8/10

It is hard to imagine anyone who has been a more respected songwriter in today's music industry than Cat Power. With a career that has now lasted more than two decades, frontwoman Chan Marshall has been at the forefront of true heartfelt music since she first arrived on the scene in the mid 90s. And now returning after a six year break, she has unveiled her tenth studio album 'Wanderer', a record that presents her as a far wiser yet more vulnerable individual on this swooning collection.

What seems the most striking element of this new release is just how little she relies on other instrumentation to perform her music. With the exception of a few singles, the record is mostly just her and her guitar, giving us a very intimate experience straight from the start. 'Wanderer' has this eloquent and timeless quality about it, with Marshall channeling a very simple yet powerful structure in each of her songs. The record plays with a basic elegance to it, which not only showcases her beautifully soothing voice, but also gives a sense of grandeur to each track as she seems at ease moving around this new full-length.

It is genuinely hard to find something not to enjoy on this release. With a strong and succinct direction, 'Wanderer' barely sets a foot wrong and sees her return with some of the best material of her career so far. A confident return from one of the best musicians we can expect to find in our lifetime.