Cat Power - You Are Free

You Are Free was Chan Marshall's first album of original songs in five years, and the wait shows in its confidence. Released on Matador in 2003 and recorded with engineer Adam Kasper, it draws on the American folk and blues she had absorbed on The Covers Record and folds them into something entirely her own.

The album swings between hushed piano ballads and sudden bursts of guitar. "Good Woman" and "Maybe Not" ache with restraint, while "He War" and "Free" push toward something brighter and more insistent. Guests drift through the margins: Dave Grohl on drums, Eddie Vedder adding vocals, Warren Ellis on strings, though Marshall's voice and songwriting stay firmly at the center.

Now regarded as an indie rock landmark, You Are Free captured Cat Power reclaiming her footing after a turbulent stretch. This Matador LP, housed in a gatefold jacket, restores a defining record from her catalog.