Neko Case transcends labels and produces a powerful collection of earthy tunes
New Neko Case CD, ‘Middle Cyclone,’ transcends labels
What is it that we want from a female artist? What separates music made by a female from its male counterpart? Why bother to differentiate?
This isn’t a question that is asked aloud very often, though it is implicit in every piece of criticism relevant to a new novel, poem, play or collection of songs presided over by a woman.
CD Review
Neko Case
Middle Cyclone
[Anti - ]
Three stars (Out of four)
There’s no way out of the sexism implied by these sorts of discussions, for they have led to such off-the-cuff descriptives as “chick flick” and its pop music doppelganger, “chick rock.” Lame to even have to bring it up, and difficult to deal with once you have.
I know intelligent people of both sexes who simply don’t dig female singer/songwriters. Does this imply on their part a belief that pop/rock, etc., is a man’s game? I hope not, but probably.
The most sturdy vessel within which to navigate these troubled waters is the music itself, of course. Music does not acknowledge race, creed, sex, or religious persuasion, which is why music remains better than all of us. Listen, and you’ll realize that Jimmy Page has nothing on Joni Mitchell. Enlightened musicians know this. Enlightened listeners should follow suit.
Still, what we might want from a female artist is an insider’s view of the feminine. I believe we need this as a culture, and I’m not referring to a further windfall of bared midriffs. Sounds obvious, but it isn’t. So many pop success stories find females emulating the more despicable character traits of men, as a means of bursting through the door marked “Fame, dead ahead.”
Then there’s Neko Case. No shrinking violet, this woman, but as is abundantly evident throughout her wonderful “Middle Cyclone,” out today, certainly no Machiavellian diva looking to mute the more sensitive side of her nature, either.
Most significantly, Case exults in the gender-transcending capacities of melody, harmony and rhythm themselves, and throughout “Middle Cyclone,” she cuts to a quick that is neither specifically male nor female, but rather, simply and deeply human.
The new effort from the revered noir-country-alternative-folk -whatever- you-wanna-call-it beauty, and erstwhile member of the New Pornographers, most fittingly examines the chasm between nature and nurture, which, sadly, immediately identifies it as feminine.
It’s a record about wind, in a metaphorical and literal sense. Several of the songs examine the passionless demeanor of nature itself, and our overtly passionate reactions to that nature. But if you are tempted to stop reading and file “Middle Cyclone” in the “tree hugger” bin, consider that Case (with the help of a jaw-dropping collective of musician-friends) is far from wispy or twee here. In fact, she’s more inclined to point out that nature simply is, and is not particularly concerned with the human race one way or the other. This vision lends the album backbone.
No sensitive folkie ripping pages from her diary and warbling them in a hushed voice meant to imply intimacy — Case is now and has always been much more Patsy Cline than Hope Sandoval. She sings with a robust voice, a confident sense of pitch and phrasing, and a clear eye toward the canyon between intimate and boringly self-indulgent.
Be thankful, for this “Cyclone” busts through some heretofore leaded windows and lets some light into the room. It may be only thoughtful, melodic pop music, but it is worth an investment.
Opening with “This Tornado Loves You,” the record immediately suggests a musical equivalent of the first tentative rays of sun following a particularly turbulent storm. Case soars above a lush bit of orchestral pop, letting the listener know she is both “the speed of sound” and “an owl on the sill in the evening,” able to abide all “with a glacier’s patience.”
These are strong images that suggest this is Mother Nature herself addressing an errant child. It could also simply be a love song. Both interpretations work just fine.
I’ve no clear idea whether grace is a feminine or masculine trait, but certainly, “Middle Cyclone” is dripping with it.
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