ARTS The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 9 Singer Splays withisoul legends By Lloyd Cargo Daily Music Editor With the recent passing of Wilson Pickett, the world is minus one more legitimate soul legendwith seem- Cat Power ingly no others The Greatest in development. T atest What happened Matador to this once-glori- ous genre? Where is my Sam Cooke, my Al Green, my Otis Redding? Who the fuck decided horn sections weren't cool anymore? Who the fuck decided Juelz Santana would produce as many hits as Willie Mitchell? Bobby and Whitney are no Ike and Tina, and Ja Rule and Ashanti are sure as hell no Marvin and Tammi. Simply Nno amount of crunk juice will turn Ame- rie into Aretha. Make no mistake, Stax would've never signed Chan Marshall, and The Greatest isn't the revival of modern soul. With this album, Mar- shall famously returns to her South- ern roots, flaunting her heritage more prominently than on any album since 1998's Moon Pix. Unfortunate- ly, recording with the cats respon- sible for I'm Still In Love With You doesn't make this Let's Stay Togeth- er. Instead, Marshall's bare mus- ings take center stage, while Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, Leroy "Flick" Hodges and Steve Potts and other Memphis s'ession musicians lend a rich backdrop that's soulful, but not necessarily soul. The shimmering Hammond B-3, the slightly overdriven rhythm gui- tar, the divine bursts of trumpet, the funky 4/4 - they all add immeasur- ably to the many melodies that have always been buried in Marshall's damaged compositions. Their tri- umph is finally finding the appro- priate aura for Marshall's peculiar milieu without transforming her into something she's not. She's still as intimate and introspective as ever. Still, a little gospel goes a long way in the reverence department. That newfound sense was sorely lacking in her past efforts, perhaps explain- ing why those that did identify with Jenny Lewis finally goes solo By Aaron Kaczander Daily Arts Writer MUSIC RFVIEw Late at night in Los Angeles, in twang- pop collective Rilo Kiley's swanky tour bus bunks, Jenny Lewis sits, quietly humming her ulti- mately personal tales of the road, shaggy-haired boys, religion and child- hood. So personal, Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins Rabbit Fur Coat Team Love Courtesy of Mataaor Cat Power: redefining hot and crazy since the mid-'90s. her frank earnestness responded so passionately and those who were unable to get through the sparse arrangements and half-mouthed lyr- ics were left labeling Marshall as Fiona Apple lite. For the Hodges and crew, the bur- den of breathing joy into Marshall's laments is immensely lighter on tunes like the sublime "Could We." The song, a sun-drenched slice of soul straight out of the Hi-Records handbook, captures the nervous energy of a first date, and leaves Marshall sounding more confident and sexy than ever. "Could We" buoys the mood next to the gravity of "Empty Shell," while "Living Proof" empowers Marshall to declare herself The Greatest without irony. Then the whistling outro to "After It All" fades and the dark, syncopated stabs of Marshall's guitar usher in "Hate," and suddenly every diehard Cat Power fan is acquiesced. "Hate" is the hinge The Greatest swings on. Longtime fans will find the naked, angry cries of "I hate myself and want to die" more in line with their expectations from a Cat Power record. But Marshall con- fronts that notion with a brush-off: "Do you believe she said that? / Do you believe she said that? / I said, 'I hate myself and I want to die.' " This is what soul music can do - break your heart with beauty. There's more sadness in Otis Red- ding's Dictionary of Soul than The Downward Spiral, made more pro- found when highlighted with tons of joy. The Greatest is an achievement of that magnitude on a smaller scale; now we just need D'Angelo to write the next What's Going On.4 in fact, that Jenny set aside this batch of sparse, midnight tunes for her own solo venture. Think of it as Jenny time. She, coupled with the help of Ken- tucky-born folk sisters The Watson Twins and her A-list indie-world friends, bred Rabbit Fur Coat, the official solo offering from Kiley's much-adored lead woman. Don't cry, dear Kiley enthusiasts: No one's breaking up. Fur Coat is simply the fulfillment of a hankering. It's a decid- edly predictable move, especially for someone like Lewis, the poster girl for contemporary indie pop. She's already had three moderately successful albums with the band that's closest to her heart, but remember, it's Jenny time. How else can she explore her creativity but through publish- ing those songs she penned when she was frustrated from being surrounded by smelly boys for half a year on the road? Or the ones where she recalls her mother's strange wardrobe ("Rab- bit Fur Coat") or muses on abstract activism ("Rise Up With Fists"). She's emotionally vulnerable, all right, but with her first solo effort, Lewis offers more insightful lyricism and toe-tapping countrified pop to cre- ate an honest and impressive body of music. Fur Coat ultimately cements Lewis's spot as one of the great female- pop powerhouses (think Neko Case) and illuminates her future as a song- writer, collaborator and performer. Listen to "Big Guns," and imagine Lewis in a dusty and smoky Southern bar, clad in worn cowboy boots and singing her heart out with thumbs hooked into belt loops. This isthe kind of ambiance Fur Coat exhibits, and even those turned off by what might be considered a contemporary country tune will surely be attract- ed to Lewis's intelligent voice and impeccable arrangements. "Handle With Care" is modern fashioning of the classic Travel- ling Wilbury's tune, only this time, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison are replaced by indie super- heroes Ben Gibbard, Conor Oberst and M. Ward. Sacrilege? Maybe so, but this who's who of Seth Cohen- worshipping indie darlings is actu- ally pretty damn catchy. The album flows well, only really slowing with lengthy, down-tempo tunes like "Born Secular." Even then, though, Lewis and the Watson Twins still manage to keep the listener at bay with snarky musings on religion. With Bright Eyes putting up the money for the album, Lewis and the Watson Twins are primed to present this delightful little album to a mass of eager devo- tees. But then again, she doesn't real- ly need any help. It's Jenny time. Rapper Vito Polizzi The Department of Communication Studies presents a Howard R. Marsh lecture on Democracy and the Media February 7, 2006 At The Blind Pig 208 S. First S Ann Arb( Doors open at 9:30 pr t. or m F - Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 7:30 pm Tackham Amphitheatre, The University of Michigan i book signing follows the lecture, sponsored by Nicola's Books. You must be 18 years old to attend For more Info: 734.996.8008 Contact the Department of Communication Studies (734-764-0423) for more information. I A Summer Internship gives you the opportunity to explore your career potential at UBS. Working with top industry professionals on challenging projects will help you develop technical skills while demonstrating your individual talents. RESUME DROP REMINDER Engineering School: Information Technology: February 8, 2006 Please apply online through your career services website. UBS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in its workplace. (M/F/D/V)