{^The Greatest} (no, it's not a hits collection) makes it clear just how much {$Chan Marshall} grows with each album she releases. Three years on from {^You Are Free}, she sounds reinvented yet again: {$Marshall} returned to Memphis, TN -- where she recorded {^What Would the Community Think} nearly a decade earlier -- to make an homage to the Southern {\soul} and {\pop} she listened to as a young girl. Working with great {\Memphis soul} musicians such as {$Mabon "Teenie" Hodges}, {$Leroy "Flick" Hodges}, and {$Dave Smith}, she crafted an album that is even more focused and accessible than {^You Are Free} was, and pushes her even closer toward straightforward {\singer/songwriter} territory. The title track is a subtle but powerful statement of purpose: with its lush, {&"Moon River"} strings and lyrics about a young boy who wanted to become a boxer, the song is as moving as her earlier work but also a big step away from the angst-ridden diary-{\rock} that her music is sometimes categorized as. Likewise, on the {\gospel}-tinged {&"Living Proof"} and the charming {&"Could We,"} {$Marshall} is sexy, strong, and playful, and far from the stereotype of her as a frail, howling waif. But the truth is, sweet Southern songs like these have been in her repertoire since {^What Would the Community Think}'s {&"They Tell Me"} and {&"Taking People"} ({^You Are Free}'s {&"Good Woman"} and {&"Half of You"} are also touchstones for this album); {^The Greatest} is just a more polished, palatable version of this side of her music. This is the most listenable {$Cat Power} album {$Marshall} has made, and one that could easily win her lots of new fans. It's also far from a sell-out -- {^The Greatest} sounds like the album {$Marshall} wanted to make, without any specific (or larger) audience in mind. And yet, the very things about {^The Greatest} that make it appealing to a larger audience also make it less singular and sublime than, say, {^Moon Pix} or {^You Are Free}. The productions and arrangements on songs like {&"Lived in Bars"} and {&"Empty Shell"} are so immaculate and intricate that they threaten to overwhelm {$Marshall}'s gorgeous voice. And, occasionally, the album's warm, soulful, laid-back vibe goes from mellow to sleepy, particularly on {&"Willie"} and {&"The Moon."} Two of {^The Greatest}'s best songs show that she doesn't need to be edgy and tortured or gussied up with elaborate productions to sound amazing: {&"Where Is My Love"} reaffirms that all {$Marshall} needs is a piano and that voice to make absolutely spellbinding music. On the other hand, {&"Love & Communication"}'s modern, complicated take on love gains a quiet intensity with judiciously used strings and keyboards. For what it is, {^The Greatest} is exceedingly well done, and people who have never heard of {$Cat Power} before could very well love this album immediately. However, it might take a little more work for those who have loved her music from the beginning. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide