Middle Cyclone

Maybe the best Neko Case record ever: no more trappings of being “alt-country” or being “indie-pop”. These recordings refuse to be pigeonholed (though those influences are there for sure). Just when you think its gonna get cliché it works something new. Just absolutely stunning… pop. Yes, in the tradition of Bacharach, the greats, with top notch recording quality. I know this isn’t too descriptive, but if you don’t know about Neko Case, just play the cd, and go back and do your homework. If this helps: crystalline melodic, naturally phrased lyrical passages, with perfect orchestral pop backing, moments of western, surf, 60’s retro pop. Features an all star cast, including Kelly Hogan on backing vocals, M. Ward, Calexico-Giant Sand/Tucson folks (cd recorded in Tucson). But the centerpiece are Neko’s perfect powerful vocals. Like a hurricane blowing you over, then a feather tickling your eyelids. Man….


1) upbeat beat that reminds me of Midnight Cowboy at 45 rpm, just absolute perfect pop that brings to mind so many flavors and smell, can understand why they chose this as track 1
2) dramatic, heavy, slow, no real beat
3) anathema to the previous: upbeat perfect twangy retro 60’s pop, a la more recent Paula Frazer, Aisler Set
4) slow sad ballroom, dark and morose, back and forth with pseudoupbeat, a masterpiece, wow!
5) so pretty, guitar arpeggios with piano with her soaring voice, god, just take me now
6) total chamber pop, lovely strings, vocal heavy
7) guitar ballad, show cases the perfection with which this cd was recorded
8) twisted waltzy with strange guitar
9) something familiar and classic AM radio circa 1974 to it
10) tom tom beat, heaviness to this ballad
11) dark distant twang to make Rowland S. Howard/Nick Cave bow, slash their wrists in a suicide pact, Ian Curtis hang himself again.. but what works are the lovely dissonant meandering melodies of the vocals, perfection
12) lovely slightly sad, barroom, piano ballad, dense with forlorn love, wow
13) waltzing, western twang
14) bouncing but minor toned, upbeat but dark
15) (slow to fade in) can you believe this: she fills the cd with an ambient noise track, loops of environmental sounding sounds, crickets? What not