The most commonly mentioned attribute associated with Neko Case is bravery. But what danger has Neko Case actually been facing for more than a quarter of a century? “I’m just trying to be myself as much as I can,” says the artist. You can feel that in her art, which probably sits on the shoulders of giants, but is created in a relatively free space. Sometimes these songs leave you a bit perplexed as they take unusual turns or find melodic arcs that bypass the standards, even the good and noble ones. In addition to the many clear, great songs in this oeuvre, it is the irritations that have given Case a unique position.
An adventure journey encountering 23 of the eponymous wild creatures
The retrospective “Wild Creatures”, which is now being released on double vinyl, tells how much excellent music Neko Case has grown from her roots in punk and country. It’s an adventure journey where you meet 23 of the eponymous wild creatures. “I’m An Animal” from the album “Middle Cyclone” (2009) sets the tone, from the same work comes the gentle but highly dangerous “The Next Time You Say Forever”. Case directed the dramatic psych country of Favorite in 2004 with fellow The Sadies, who also feature on Hold On, Hold On. The song is one of the highlights of the 2006 album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, which also features Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) and musicians from Calexico.
In the musical poem Halls Of Sarah (from Hell-On, 2018), Case is a mystic, feminist, and prophetess. Perhaps she is the protagonist herself: “She didn’t ask to be your remake or your muse/ We’re parasites inside her blues.” Accompanying the release of “Wild Creatures” on the singer’s website is animation by artist Laura Plansker and short texts by all sorts of well-known colleagues: Dan Bejar, M. Ward, David Byrne, Shirley Manson, Jeff Tweedy and Jason Isbell. Addresses of loyalty to a great artist.
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