Neko Case has announced the release of Hell-On, her first album in five years. The album, which will be released on June 1st via Anti-, features an unforgettable cover of a nonchalant Case with hair curlers replaced by cigarettes and her hair on fire.
Self-produced, the album is tipped as her most accessible and most challenging album. That is quite a statement for a singer with her track record. At the end of 2015, we reviewed her Union Chapel gig; in his insightful review, James MacKinnon made some keen observations about her performance and career and “her ability to keenly portray torrents of conflicting emotions in her songwriting”. Hell-On would appear to be no exception – it is “rife with withering self-critique, muted reflection, anthemic affirmation and Neko’s unique poetic sensibility.”
She also enlisted the help of Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John to co-produce six tracks with her in Stockholm, Sweden, where she mixed the twelve-track album with Lasse Martin.
Listen in full to the title track below (it also features on our Spotify Playlist here):
She released the following statement about Hell-On which just serves to underline the importance of this album to her:
My name is Neko Case. I am a music producer, songwriter, and musician. I just finished a record called Hell-On with a cast of talented musicians, techs, label folks and friends.
What I want you to know about me isn’t too much, nor do I want to over talk it. What you take away on your own, as a listener is most important. I worked really hard and I was present for every second of this project. Producing a record is a huge task and there were times I was deep in the weeds, but that is normal for a record that takes a year plus. The weeds aren’t so bad. There were a lot of breakthrough moments, belly-laughs, sleepless nights and grubby, shiny jeans. In the end it was all worth it and I am so proud of how it turned out, and I am so grateful to have worked with such dedicated, giving artists to make it happen.
There were a few challenges during the making of this record from small (scheduling difficulties, and occasional miscommunication) to large (my house burning down while I was overseas.) But none of them are the story of this recording, the songs are the story. They are my best self. They are everything I’ve worked for since I was a kid, whether I knew it or not.
I write songs from a feeling of solidarity with folks who feel alone or isolated, I think I’m trying to comfort people in this way. It’s not a forceful way rather “No commitment necessary;” take it if you want it, take it as you can.
My style is odd, I don’t know what genre this is. I don’t have a pretty voice or a trained voice, and I am constantly disappointed that I don’t have a “tough” voice, no matter how hard I practice, but it’s mine, and for all its loud, heavy-handed, nasal, vibrato-less qualities I accept it. The closest sound I have found to compare it to is Bulgarian Folk singing. My Eastern ancestors could have been proud of me a century ago? I could have been a droning “caller of wasps” perhaps? I just invented that job, I like the sound of it.
The songs are who I believe myself to be and that will change, but for now that’s how it is and I’m very satisfied with that.
Pre-order Hell-On at nekocase.com
Hell-On tracklist:
1. Hell-On
2. Last Lion Of Albion
3. Halls of Sarah
4. Bad Luck
5. Curse of the I-5 Corridor
6. Gumball Blue
7. Dirty Diamond
8. Oracle Of The Maritime
9. Winnie
10. Sleep All Summer
11. My Uncle’s Navy
12. Pitch Or Honey