Album review: 'Middle Cyclone' by Neko Case

By Amanda Sorell

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Neko Case uses her fifth album, Middle Cyclone, to tear her way through the world of music much the way a tornado would, leaving listeners affected and impressed by her captivating voice and beautiful music. Her nature-filled lyrics and storm metaphors only add to the charm and creativity of the album, and the album features a number of impressive collaborations, with guests including M. Ward, members of Calexico, The Sadies, and Sarah Harmer.

The track “People Got A Lotta Nerve” is bright and perky but empowering at the same time, with Case describing herself as a “maneater,” though “Middle Cyclone” is a more mellow addition to her collection of storm-related songs. Case morphs from a maneater into an animal on “I’m an Animal,” a track with a catchy beat and a striking melody. The album ends with “Marais la Nuit,” which means “The Night Marsh,” and is a collection of exactly that—31 minutes of swampy, nighttime noises heard on a farm in Vermont, which ties the nature references throughout together in an outdoorsy conclusion. With this album, Case brings her talent and creativity together in a whirlwind of beauty and ingenuity to create music that will leave its mark on any listener standing in its path.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 4 stars

Music Review: 'Two Suns' by Bat for ...

4 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/apr/16/music_review_two_suns_bat_lashes/

Music review: The Octopus Project 'Hexadragon'

KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/nov/18/music-review-octopus-project-hexadragon/

Music review: Roots Manuva Meets Wrongtom

KJHK's guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/dec/09/music-review-roots-manuva-meets-wrongtom/

Music Review: Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Four stars out of four

/news/2009/jan/15/review_animal/

Music review: Woods — 'At Echo Lake'

KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/aug/26/music-review-woods-echo-lake/

Music review: Stereolab

KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/nov/11/music-review-stereolab/

Music guy

A road map to music utopia

/news/2008/mar/06/music_guy/

Music Review: Ponytail - 'Do Whatever You ...

KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption

/news/2011/apr/07/music-review-ponytail-do-whatever-you-want-all-tim/

Music review: 'Changing Horses' by Ben Kweller

2.5 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/feb/26/music_review_2/

Music review: Jail — 'That's How We ...

KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/aug/26/music-review-jail-s-how-we-burn/

Music review: 'Fork in the Road' by ...

3 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/apr/30/music_review/

Music review: Fruit Bats

FRUIT BATS – ‘THE RUMINANT BAND’ (SUB POP)

/news/2009/aug/27/music_review_fruit_bats/

Review: Music

/news/2005/oct/06/review_music/

Music review: J+J+J - High Voltage Feast ...

KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/nov/04/music-review-jjj-high-voltage-feast-almost-started/

Music review

Combinations by Eisley

/news/2007/sep/27/music_review/

Music: Umphrey’s McGee, Mantis

'Jam Band' earns rave reviews

/news/2009/feb/05/music_umphreys_mcgee_mantis/

Kansan Departments

Your guide to surviving the week.

/news/2008/jun/20/kansan_departments/

Kansan Departments

Your guide to surviving the week.

/news/2008/jun/25/kansan_departments/

Preserving Douglas County’s prairies

University students and scientists brave prairies to collect seeds for preservation efforts.

/news/2009/nov/02/preserving-douglas-countys-prairies/

Music review

Lily Allen, It’s Not Me, It’s You

/news/2009/feb/19/music_review/

Reviews: Music & Film

/news/2005/sep/08/reviews_music_film/

Music review: The Decemberists, 'The Hazard of ...

1 1/2 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/mar/26/music_review_decemberists_hazard_love/

Music Reviews

/news/2005/sep/01/music_reviews/

Music review: El Guincho- Pop Negro (Young ...

KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption

/news/2010/sep/30/music-review-el-guincho-pop-negro-young-turks-2010/

Music review: Portugal. The Man, Censored Colors

/news/2008/sep/18/music_review_portugal_man_censored_colors/

Malicious Intimacy

Four students' experiences with domestic violence.

/news/2011/may/04/malicious-intimacy/

Music Review: 'Lost Channels' by The Great ...

3 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/apr/16/music_review_lost_channels_great_lake_swimmers/

Music review: Beach House "Teen Dream"

KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/feb/11/music-review-beach/

Music review: Warpaint - The Fool (Rough ...

KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption.

/news/2010/nov/04/music-review-warpaint-fool-rough-trade-2010/

Reliving the music dream

Mark Gottschall, journalism resource center supervisor, recorded an album in Spain 35 ...

/news/2008/apr/16/reliving_the_music_dream/

Kansas wins 35-33

The Jayhawks faced a 20-point halftime deficit, but Todd Reesing threw three ...

/news/2008/oct/04/kansas_vs_isu/

New name, same sound

Don’t call them ‘Volunteers’ anymore. They’re ‘the Vols,’ and the Lawrence band ...

/news/2008/jun/27/new_name_same_sound/

Q&A with Davey Pierce of the band, ...

We have questions. Celebrities have answers.

/news/2010/oct/21/q-davey-pierce-montreal/

Music guy

A road map to music utopia

/news/2008/feb/14/music_guy/

Music review: Epiphany by Chrisette Michele

4 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/may/07/music_review_epiphany_chrisette_michele/

Coldham: Lil Wayne takes wrong turn with ...

The rapper should stick to what made him famous in the first ...

/news/2009/apr/21/coldham_lil_wayne/

Top Album: Factories

What’s topping the charts this week at KJHK

/news/2012/jan/25/top-album-factories/

MUSIC: Pink, Funhouse

/news/2008/oct/30/music_pink/

Briefs: October 23, 2007

This is the news in brief.

/news/2007/oct/23/briefs_october_23_2007/

Music review: 'Years of Refusal' by Morrissey

3 out of 4 stars

/news/2009/feb/26/music_review/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID