Perhaps the biggest challenge for me in writing new entries for this blog is what artist I want to write about. I have a playlist on my computer that I keep expanding with potential artists for my blog.
As I have been listening to my "potential songs list" I have noticed that I have been favoring some songs and artists. These past few days I have been drawn to songs by Neko Case. I have been promoting Neko Case to people quite a bit in the past few years and so I apologize to those of you who are hearing about her for the umpteenth time.
For those that have not heard about Neko Case – I think she is one of the best female artists I have ever heard. To me her voice is not only beautiful but also distinctive - it strikes me as powerful and sweet at the same time. I am not aware of many singers that are so confident in their voice. Neko seems to know the range and qualities of her voice and plays to those strengths in her songs.
You will certainly notice a decidedly folk and/or country tone to Neko’s music. You may also notice that some of her lyrics have what some might consider a dark tone. In fact some music critics have termed her music country-noir or alt-country due to the less-than-sunny themes of some of her songs. (Not all of Neko’s songs are dark, for example her song “Magpie to the Morning” is something of a lullaby). I will also say that trying to decipher the meaning of some of her lyrics seems to be a fool’s errand. All of this said, no matter the song, one of the things that I find to be universal in Neko’s music is her ability to evoke vivid images through her songs.
Last but not least, I realize that folk/country music may not be everyone’s cup of tea but give these songs a chance – I think it will be worth the effort. Enjoy!
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