REVIEW: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, Furnace Room
Lullaby
- I.K. MacLeod
It won't take long to see and hear what Neko Case is all about. The cover shot is a faux crime scene where she plays victim to a brutal attack. Her music is revisiting the rich heritage of the old and neglected style of country music that is chalk full of brutal honesty. Her vision is tried and true and her expertise is revealed in her unmistakably enchanting voice. It haunts the airwaves with every passing syllable and can equally trigger a tear in your eye or get you into your dancing shoes.
Her solo debut came out of nowhere in 1997 considering her playful pop-punk background in a trio called Maow. She claims her first love was the country and western music of her Virginia birthplace, so you can look at this phase in her career as a return to her roots. The Virginian featured originals sandwiched between her various takes on countless country classics to the delight of many listeners. She was aided by a bevy of beaus and this time around her boyfriends include John Ramberg (guitar), Scott Betts (bass), Joel Trueblood (drums), and a little side action by the shadowy Brian Connelly (guitar).
The opening numbers, "Set Out Running" and "Guided by Wire," are all the evidence you need to fall head over heels for this belle. "Porchlight" and "We've Never Met" not only feature the one and only Ron Sexsmith and his side kick Don Kerr (Rheostatics), but are two of the most emotionally packed songs that have graced my stereo in awhile. The straight ahead honky-tonk of "Mood To Burn Bridges" has non-stop momentum and southern swing, while the heartfelt "Twist the Knife" reveals Neko's vulnerable side without giving up too much control of her surroundings. The currency of "Bought and Sold" is an epitaph for a broken down heart through countless cases of dejection. The album comes to a close with the stark "Furnace Room Lullaby," whose melancholy melody was constructed in part by Bloodshot labelmates Dallis and Travis Good of The Sadies.
As long as you are not satisfied with what passes as "new" or "alternative" country, this CD will be sure to please. Neko Case is a cowboy's dream and Furnace Room Lullaby is more likely to get stolen from a jukeboxe this year than any of Shania's back catalog.
