Making the Case

I've got to admit: I'm not a huge Neko Case fan. I mean, I totally recognize she's got loads of talent (particularly in the vocal department), and there are few people who can make gloomy darkness sound quite so beautiful. But I'd be lying if I tried claiming that I listened to her on any kind of regular basis, and the few times I have sat down with one of her albums it hasn't been for any extended length of time.

Which means, of course, that you should take my opinion on Middle Cyclone with several enormous grains of salt, particularly since my opinion is that it's just too long. Even setting aside the fact the last track (a half hour of woodland noises) doubles the album length, fourteen tracks of Case just ends up seeming like a bit much. There's only so much drama you can take, and what sounds great and a little unnerving on the first few tracks stars sounding a little rote by the time you reach, say, "Don't Forget Me", even if, taken by itself in isolation, that's a great song.

I think the answer is to listen to her in smaller doses -- like, for example, the five songs that comprise the Radio 3 session below. There's just enough here to really get into what she's doing, but not so much that it all starts sounding the same. It's hauntingly lovely, which is exactly what your reaction should be when listening to her.

1. People Got A Lotta Nerve
2. Hold On Hold On
3. Middle Cyclone
4. Vengeance is Sleeping
5. That Teenage Feeling

Enjoy!