I’m not a fan of covers to be honest, however when they are done well my bias somewhat fades.
There’s probably more bad than good covers out there. Hell..even Prince hates them!

Chan Marshall. Cat Power. What can I say about her latest album apart from the fact that it is easily one of or maybe THE best album of 2008. And yes, I do know that it is only January but that doesn’t matter. What matters is how fantastic this album is.
Her cover of the classic New York opens the album and immediately you are taken to another place. Whether it be the dark alleys of New York or the lonely streets of London or even Leeds- Chans voice takes you somewhere special and imaginative. Ol’ Blue Eyes definately isn’t turning in his grave at all.
Her voice hits you in the gut, not just your heart. It is full of emotion and emphasis so you can pick up on how important each word is. Juke box is an important album and you need it- there is not one bad song on this album and I reckon in a few years time it’ll be classed as a classic- just like all of her albums.

Fan favourite Metal Heart makes an appearence on Jukebox. The piano accompanies Chans voice perfectly, then the guitar and drums are introduced to create that wonderful bluesy sound which is Cat Power at her best. Chan is the best at what she does and it is fair to say that she has the best voice out there and if you beg to differ- BRING IT ON!

There is one song on the album that isn’t a cover. Song To Bobby is Chan’s personal tribute to Robert Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan. If I was Bob Dylan and I heard Cat Power had done a tribute song for me- I’d the most happiest and luckiest person in the world.

Aretha, Sing One For Me is out of this world. Quite possibly an album favourite for most, but the whole album is easy to love and treasure. If you’ve had a crap day or you just want to relax- then play Jukebox because it takes you to a place that no other artist can today.

A lot of singers and bands produce at least one weak, shitty album in their career, luckily Chan has never done this and I have firm belief that she never will.

Enjoy!