CAT POWER (Kentish Town Forum, 1/5/07)

Bounding across the stage dressed alarmingly like Lady Sovereign, the inimitable Chan Marshall (AKA Cat Power) certainly cuts a more confident figure than her reputation would suggest. The erratic live act of days past, prone to fluffing songs and on-stage breakdowns has given way to a more assured, if still eccentric performer and it’s certainly good to see her in such good spirits. Sadly, this new found happiness has come at the expense of the vulnerability that made her voice so intensely moving; the rawness that infuses her most striking performances is all but gone. Inevitably, I found myself comparing her performance last night to the magnificent show put on by that other much-feted songstress Leslie Feist the other day and unfortunately Chan didn’t even compare. The major disappointment was the instrumentation- whilst Feist’s musicians subtly complemented her delightful vocals, Cat Power’s overwhelmed her. A voice like hers deserves arrangements that accentuate its fragile beauty; it certainly didn’t need swamping by a pub-blues backing band, which to be perfectly honest is what they were. All the understated reserve of the album was eschewed for a subtle-as-a-brick country-rock vibe that was rarely deviated from; even “The Greatest” was delivered in a depressingly workmanlike fashion. Only occasionally did the backing band decide to hold back and allow us all-too-fleeting glimpses of her outstanding talent. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, even on an off-night she’s better than most singer-songwriters, but there’s no escaping the fact she simply didn’t live up to my expectations. Shame.