When I asked a friend to give me something tranquil to listen to while I study, she gave me "Moon Pix" on tape. Stilling and haunting, it proved entirely wrong for my purposes, being just the kind of music that makes you gaze off into the distance for long moments, forgetting where you are...Not that I minded.

Spooky and off-kilter, this album is maudlin the best way. Chan Marshall (is that her name?) adopts a kind of child-visionary persona, delivering an idiosyncratic mixture of surreal, direct, and insinuating lyrics that are enough to rend your heart the more you hear them. Her voice is husky yet pure at the same time, and she's at her best with minimal instrumentation, just stark vocals and a muffled guitar, sounding like the saddest, most hopeful person on earth singing to herself in an empty room. If you know what I mean...

Many previous reviewers seem to have complained that Cat Power's most recent effort at understated indie rock is underdeveloped, lazy, and that the songs are very similar. Well, alright, but isn't that the point? Why exactly is a stark sound of sadness considered unfavorable and characteristic of a less-than-excellent record? After all, can anyone really imagine Cat Power singing happy, upbeat pop songs backed by lush keyboards and chiming guitars? Some may prefer energizing rock music over her haunting lamentation, and some may prefer polar variety over very atmospheric "mood music," but no one can deny that Cat Power seems to have succeeded in her endeavors. (Anyway, who are we to decide whether her album was a success or a failure?)

After listening to all of "Moon Pix" once, it's easy to write it off as "boring," "ethereal," "repetitive," "underdeveloped," "weak," etc. But you will find (as I did) that, after repeated listens, some songs are very memorable, and others will strike you in a certain personal way: perhaps "Metal Heart" will affect you the way as did your conversation last summer at the church picnic with that widower who had had a near-death experience; perhaps "American Flag" reminds you of that quiet skinny girl you knew in high school; perhaps those first few lines of "Colors and the Kids" perfectly voice the opinions you held as a teenager living in Nashville, dissatisfied with the music scene there, and perhaps "You May Know Him" brings back unusually fond memories of those times despite the unhappiness in which you wallowed.

Hell, that's what Moon Pix did to me.

(And I'm not even sixteen years old yet.)

I listened "What would the community think?" thousands of times and I must confess that I waited more than a year to buy "Moon Pix". I didn't think Cat Power could do another album like that, with this kind of black magic. I didn't want to be disappointed. I was wrong... "Moon Pix" is reaching higher level of beauty; if you don't agree with me, just try to press "play" when you are alone, put out the light and listen to the whole album. If some friends of mine are reading this review, they will remember the idea. I can't understand why people are trying to compare Cat Power with Lisa Germano, Tori Amos or Paula Cole (Paula Cole?? that's a joke or what?). Cat Power is living in her own world, not in ours. She's a wonderful loser and I don't think the kind of recognition Tori Amos has would fit her. Just one more thing. I have always been a Sonic Youth fan and I loved the Sonic Youth's rythms and sound on the previous album. But, finally, CatPower's songs are far more intense along with a flute or a clarinet.

First time hearing this I wasn't terribly impressed, but after I realized it wasn't going to speed up and I actually paused and listened to the words, it really grew on me. The gentle melodies are comforting, and her voice is edgy and beautiful. A very calm collection, almost disturbingly so... I'd reccomend this to those who are willing to sit and ponder peacefully.

I bought this cd based strictly on these reviews. I received it today. I'm listening to it now; I've been listening all day. There's something about it I can't shake. All the reviews were ultimately favorable, yet nondescript. It seemed so mysterious I HAD to check it out. Moon Pix is a bit like the Velvet Underground, Kristen Hersh, Mazzy Star and the Cowboy Junkies all rolled up together but never as good as any of those, yet still good. Moon Pix is not great, but it could be. Moon Pix is full of MOMENTS and all those beautiful melting moments have entranced me. The music is there, although at its worst its repetitive. The emotions are there. The mood is set. Her voice is beautiful, but I'd love to see her bloom into a more mature lyricist. With so many glowing reviews of this disc it's surprising to see nothing under Cat Power's other two discs.