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Oh Neko, We Could Have It So Much Better.

Neko Case brings nature onboard for her latest.

Neko Case

Middle Cyclone

Released on Mar 03, 2009

It won’t take you very long to realize what sort of album Middle Cyclone is going to be. From the first few minutes of “This Tornado Loves You” Neko Case sets the stage for what follows - a well written album that lies on the cusp of being something great. Everything you need for a great album is here - solid song structures, layered instrumentation, guest spots from M. Ward and Calexico, and a solid vocal performance - but ultimately the album comes across as too polished for its own good. 

The American/Canadian Songstress has been writing music for sometime now marking Middle Cyclone as her fifth album. Her earlier albums tend to lean on country and gospel elements but with each subsequent release she combs her way toward a broader sonic landscape.  

What really has me torn on this album is her vocal performance. If you’re a fan of Case’s previous work, there isn’t much to worry about as her undeniably strong country tinged vocals shine through on every track. It’s a fruitless effort to try to deny the fact that she has some solid pipes and, really, that’s not what’s irking me. Its just I’m not particularly moved by the whole performance. She sings passionately but her vocals come across so clean and crisp that it sometimes contradicts the tone or the mood set by the song. “Vengeance is Sleeping” is a soft number with an acoustic guitar and piano that seem to call for a more hushed vocal performance but her pipes overpower all of the other instruments here, just as in most cases. There are a couple of moments lightly peppered in the album where Case breaks out of her regular range to match the tone of the song which lifts it into the stratosphere (specifically towards the end of “This Tornado Loves You” when she shouts “what will make you believe me!”). It’s a vocal performance that you will either instantly love and adore or just not care for it. 

For the most part the album is instrumentally strong. The first half is a bright affair, especially with the lead single “People got a lotta Nerve” which can easily breakthrough to mainstream country (or rock?) radio with its infectiously repetitive chorus and upbeat acoustic guitars. It also sounds like it could be the opening theme song for “Flipper.” “Magpie to the Morning” is a solid track with a mellow backbeat and an acoustic guitar that really feels like it could have been written at sunrise. Elsewhere, Case has always made a strong effort to push herself when it comes to her song-writing talents and this comes through on tracks like “I’m an Animal” and “The Pharaohs.” Both tracks drift from chorus to verse and beyond with ease and they make a conscious effort to disguise their actual song structures. 

The second half of the album is pretty much brimming with slow burners. Some of these songs are actually absent of any hook or charm to pull you in. It’s a bit shocking especially when compared to the first half that has its fair share of hooks. “Prison Girls” just seem to drag on which is more or less a result of the drifting guitar rift that seems to slow the pace of the song down. It picks up a bit more after a couple of minutes in but the second half of the album could have seriously benefited from some tinkering with the pacing. 

It’s hard not to commend Case for this album. There’s solid musicianship and singing but the overall experience tends to fall just a bit flat. With this much talent the album is sure to be a successful and if you haven’t seen it, the cover art is simply badass. But its not enough to make you feel like Case needs to dig a little bit deeper, needs to condense, and needs to mix things up a bit more to really come up with the classic that we are all expecting her to put out. Looks like we’ll have to wait for the next storm. 

Posted by Danny Lopez on Mar 05, 2009 @ 6:00 am