Middle Cyclone is a lovely work. Neko's voice sparkles, as usual; I will admit to having a terrible bias, though. The songs here compliment her voice well; there's solid instrumentation throughout (some of the New Pornographers appear here, and Neko's band is excellent as always). The sound here does seem to be something of a step back - certainly not in quality (though one could easily choose between this album and Fox Confessor, if one so wished) but in theme. There seem to be more fables and characters here, as opposed to tales of caution and woe. There really isn't a pronounced 'twang' to the sound, but it's still very much 'alt-country' or 'americana', however you want to classify it.
The whole album is solid - I'd be hard-pressed to choose a favorite track, but even I have my likes and dislikes. 'Fever' is a solid track, one that would have fit well on Fox Confessor as well as here. "The Pharaohs" and "I'm an Animal" are wonderful, the title track is good, "This Tornado Loves You" is a nice opener and a microcosm of the entire album. "Magpie to the Morning" is as sweet as sunlight on a spring weekend. If anything, the short lengths of the songs ("Marais la Nut" not withstanding, thank you for the joke, Neko) only make them that much more desirable.
Maybe you won't like this album. Maybe it's too eco-preachy for you, maybe it's not as sinister as Fox Confessor or even The Tigers Have Spoken, maybe you can't dance to it or you just rock too hard for something that only shares its message and doesn't bark it at you. This album didn't strike me right away, like some do; my first listen led me to wonder where the anthems were, when Neko was going to pour her broken heart into the microphone. But subsequent listens have given me an appreciation for this album. Neko still sings like lightning in the night, but reining in her voice makes the moments where it wails really stand out. This album isn't all flash but I've come to love it just the same. Maybe you don't feel the same way. And that's okay. But I will argue with you about this. There are too many great moments not to love Middle Cyclone.
Plus, check out this cover art. If I had seen this picture when I was 15, I don't think I would have ever recovered. As it is, I still think it's funny and great at the same time.In Other News:
Support Your Local Catgun will be taking a hiatus this week. I'm going on vacation - I'll be in Philadelphia - and won't be back until Friday. But I'll hopefully have something special for my 200th blog post. Enjoy the week.
The things that have plagued me this year - physically and emotionally - are starting to lose their hold on me. Time heals all wounds, and thank goodness.
