''Myra Lee'' is the second album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter

Chan Marshall Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

. It was released in 1996 on the

Smells Like Records Smells Like Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey, formed by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley in 1993. Groups that have recorded under the label include Blonde Redhead, Cat Power, The Raincoats, and The Rondelles. T ...

label. The album was named after Marshall's mother.

Recording

The album was recorded during the same sessions in which Marshall recorded her previous release, '' Dear Sir'' (1995), at a makeshift studio in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

with drummer Steve Shelley.

Reception

Heather Phares of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

wrote that the album contains "churning tempos and spiraling guitars

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

convey Chan Marshall's melancholy musical vision, but gentler songs like the trembling cover of Hank Williams' "Still in Love" and originals like "Top Expert" and "Ice Water" are parts of the picture as well, adding warmth and roundness to the album." Alexander Tudor of '' Drowned in Sound'' notes that Marshall "surrounds herself with distortion to create a menacing atmosphere." Rob Sheffield of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' awarded the album five out of five stars, writing: "For nearly six minutes on Not What You Want" Marshall strums her guitar and wails the title phrase over and over, wistfully at first, and then desperately; by the end, she's moaning and screaming and banging her head against the wall. It's nails-on-a-chalkboard for nonfans, a sublime moment of hag-rock transcendence for true devotees, and Cat Power's entire career in a nutshell." Biographer Elizabeth Goodman wrote that the album "sounds as if it was written and recorded by moonlight on a rickety old porch in the Deep South during a dark night of the soul."

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians * Chan Marshall – vocals, guitar * Steve Shelley – drums * Tim Foljahn – guitar Technical personnel * Edward Douglas – engineer, mixing * Oliver Strauss – digital editing

References

Works cited

* {{Authority control 1996 albums Cat Power albums