Neko Case, Middle Cyclone – Music Review

Posted on 18. Apr, 2009 by Administrator in Music

Neko Case Middle Cyclone
Every Neko Case solo effort, it would seem, is better than the last. Each release finds the artist following her musical intuition more and more, expanding from “alt-country” to a brand of clever, twangy indie-pop that’s completely her own. And, like Middle Cyclone’s cover art, which features the fiery red-head perched, sword in hand, on the hood of a Mercury Cougar, every new album is a fearless, charging step forward. This time around Case’s songwriting is more hook-laden and yet more complex, challenging and rewarding the listener at the same time. The songs sometimes eschew verse-chorus-verse structure, and vocal melodies shift flawlessly into new ones without warning. Opener “This Tornado Loves You” blows past with a whirling guitar line and soaring Southern Gothic melody that evokes the intensity of a twister uprooting a trailer park. In fact, the lyrics compare her unrequited loved to this violent force of nature when she sings “Carved your name across three counties/Ground it in with bloody hides/Their broken necks will line the ditch/’til you stop it, stop it/Stop this madness.” She continues this attack on some unnamed lover on the utterly infectious “People Got a Lotta Nerve”, warning the listener that she’s a “man-eater”.
“Vengeance is Sleeping” and “Middle Cyclone” are more subdued, yet Case’s vocals still soar across the musical landscape, and subtle vocal harmonies lift the songs to a higher place. “Middle Cyclone” also features the plink of a broken music box, a sound that perfectly captures her heart-ache. “Fever” is similar, but offers up a slightly dissonant guitar line that hovers in the background, adding a sense of menace. “I’m an Animal” is just plain pop fun, and “Prison Girls” and “Red Tide” could only be described as country-noir—dark dirges that smack of danger and desperation. There’s also an epic cover of Harry Nilsson’s melancholic “Don’t Forget Me” complete with breathtaking orchestral sweeps. Middle Cyclone is definitely going to be hailed as one of the best pop releases of the year, and until Case’s next album, the best in her catalogue.