Fully appreciating Chan Marshall aka Cat Power requires a bit of patience from the listener. She has a way of getting under your skin with her monotone vocals and minimalist 3 chord instrumentation. But on this, her first all new material album since 1998's Moon Pix, she seems to be breaking out of her mold a bit. Maybe that's because of new producer Adam Kasper who produced Pearl Jam's last two albums. Or maybe it's because of help from Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder on about half the album. Mostly though, You Are Free transcends her previous work because of her vast improvement as a musician.

On the very first track "I Don't Blame You" she recalls "you were swingin your guitar around cuz they wanted to hear that sound, what a cruel price you thought you had to pay, I don't blame you." You can't help but surmise that she's referring to Kurt Cobain. And on "Good Woman" she posits "I want to be a good woman, and I want you to be a good man, that is why I am leaving." If those tracks don't flood you with emotion, there are 12 others that will. This is extremely powerful stuff, and definitely her best album to date.