Cat Power - The Greatest

From the initial piano chords and deft splash of tremolo guitar - warm and nostalgic and bathed in melancholy - it's clear that something quietly epic is going on here. "Once, I wanted to be the greatest," sings Marshall, all but breaking our hearts with her very first utterances. Backed by the Memphis Rhythm band, Cat Power has put together a song of spellbinding beauty - the kind of song that retains its power to surprise you no matter how many times you come back to it. Listening to the plaintive warmth in her voice; the cool restraint of the string section; the playful exuberance behind the drummer's sporadic, muted snare rolls, suddenly, it becomes difficult to remember what Cat Power used to sound like - it's that good. With 'The Greatest', Marshall has really challenged herself, and in doing so has produced a song which is emotionally demanding, but will leave even the most jaded listener feeling completely revitalised. I don't think it's too early to call this one a classic. [Jay Shukla]