People Got A Lotta Nerve – Neko Case
It took a long, long time for Fox Confessor to grow on me, but in retrospect it was a truly phenomenal album. Based on the evidence of this song, there’s every reason to think the next record from Neko Case will be just as good. It’s got a much faster tempo than I’d grown to expect from her, but it all builds effortlessly into a jangly storm, and her voice remains as astonishing as ever.
And, as with most of her songs, you get so caught up in the voice that it’s only after many listens that you start paying attention to the lyrics and realize that it’s far darker than you originally guessed – either a rumination of the way that civilized folks become alienated from the natural life of beings in the wild, or a sly metaphor for her own social relationships. Or something else entirely. Regardless, the imagery is evocative and only more so when sung in her voice.
But wait, there’s more. She and her label have decided not only to give this song away for free but also to donate 5 bucks to the Best Friends Animal Society for every blog post or iLike user who adds it to their profile. Given that, how can I not post it?
Middle Cyclone is due out on March 3, and you can hear a bunch of bits and pieces from it as well as some awesome discussion from her about recording in this video. Based on what you can hear, it sounds really REALLY good.
I particularly appreciate this quote from her: “I don’t like writing love songs and so I don’t really write them. But then I also realize that every single song I ever write is a love song.”