3 stars (out of 5)
Chan "Cat Power" Marshall's first album of original material in six years sees her take charge of her life, post-breakdown and break-up, and her sound. Aside from a cameo backup vocal from Iggy Pop on the sprawling Nothin' But Time, Marshall plays all the instruments and sings all the vocal tracks on Sun. Well, almost all. The unwelcome assistance of autotune on 3,6,9 can be put down to Marshall embracing a contemporary, pop-oriented electronic-soul feel on a good-but-not-great album that repositions her as a wiser, more street-savvy woman than the disconnected chanteuse we've come to know.
Single download: Cherokee
For those who like: Mirah, Feist, Bat For Lashes
- Jeff Harford
4 stars (out of 5)
The year-long hibernation from one another prompted by the touring frenzy that followed previous release Veckatimest has clearly done no damage to Grizzly Bear, the New York quartet's studio return equally warm, weird, angular and upfront. For the first time, key songwriters Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen wrote together; it might be less restrained than previous efforts, but the overall result continues the band's penchant for sonic experimentation.
Again, it's a detailed palette of distant electric guitars entwined with in-your-face acoustics, pulsing but played-down drum rhythms and ethereal harmonies.
Single download: Gun Shy
For those who like: Wilco
- Shane Gilchrist
3 stars (out of 5)
Auckland-based songwriter Greg Fleming has chosen an apt title for an album brimming with stories, the result of acute observations of human nature and the twilight zones where the good, bad, ugly and beautiful collide. Buoyed along by a tight-yet-fluid band that delves in strains of Americana, bar-room pop and languid piano pieces, Fleming ranges from the joy of an impromptu party (More Time) to a emergency dash to help a brother on the brink (Elijah) to an ex-con betrayed by his daughter (Recent Hire), revealing a lyrical dexterity and insight that elevate many of his tunes above the average.
Single download: Sonny Jim
For those who like: Paul Kelly, Jackson Browne
- Shane Gilchrist
