Elizabeth Powell's sultry howl is like a stiff drink: icy, not too sweet and capable of knocking you on your ass. On Land of Talk's debut LP, she channels Cat Power and Chrissie Hynde over her band's turbulent bass-guitar-and-drums attack. Produced by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, cuts like "Yuppy Flu" and "It's Okay" are steeped in morbid imagery, but Powell's passionate delivery makes this set life-affirming: As she sings on "Got a Call," "You can't keep down a girl who loves music."