Covers are inherently ballsy, and Lord knows Chan Marshall is no coward. She's already released one full length's worth of odes to her varied inspiration, 2000's Covers Record. In general, the songs Marshall covers are tiny glimpses into what we gather is her inner life, and they're almost always hit or miss, just like the lady herself. Her version of Pavement's "We Dance" was withered, but her rendition of Lou Reed's "I Found a Reason" was emotionally devastating. "I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)" was inspiring and combined her natural strut with a legend's perfectly, but here we find her opening number, "New York New York" an uncomfortable, shallow mess.

The new version of "Metal Heart" is exhausting. She sounds worn thin, but not in her typically sexy and soulful way. Her voice actually cracks at "How selfish of you ... " in this pathetic little quiver. If you saw her on tour with the Memphis Rhythm Band, you've probably seen her at her best in the last five years -- confident, enthusiastic, married to each song. Any woman who can sit at a piano in front of a sold out crowd and lay a song like "Hate" at our feet is probably a superwoman, but with this backing band (ex-Blues Explosion and Jim White from Dirty Three, both excellent musicians), she lacks that gutsy hear-me-roar attitude. Across the album, her vocals have incredibly intense echo, to the point of distraction, and at times she almost sounds mixed beneath the ensemble. To her credit, she has without a doubt emerged as a legitimate soul singer and general enigma, and we assume that this album is possible because in some ways, she can't do wrong. People just want to hear her sing, and she's one of those rare women who can be continuously abandoned yet tirelessly romantic, without ever seeming trite or obnoxious. She's held to a high standard (why that is might be the source of all the confusion, as she's consistently a question mark live -- why not in the studio, too?) precisely because of this fact, but this record doesn't showcase the Chan that moves a room to tears or shakes your soul with joy.

"I Believe in You" and "Silver Stallion" stand out as the album's strongest moments, along with her "Song to Bobby," a sentimental and affectionate reflection on her adoration of Dylan.

Dee is an incredible harpist and accordion player, but this album is very focused on the piano and voice ... "Fresh Out of Candles" in particular plays with this really fantastic backup singer bit, the gently cooing supporters (actually, it just sort of sounds like two or three more Baby Dees) support center stage with near-harmony, a kind of listless agreement that falls on and off pitch, dropping off into the shadows again and again, then rising to the occasion as if suddenly interested in supporting the song title's delivery (and accompanying tale). Fragile strings emerge and the voices reappear once more, and about two thirds of the way through the tune, you realize you're listening to this great blues song, the guitar and drums are completely there, layered with Dee's voice alternating between forceful and soaring and softly reminiscent, strings, shadowy background singers ... the entire piece is just this brilliant little chasm of conflicting moments and parts.

Which is almost the only way to talk about Dee's music, life, voice, etc. in general, having lived on the streets, sung in church, lived on the streets again, returned to music ... on and on. But Dee's charm is her unaffected old-world piano pop affections, and the contrast between that world and her place here in this world, recording albums with Will Oldham, Matt Sweeney, Antony, James Lo, etc. Her songs are perfect ornaments that complete and order themselves, presenting like tightly wrapped gift of a reasonable but not overwhelming weight. They are solid, but gentle, urgent but reflective, challenging but not alienating. They provide her voice with a perfect landscape to flex and laugh and tell her tales (both personal and universally metaphoric) at will.

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Baby Dee: Safe Inside the Day
Barton Carroll: The Lost One
Biirdie: Catherine Avenue
Billy Talent: 666 Live
Black Mountain: In the Future
Blood on the Wall: Liferz
Bodies of Water: Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
Buzzcocks: 30
Cat Power: Jukebox
Collections of Colonies of Bees: Birds
Dead Confederate: Dead Confederate EP
Dengue Fever: Venus On Earth
Drag the River: You Can't Live This Way
Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation's Dark
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Works, Vol. 1 (remastered)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Works, Vol. 2 (remastered)
Emma Burgess: Swim
Envy: Abyssal
Envy: All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
Evangelicals: The Evening Descends
Ex Reverie: The Door into Summer
Fleshtones: Take a Good Look
Get Set Go: Sunshine, Joy and Happiness: A Tragic Tale of Death, Despair and Other Silly Nonsense
Hello, Blue Roses: Hello, Blue Roses
Hey Willpower: P.D.A.
Hunters Run: Forgotten Souvenirs of the Modern Age
Instruments of Science and Technology: Music from the Films of R/Swift
Jack Penate: Matinee
Jason Ringenberg: Best Tracks and Side Tracks 1979-2007
John Zorn: Film Works, Vol. 19
Judy Garland: Live at the Coconut Grove
The Kennedys: Better Dreams
Liam Finn: I'll Be Lightning
Liam Finn: In Spaceland 4-30-07
Lisa Loeb: The Purple Tape
Magoo: The Soateramic Sounds of Magoo
Magoo: Vote the Pacifist Ticket Today
Mahjongg: Kontpab
Matt Costa: Unfamiliar Faces
MGMT: Oracular Spectacular
moe.: Sticks and Stones
Monster Island: Dream Tiger
North Mississippi All Stars: Hernando
Natasha Bedingfield: Pocketful of Sunshine
The Pack A.D.: Tintype
Patty Larkin: Watch the Sky
Rafter: Sex Death Cassette
Scott Reynolds & The Steaming Beast: Adventure Boy
Sons & Daughters: Darling (import)
Steve Aoki: Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles
Steve Poltz: Traveling
Super Furry Animals: Hey Venus!
Thieves & Liars: When Dreams Become Reality
Times New Viking: Rip It Off
Various Artists: Doctor Who Original Music from Series 3
Various Artists: Putumayo Kids Presents: Hawaiian Playground
Whigs: Mission Control
The Whitsundays: The Whitsundays