I've always felt bad for Chan Marshall. So much has been made of the soap opera aspects of her life - the on-stage freak-outs, the high profile divorce from (smog)'s Bill Callahan, the persistent rumors about the possibility of a mental disorder - that the quality of her records has been virtually ignored. 1996's What Would The Community Think? was a minimalist-rock gem, exemplified by "Nude As The News," the cryptic anthem about Jesse Jackson and the broken promises of late twentieth-century liberalism which became her signature song. The follow-up, 1998's Moon Pix was softer, with nods to Dylan and delicate arrangements by the Dirty Three. 2000's The Covers Record was more conceptual, transforming the Stones' "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" from a macho epic into a unsettling study of detachment.

But as well-crafted as those albums were, I've always felt that she was overdue for a masterpiece akin to labelmates Guided By Voices' Alien Lanes; a complete artistic statement which covered all the facets of her songwriting. You Are Free is it. The album's opener, the piano-led "I Don't Blame You," is an open conversation to a fellow musician (perhaps Callahan, but it really doesn't matter) facing a demanding audience. You were swinging your guitar around/Cuz they wanted to hear that sound/That you didn't want to play, she narrates, finally reminding him They never owned it/And you never owed it to them. It's perhaps an explanation for her odd stage behavior and a gentle reminder to fans to cut her some slack. "Free" covers similar ground, with a chorus which pleads Don't be in love with the autograph/Just be in love when you love that song. And when she asks Do you know how to read between the lines on the outstanding "Speak For Me", it sounds more like a challenge than a question. But You Are Free is far too thematically varied to stay on one topic for too long: the mid-tempo "He War" attacks masculine bravado with the almost-hypnotic chant of the line He will kill for you. "Names" is a blunt examination of childhood abuse sung over a piano line so minimal it sounds like a piece from a school recital. The slow, country-ish "Good Woman" is a break-up song absent of both blame and melodrama.

You Are Free's only real flaw is that it becomes a bit same-y in the second half, allowing strong songs, like the stunning John Lee Hooker cover "Keep on Running," to get buried. And while the closing track, "Evolution," (a well-executed duet with Eddie Vedder of all unexpected people) is a nice addition, its place at the end makes the record seem like it lacks a proper conclusion. Still, these are minor complains about an album that represents Marshall零 best work to date.

Too subtle to seem like an instant hit, You Are Free is a rewarding album which improves with repeated listens. Now maybe Marshall will finally get the respect she deserves.

-Julia Fernandez