Cat Power- Fool

I recently bought (and by bought I mean...nvm) Cat Power's "You Are Free."

It's completely beautiful, and it has some of my favorite songs like "Maybe Not" & "Good Woman," .....but damn it's a downer.

It opens with "I Don't Blame You" which seems to be about Kurt Cobain. It's about someone not liking what they are doing anymore i.e being on stage. I like it's simplicity.

"Good Woman" which I've posted on here before is one of my favorite Cat Power tunes, it has a cinematic quality, the lyrics are simple, it's all in the way that she sings about basic human feelings that strikes the right chord. As she sings "I want to be a good woman, and I want for you to be a good man, this is why I will be leaving..this is why I can't see you no more.." the backup vocals are weirdly haunting along with the music.. plus knowing that she is a recovering alcoholic who seriously thought about killing herself probably influences the way that I feel about the lyrics.

"Werewolf" is haunting..her dark but cool sound creates a weird scene. I can hear it in a independent film trailer to a montage of dramatic shots. people dying by accident... people cheating on each other. yeah.

"Fool" see above video, is really sad in a striking way. It works on you, its seemingly mellow but as it goes on the lyrics "it's on the tip of your tongue in your suicide letter..." ... opposite of uplifting.

"He War" is completely different. Weirdly it's kind of punk to me, it still sounds like indie rock alternative but the weird changes in pace overlapping vocals with the weird voice over type break..it's grown on me.

"Shaking Paper" is a pretty special song that you lose yourself in. It has faint vocals with a continuously cloudy background, I really like this one.

"Baby Doll", "Maybe Not" (was obsessed with this song in like 2007?) and "Names" are equally depressing. "Baby Doll" is slow with southern undertones. "Maybe Not" has a simple repetitive piano part that kills you. "Names" is about real? people that have terribly sad stories filled with abuse on every level and how Marshall "doesn't know where they are." In every story she states the persons age...which is always disturbingly young for whatever they've dealt with in their life.

"Half of You" is a simple sweet love song where Marshall sings about "wanting all of you." It's a nice change lyrically. "Keep on Running" is a dark song. The last track, "Evolution" features Eddie Vedder on vocals. His soft but deep speak singing compliments her sweet but soulful style.