Hell-On

by Neko Case

Overview

Neko Case is an artist incapable of sounding like anyone other than Neko Case. She's certainly not adverse to collaborating with artists she respects; she's been a long-time participant in the New Pornographers, and has contributed her estimable vocal talents to albums by Calexico, John Doe, Kelly Hogan, and Giant Sand, among others. But on 2016's case/lang/veirs, an album she recorded in tandem with k.d. lang and Laura Veirs, Case found herself working as an equal with two creative peers for the first time, and while her work on the album was strong, it was an example of the whole not being all you'd expect from the sum of the parts. It's impossible to say if the experience informed Case as she recorded 2018's Hell-On (and since lang and Veirs both make guest appearances, their relationship is apparently cordial), but the album finds Case firmly taking the reins and seemingly relishing the experience. Case produced Hell-On (Bjorn Yttling co-produced five tracks) and co-wrote all 12 tunes (except for Eric Bachman's "Sleep All Summer"), and the rich, deeply atmospheric sound of this music has her personality written all over it. Case has a voice that's warm and engaging but speaks from a position of strength, and her instrument dominates Hell-On, expressive and emotional but never histrionic. The arrangements are beautifully detailed, with layers of guitars and keys giving the melodies full-bodied support without sounding cluttered or intruding on Case's spotlight. Even when Case shares lead vocals with Mark Lanegan on "Curse of the I-5 Corridor" and Bachman on "Sleep All Summer," she meshes beautifully but cedes nothing, and Hell-On is a superb example of an artist who can shine bright while giving others room to do their best work. And if Case's lyrics are often enigmatic, they also feel revealing and personal, from the bittersweet nostalgia of "Curse of the I-5 Corridor" and the troubled memories of "My Uncle's Navy" to the playful cynicism of "Bad Luck" and the celebration of strong and empathetic women in "Winnie" and the title cut. With Hell-On, Case has once again given herself an ideal showcase for her talents as a vocalist, songwriter, and producer; it's lush but intimate, and one of the strongest and most satisfying records she's delivered to date. Which, given her catalog, says a great deal. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/01/2018
Label:	EPITAPH
UPC:	0045778741229

Tracks

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 Maritimes
9. Winnie
10. Sleep All Summer
11. My Uncle¿¿¿s Navy
12. Pitch or Honey

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Neko Case   Primary Artist,Piano,Claves,Guitar,Vocals,Kalimba,Tambourine,Vocals (Background)
Thom Monahan   Tuba,Tambourine
Peter Moren   Guitar
Doug Gillard   Guitar,Harpsichord
Jon Rauhouse   Guitar,Pedal Steel
k.d. lang   Vocals (Background)
Nora O'Connor   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Paul Rigby   Guitar
Barbara Gruska   Drums,Percussion,Drum Machine
John Collins   Synthesizer
Beth Ditto   Vocals
Kyle Crane   Percussion,Tambourine
Dan Hunt   Drums,Percussion
Joe Seiders   Vocals (Background)
Sebastian Steinberg   Bass (Electric),Bass,Autoharp
Robert Forster   Vocals (Background)
Mark Lanegan   Vocals
Tom V. Ray   Bass
Matt Chamberlain   Drums,Percussion
Allan Carl Newman   Vocals (Background)
Sandy Schwoebel   Flute (Bass)
Jeff Galegher   Guitar,Kalimba
Tobias Tagesson   Drums
Steve Berlin   Sax (Baritone)
Kelly Hogan   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Laura Veirs   Vocals (Background)
Rachel Flotard   Vocals (Background)
Eric Bachmann   Piano,Guitar,Vocals
Joey Burns   Bass,Cello,Piano,Strings,Wurlitzer,Pump Organ,Vibraphone,Synthesizer,Bass (Upright)
Luke Reynolds   Guitar
Kathryn Calder   Vocals (Background)
Bjoern Yttling   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion
Chris Schultz   Loops

Technical Credits

Chris Schultz   Engineer,Soundscape
Thom Monahan   Engineer
Adam Pike   Engineer
Peter J. Moore   Mastering
Thomas D'Arcy   Engineer
Paul Rigby   Composer
Alex Hall   Engineer
John Collins   Engineer
Trevor Hernandez   Print Production
Donny Phillips   Assistant Photographer
Mark Ephraim   Engineer
Emily Shur   Cover Photo,Photography
Hans Stenlund   Engineer
Neko Case   Mixing,Artwork,Composer,Producer,Photography
Kathleen Judge   Artwork
Brendan Kennedy   Engineer
Allan Carl Newman   Composer
Jeff Galegher   Composer,Engineer
Jenna Pfefferle   Producer
Paul Harris   Sculpture
Paul Santo   Engineer
Laura Veirs   Composer
Eric Bachmann   Composer
Tucker Martine   Engineer
Lasse Marten   Mixing
Michael Parnin   Engineer
Bjoern Yttling   Producer