Moon Pix by Cat Power

Moon Pix was rated 9.5 on Pitchfork. That's insane, knowing how low Pitchfork tends to rate albums that deserve better (then again, I'm not a professional), so I had to find out if the album is as good as they say. Described as an indie, slowcore, folk rock, and blues album, Moon Pix is something to cry for. A huge chunk of it was written in the middle of the night after Chan Marshall, the singer, experienced a terrible nightmare where she felt dark spirits coming after her soul. In a fit of fear and desperation, Marshall sat down with her guitar, a tape recorder, and sang to god. She said in an interview that “if people found my body, I needed to leave a tape”, and she truly did capture her soul in the tape.

The 1998 album opens with “American Flag”, a melancholic song that sets the tone of the album, telling us that the album is, first and foremost, vulnerable. Paired with Marshall’s soothing but raw vocals, the album bleeds out her heart, with songs like “Metal Heart” (which deservingly is the most popular song in the album) beautifully demonstrating her complicated feelings with religion, having been brought up in a religious home. She quotes the Bible, “I once was lost, but now I'm found” in a song that’s full of shame and regret for something you thought you were, “you’re losing the calling that you’ve been faking”. This is the storytelling that she brings to the table, and where “Metal Heart” is silently heartbreaking, “Colors and The Kids”, my favorite on the album, is nostalgic and grateful. It’s almost like Marshall is reliving old memories and reminiscing for people she loved (and loves), people important to her, people keeping her connected to this world despite everything, and possibly displaying her adoration to those close to her who passed away. The minimalistic sounds of her simple but touching guitar melodies create such a personal atmosphere as if she were singing directly to you (which I found similar to Japanese folk artist Ichiko Aoba’s style). Her direct yet metaphorical lyrics allow curiosity and make you wonder, what has the woman in front of me gone through? How does she feel? This is what Chan Marshall does: she invites you into her story and leaves you wanting more. After my first listen, I felt compelled to understand her history, her past, and though I’ve not heard of her before this, I can confidently say that Marshall is incredible.

So, what’s the conclusion? An album full of heart, of grief, of struggle. Marshall confronts herself, and through that, she understands herself better and wishes us to understand her too. What I love most about this album is not the simplicity or the melodies. I love her story. Moon Pix is an album you have to sit down and properly listen to, to discover the true magic that made it known as her best work. The slow and simple arrangement may feel tedious or even bland for some, but it is exactly this tranquility that speaks volumes and connects with the listener. One personal critique I have is that sonically, there could have been a stronger “climax” to the album that would make the closing track,‘Peking Saint’ even more effective as arguably the simplest of the album. Even so, it’s 12:40 am and I am deeply saddened, amazed, and in love at the same time. I guess Pitchfork was right this time...

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Extra resources you could explore:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/may/28/cat-power-on-moon-pix-im-alive-today-because-of-those-songs

https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/15528/

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NO AI was used in the process or product of this blog.