Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Posted on | March 31, 2009 | No Comments
I was sold on the new Neko Case album before I heard a single track. The cover art for Middle Cyclone features Neko perched on the front of an old Mercury Cougar (what memories the Cougar bring back), sword in hand, ready to pounce. As albums everywhere are going the way of the download, with little thought put into cover art, it sends a wave of joy to see such a cool, creative cover.
When Neko Case hit the scene, I thought she was the greatest. I loved her voice, writing, delivery etc. Somewhere though, I fell off the bandwagon, losing track of the last couple of albums and her stuff with The New Pornographers. I am however, making up for lost time with Middle Cyclone, and my love of this album has inspired me to revisit her older stuff.
From the first guitar strum of This Tornado Loves You, she has you. The arrangements are layered, interesting and tight – with the lonesome distance of her voice, the quick, spot-on rhythms and instruments running in and out with ease and grace. Lyrically, Neko weaves tapestries of love, destruction, nature and the danger found in forever.
Middle Cyclone is one of those albums you can put on repeat and enjoy several times around. The songs are unique enough to lend texture and diversity, yet unified enough to create a complete work that is wild, spinning and beautiful.
Tags: album art > Mercury Cougar > Middle Cyclone > music reviews > Neko Case
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