Album review: Cat Power, Sun

Looking fresh and natural against a rainbow backdrop on the cover of a new album named Sun, Chan Marshall - aka Cat Power - would appear, at first, to be sticking to the indie-pop vibe for which she's known.

But that's not what greets you on listening - it's not the old Cat Power we know and love.

While there is plenty of beautiful piano across Sun, it's the injection of synthetic beats and heavy bass in places that stuns.

The star of the soulful 3,6,9 is Marshall's layered vocals while the title track, with its new wave synthesisers and doomsday lyrics, and moody album-opener Cherokee set the scene wonderfully.

But the standout is the uplifting Nothing But Time - an 11-minute journey through adolescence with a cameo from Iggy Pop that seems like it goes on forever ... and you wish it would.

Cat Power

Sun

(Matador)

Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars