Chan Marshall returns with a smoky blues ballad.
After a few years away, Cat Power is back, with a strong desert tune, arid and airy. With sparse instrumentation of reverberating keys and acoustic guitar offering an easy-swaying backing track, the focus of “Woman” is on Marshall. Joined on backing vocals by Lana Del Rey, she embraces the subtle power of her voice, smoky and strong. The way it builds as she repeats the title over and over is a highlight of the track, a simple but impactful piece that will stick with you.
Beyond that, there’s Marshall’s lyrics, sounding more confident and at ease with herself than possibly ever before. She sees the problems that held her back in the past and threaten her now, and knows she has the fortitude to handle it. As she sings, “I’m a woman of my word, now you have heard/My word’s the only thing I truly need.”
“Woman” can be found on Cat Power’s upcoming album, Wanderer, out on Oct. 5 via Domino.