dynamite's Music Corner - Cat Power

So to motivate myself to write more often, I'm going to post at least once a week a short blurb on an album I'm listening to randomly at the time. It could be old, it could be new, but it'll give me something to rant about and you something to read/sample. Deal?

I'll kick off the debut with Cat Power's The Greatest, an album I've been listening to on repeat at work for the last couple of weeks. I just got back from vacation and I realized there's something about Chan Marshall's voice that always makes me feel like I'm on vacation. Her soothing tones and wide range keep me floating as I listen to her chilled out lyrics. The accompanying piano and soft drums are all that she needs as she rasps, growls, and whispers her way through the recording, save for a little bit of horn here and there.

I know "The Greatest" is the lead single and all, but "Willie" is the song that steals the CD for me. Marshall just grabs me inside when she says Willie and her voice quivers ever so slightly at about the 1:14 mark. The sad horn in the background complements the soul of the song from beginning to end. Beautiful.

Check out "Lived in Bars" as the sleeper on this CD, but here's a streaming sample of "The Greatest."

And a free sample of "Willie":
Cat Power -
*Willie.mp3