Neko Case looks formidable on the cover of Middle Cyclone, brandishing a sword in one hand while crouching low on a muscle car's hood. It's mostly camp, of course -- the sort of superwoman image Quentin Tarantino might have used for Death Proof's ad campaign -- but it also draws contrast with the songwriter's previous albums, two of which featured moody shots of Case sprawled on the floor, ostensibly knocked out. Middle Cyclone isn't the polar opposite of Blacklisted's downcast Americana; there are still moments of heartbreak on this release, and Case channels the sad cowgirl blues with all the rustic nuance of Patsy Cline. Multiple years in the New Pornographers' employ have considerably brightened her outlook, however, and Middle Cyclone balances its melancholia with some of the most pop-oriented choruses of Case's career. "I'm a man-man-maneater," she asserts during "People Got a Lotta Nerve," a snappy nugget of harmonies and jangled guitar that helps strengthen her Mercury Cougar-riding cover pose. The mammal metaphors continue with "I'm an Animal," where a coed choir supports the melody with a wordless, hooky refrain. Such songs are still rife with earth tones, perhaps preferring the Southern comfort of roots music to the sparkle of Carl Newman's power pop, but their venture into brighter territory is both assured and tuneful.
Of course, Neko Case already explored the animal world with 2006's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, and Middle Cyclone devotes more time to weather, nature, and the stormy atmospherics of her backup band. There are few voices as hauntingly beautiful as Case's alto, a siren call fashioned from country's might and pop's melody, and she trains those tones over a number of semi-ballads, from the cinematic "Prison Girls" (a country-noir love letter to someone with "long shadows and gunpowder eyes") to the sparse title track. She does a surprise duet with chirping birds during "Polar Nettles" -- a result of the pastoral recording sessions, which took place in a barn -- before offering up a cover of Sparks' "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth," which very well may be the album's mission statement. There's still room to tackle love from the perspective of different characters -- a man in "Vengeance Is Sleeping," a disbeliever in "The Next Time You Say Forever," a smitten wind vortex in "This Tornado Loves You" -- but nature remains at the forefront of Middle Cyclone, whose 14 songs conclude with a half-hour field recording of chirping crickets and frogs. Moody, cinematic, and engaging throughout, Cyclone is another tour de force from Neko Case, if not as immediately arresting as Fox Confessor.
What a year for reflection. We've bottomed out economically... I think... we hope. Global leaders are currently discussing our fates for us in some beautiful formal dining hall in Europe. There is an open space for thoughtful examination of humankind. What music do you turn to in times like these? Here's my two cents: Neko Case. Here it is, barely April, and with the March 3 release of Middle C...
More >
Neko Case seems to have an unhealthy preoccupation with romancing funnel clouds on her forthcoming album Middle Cyclone. I for one don't think making love to a tornado is really that appealing an idea.Middle Cyclone kicks off with a bang. "This Tornado Loves You" sets an uptempo tone, uncommon for a Case album. The lead single, "People Got A Lotta Nerve" is plucky and fast paced, making gre
More >
in the middle of the night.This song puts me in mind of those sounds that I hear in the middle of the night.Sometimes I awaken, my mind busy, tormented, fretting over the details of the previous day, concerned about the work I have to face the next day. There are familiar sounds in my house, but those never soothe me...It's the far off sounds that assist me in quieting my trouble mind. I can ...
More >
Here's a preview from the upcoming Neko Case album, Middle Cyclone.And if you dig it, you can download it here: http://www.antilabelblog.com/
More >
In two days member of The New Pornographers’ Neko Case will release her much anticipated album Middle Cyclone on Anti-. Those fine folks over at Anti- were nice enough to offer the world a free download of the title track “Middle Cyclone”. This song is a slow sweet…beautiful lightly produced track that only Case can [...]
More >
Neko Case seems to have an unhealthy preoccupation with romancing funnel clouds on her forthcoming album Middle Cyclone. I for one don't think making love to a tornado is really that appealing an idea.Middle Cyclone kicks off with a bang. "This Tornado Loves You" sets an uptempo tone, uncommon for a Case album. The lead single, "People Got A Lotta Nerve" is plucky and fast paced, making gre
More >
"Unleash" might seem like the wrong word for Neko Case's classy, countrified sounds, but even though a couple of these performances are muted and she's only joined by one other vocalist and an acoustic guitarist, when she tilts her head back and belts it out, you imagine she could be heard over even the biggest of storms (or, in more musical terms, a Glenn Branca Guitar Army). We've seen plenty...
More >
There were so many ways to approach the topic of new Neko Case material(s), yet I opted to go for the first bit of information regarding her upcoming release that caught my eye. Awhile ago, Anti Records put up some delicious information regarding Case's Middle Cyclone album set for release on March 3rd. Between showcasing the producers, collaborating artists (M. Ward), and past successes - they...
More >
This is making the rounds this morning, but if you haven't yet seen the album cover for Neko Case's upcoming Middle Cyclone -- now you have. Her follow-up to still-awesome '06 album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (made my top 25 of that year ) is due March 3 on Anti-.
More >
New Pornographer/Alt.country/indie rock siren Neko Case has announced the details of her new solo album. Middle Cyclone will be released on March 3rd.The album, a whopping 15 tracks in length, was recorded in great part here in Toronto.Joining Case will be a veritable plethora of indie rock heavyweights. Aside from Canada's own Sarah Harmer and members of the New Pornographers and The Sadie...
More >
What a year for reflection. We've bottomed out economically... I think... we hope. Global leaders are currently discussing our fates for us in some beautiful formal dining hall in Europe. There is an open space for thoughtful examination of humankind. What music do you turn to in times like these? Here's my two cents: Neko Case. Here it is, barely April, and with the March 3 release of Middle C...
More >
Middle Cyclone , Neko Case's solo follow up to 2006's Fox Confessor Brings The Flood , is due on Anti- in March 2009. Clearly in prep mode, she performed three Middle album tracks along with a cover of Harry Nilsson's "Alimony" at Bumbershoot in Seattle this past Saturday. We weren't there, but YouTuber ktparker captured all the aforementioned. She offers a warning about the first one:[T]his v...
More >
Neko Case EPK‘Middle Cyclone’ was produced by Case with Darryl Neudorf and recorded in Tucson, Brooklyn, Toronto, and Vermont. It features Case backed by her core band - guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Tom V. Ray, backing vocalist Kelly Hogan, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse, and drummer Barry Mirochnick - along with numerous guests including M. Ward, [...]
More >
A few months ago, Neko Case played a “secret show” at the Casbah, which was announced ahead of time on the underground Internet site MySpace. The show, designed to promote music enthusiasts TurboTax, was set to open its doors at 7pm and would only admit people on a first-come, first-serve basis.However, people on the Casbah’s [...]
More >
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Middle Cyclone")
