Neko Case Breaks It Down, Builds It Back Up

Our look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to Middle Cyclone, the new album by Neko Case:

• “This is Case’s sixth studio release, and it affirms her continued growth not just as a singer and songwriter but as someone who creates her own world out of sound.” [Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune]

• “Perhaps that’s the allure of Neko Case. Even in the midst of a fight, she’s looking inward. And this time she’s letting her battle scars show.” [James Reed, Boston Globe]

• “Her own songs melt down structures. Instead of fixed verses or choruses there are two-chord patterns that run as long as Ms. Case wants, or as short; they might add or subtract a beat, suddenly switch chords or support an entirely new tune in mid-song. Subliminally that rhapsodic approach keeps the songs off balance and suspenseful, ready for every possibility of disaster or exaltation.” [Jon Pareles, New York Times]

• “Middle Cyclone ends with ‘Marais la Nuit,’ which translates to ‘The Night Marsh.’ True to its title, it is 30 minutes of frog noises that Case recorded at her farm in Vermont, just outside the barn where most of these sessions were held. It’s not surprising that her animal lyrics would break down into real animal sounds, and as chill-out music for any domesticated wildlife in your home, it’s not unpleasant. It is, however, nearly as long as the album proper. Its inclusion shows just how thoroughly Case has imagined her own little world on these three albums and how thoroughly she rules that realm.” [Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork]