Neko Case is in fine voice, and this has all the makings of a classic live recording. She is probably the second coming of Patsy Cline, if there could ever be such a thing.
This is a recording from her appearance on Austin City Limits in 2003. The song choices are varied and great, and the performances here are a little sparse but still note-perfect. There’s been some discussion on the level of reverb used on her mic; while she admits to normally using “pornographic levels” of reverb, it’s been toned down considerably here, which some Neko fans may not appreciate. Others (like me) will probably still wish that she’d completely turned off the reverb, since we’re basically listening to an ‘unplugged’ concert here.
Neko has a distinct, haunting vocal style, and I respect her work immensely. This is a highly enjoyable CD that bears revisiting, although I’d hoped for something more intimate that captured the sound of the ACL space, something more synergized with the backing instrumentation. Her covers of Bob Dylan and Hank Williams are remarkable, and “Hex,” written by Catherine Irwin, is a standout. Overall, just a few marks deducted for a slightly confused-sounding production job.
B+
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