On her highly acclaimed 2006 album The Greatest, Chan Marshall turned away from the lonely, meandering vibe of her previous records in favor of the structure of Memphis soul. Backed by Al Green's old band, the result was a breezy, self-assured Cat Power. Jukebox (Matador), her just released collection of covers, continues in that vein, treating listeners to an in-the-pocket R&B singer with a voice made of barroom smoke. Comprised of such daunting anthems as "New York, New York" and Joni Mitchell's "Blue," Marshall stakes her rightful claim as one of pop music's most vexing voices. Two original compositions (the new "Song for Bobby" and an update of "Metal Heart") round out the selections, but the covers are what stand out--especially James Brown's "Someone," which gets a plaintive country treatment, and a delicate interpretation of Janis Joplin's "Woman Left Lonely." Nearly every one of the songs on this jukebox is stellar, and you come away hoping she'll commandeer and liberate more old record machines before long. --DAVID KNOWLES

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