Middle Cyclone

Alright, I'm very much behind on this whole thing, for which I'm ashamed of myself, so I'm going to make this somewhat brief and move on to the next album pick, which I'm also behind on.

Neko Case and her new album Middle Cyclone are a breath of fresh air. In the world of country music today, Nashville is dominated by the mainstream pop-country of people like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and the other bombshells of the scene, just as it was ten years ago with Faith Hill and Shania Twain. Maybe that's a generalization, but either way, Neko Case has a much different sound. Honestly, if it weren't for her voice, it would be tough for me to label Middle Cyclone as country, even alt-country. The record transcends any one genre and plays to different tastes, but it's all tied together by Case's voice, which sounds like the reincarnations of Patsy Cline and Wanda Jackson.

That very voice ranges throughout the album from strong and independent to soft and whispering, but it is always beautiful, both aesthetically and just as a different sound among the usual stuff that is made these days. With songs about Mother Nature, prison girls, the usual relationship troubles, and her own inadequacies, Neko takes the usual subject matter (the relationship troubles, not the prison girls obviously) and makes them sound fresh. Again, this has mostly to do with her singing, which is the biggest country element of this alt-country album.

Instrumentally, much of the music strays from the usual modern sounds of walls of guitar overdrive, steel pedal crying, and the general overproduction that is prevalent in today's mainstream country. Some songs are soft, with only an acoustic guitar and piano, like "Vengeance is Sleeping," and the title track, which features a music box playing alongside the acoustic guitar for an added innocence, while others are more poppy, basic guitar-drum-bass combos like "This Tornado Loves You" and "People Got a Lotta Nerve." "Prison Girls" takes a dreamy, trippy turn that, even with Neko's voice, isn't really deserving of being labeled as "country" but it is nonetheless a great track to get lost in. Everything fits in this album, every instrument is in the right place; gentle plucks of string sections here and there, the above-mentioned music box, the overdubs of Case's voice on "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Nature," etc.

What else can I say about this album, other than it's a great listen? It's tough for me to think of much more to say, I've just had trouble coming up with anything. I know that sounds like lazy writing (it is), but sometimes that's all you can say about a great album. You don't always know exactly why you like it, but it connects with you somehow and you just enjoy it. It's the same way with books and movies; you can't always explain what makes you feel good inside. Whatever it is, I hope Neko Case continues making music like this; God knows we need it these days.