Cat Power

For a woman who sometimes breaks down in tears during concerts and walks off stage (whether she’s a victim of pathological shyness or an art-rock-related behavioral disorder, we’re not sure), Chan Marshall is showing real guts. To record her new album, she recruited some of the greatest soul players around, including guitarist Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, who wrote “Take Me to the River,”his brother Leroy “Flick” Hodges, and drummer Steve Potts, who played with Booker T. and the MGs. What they made of the scrawny white girl with the mousy little voice is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: Good things happened in Memphis during the making of this newfangled old-fashioned soul album. Marshall, who grew up in the South, admirably gooses up her normally wavering and plaintive vocals to meet the demands of this sexy, funky brand of soul. The Greatest pays tribute to a great moment in music history without simply imitating it. This is still a Cat Power album, but with a louder heartbeat.