As noted elsewhere, eg @ahh_bisto, the new Neko Case is very very good.
Good tunes, strong production, variety but really engaging lyrics that have actually for once have you reading the inner bag. (Could do without all the cigarette imagery). It is a modern sound but not pandering to any particular trend. And so much better than her chum Laura Viers recent effort that I found largely twee and lightweight. She really is on a roll, her last one was also fab
Her career box set (8 Lps, D/L, other bits) is relatively good value on her website https://uk.kingsroadmerch.com/neko-case/view/?id=9213&cid=2210
bungliemutt says
Au contraire…… I have all Neko Case’s albums from The Virginian onwards, and have loved every incarnation of her sound… until now. I’m really not feeling the love for Hell-On. Yes, it’s lyrically clever and astute, and the first 4 songs are great, but then they all start to meld into one, and all sound pretty much the same. I’ve listened umpteen times, but still get bored long before the end.
On the other hand, I loved Laura Veirs’s new album. Spacey, fragile, detatched, subtle, it gets better with every listen.
timtunes says
Hey, there you go – maybe I need to try more with Laura Veirs but I’m convinced Hell=On is KKKKK
Tony Japanese says
I picked up ‘Fox Confessor’ and ‘Middle Cylcone’ when they were released. Of the two, I loved the first one – “the most tender placed in my heart is for strangers/I know it’s unkind but my own love is much to dangerous.” is one of my favourite opening lines. I could never get into ‘Middle Cyclone’, though I suspect part of my issue is the final track.
johnw says
Neko Case is a strange artist. I haven’t heard the new album yet but I like most of her solo stuff (not sure about the umpteen minutes of insect noises on a recent album. I’m a huge fan of the New Pornographers.
I’ve seen the New Pornographers live a few times but I’d really like to see them with NK in the band. Yet I’ve seen NK live a few times too (because I like her albums so much) but I think she’s dull dull dull. The last time (and I mean the last time) I saw her, she seemed to think that chatting with her backing singer was more important that entertaining us.
I will be buying her new one because I won’t be able to stop myself.