Published on Aug 13, 2003
The drive to make ‘ THE summer album of (fill in the current
year)’ has motivated artists to write anthems about fast cars,
partying and passionate romances that only last 12 weeks. Sheryl
Crow, Nelly and Liz Phair all have released their “summer albums.”
The problem is that for many people, summer can be just as big of a
bummer as the rest of the seasons; even more so for some
people.
Thankfully, in 2002, Neko Case identified the need to create a
summer-bummer album with
Blacklisted. For those expecting to hear the sunny,
pop-rocks sheen of her work with The New Pornographers, get ready
for a shock. While The New Pornographers have the chance to be the
Pixies of this decade, Neko Case’s solo work is rooted in old-time
country. Like her alt-country labelmate, Ryan Adams, Case grew up
on a steady diet of punk before discovering country. Her punk
tendencies have not gone unnoticed: she was banned from playing the
Grand Old Opry for taking her shirt off during a sweltering set
(her bra remained on).
Case recorded
Blacklisted in Tucson. With a minimal arrangement, the album
sounds like it was recorded in a canyon, which fits perfectly with
the recurring themes of loneliness throughout the album. Her
expansive voice sounds like a happy marriage between Patsy Cline
and Fiona Apple. However, the best tracks (“Deep Red Bells,”
“Stinging Velvet” and her wicked cover of Aretha Franklin’s
“Runnin’ Out of Fools”) are the ones where she finds her own voice
and sounds like no other singer out there today.
One of the biggest charms of
Blacklisted is the hit-and-miss quality of the songwriting.
On “I Wish I Was the Moon,” Case’s lyrics are devastating:
“Paralyzed and collar tight/No pills for what I feel…,” “How
will you know if you’ll find me at last/’cause I’ll be the one with
my heart in my lap.” The lyrics may be simplistic, but she nails
each word to make it sound deeply profound. Other times, such as in
the title track, Case could have sharpened her songwriting skills
(“Fast train, where do your passengers wait?”). The hidden track is
a nice little touch, but like most hidden tracks, it’s almost not
worth fast-forwarding through the annoying dead space.
It’s hard not to pigeonhole Niko Case into the alt-country
category. Admittedly,
Blacklisted is one of the best alt-country albums out there.
But Case’s voice and the arrangements of the tracks will likely win
over many who couldn’t give a crap about Ryan “don’t call me Bryan”
Adams. After listening, you know that Neko Case has what it takes
to make a stone-cold classic album. In the track, “Stinging
Velvet,” Case sings about being enraptured by someone’s “cold and
shivering warmth.” For those waiting for fall to start,
Blacklisted‘s “cold and shivering warmth” is a comfort.