File Under: Loretta Lynn meets Ani DiFranco
If You Like: Cowboy Junkies, Uncle Tupelo
Label: Anti
There’s not many people in pop music with a more beautiful voice than Neko Case. She’s been unfortunately cast aside in the alt-country ghetto, which is rather unfair. Her songs are universal enough that they shouldn’t be pigeon-holed in a subgenre that approximately 10 people honestly enjoy.
It’s hard not to compare this album to her New Pornographer bandmate Dan Bejar’s side project: Destroyer. Destroyer’s Rubies is a good album, but it sometimes collapses under its own weight (is an eight and half minute folk song ever a good idea? No. Never. And this goes for the Decemberists’ Crane Wife as well. Seriously, Bohemian Rhapsody is interminable and its only six minutes long). Case avoids such hubris and just crafts beautiful songs. She doesn’t get cute and try and make it a metaphor for, well, anything. It’s just a collection of great songs. That should be enough.
THE VIDEO: She doesn't release videos, so this is a remarkably clean version of "Hold On Hold On" from A&E. Yes, she performed on A&E.
3 comments:
WOOT! Gonna go see Neko tonight, actually. :)
You know, I know you tell me those things just to make me jealous. And I know you also know that it works.
I hate you. You need to come to Dallas this summer for the Police reunion. Then we can take off for Dave's wedding the next day or so. Just saying. It's not Neko, but it is Andy Summers, Stuart Copeland, and Sting.
Tonight, Neko said that Sting's chest hair looks like Tom Wopat. I'm not really sure what to make of that... but it frightened me.
Post a Comment