Album: Hell-On
Artist: Neko Case
Release Date: June 1, 2018
Favorite Tracks:
- Hell-On
- Halls of Sarah
- Curse Of The I-5 Corridor
- Sleep All Summer
- Pitch or Honey
Thoughts:
Looking through my archive I’m surprised that I’ve never reviewed a Neko Case album before as she is one of the great voices of our times, whether on her own or with the New Pornographers and side projects like case/lang/veirs. Turns out this is Case’s first solo album in five years, and I haven’t been reviewing albums that long. Hell-On offers what you expect from Neko Case – strong singing, heartfelt and poetic lyrics, and dynamic music that surprises and pleases. This album also has a lot of guest artists including Beth Ditto, k.d. lang, AC Newman, Kelly Hogan, Doug Gillard, Laura Veirs, Joey Burns, Mark Lanegan, and Eric Bachmann (the last two each share vocals with Case on a pair of stunning duets). This isn’t Case’s best album (it’s a few notches below Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and Middle Cyclone) but a merely good Neko Case album is still a wonder to behold.
Rating: ***1/2
Related Posts:
- Concert Review: Neko Case
- Music Discoveries: The New Pornographers
- Song of the Week #2: “Atomic Number” by case/lang/veirs
Panorama of the Mountains 
“Challengers” and “Go Places” are my favorite NP songs. Not sure why I never got into her solo work.
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Oh my, “Challengers” will be on my list of favorite songs of all-time, if I ever get around to making that list!
Oddly enough, I became aware of Neko Case’s solo music before I even new that there was a band called the New Pornographers and that she was in it.
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