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THE TIGERS HAVE SPOKEN
(Anti)
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Through her work with the New Pornographers and as a solo artist, Neko Case has gained something of a reputation as alt-country’s queen of darkness. So it’s a pleasant surprise to hear how simply and joyfully radiant she sounds on this album, recorded live in Chicago and Toronto. Backed by the magnificent Sadies along with a few special guests, Case wraps her hearty pipes around a clever mix of originals and covers. Her first-ever solo composition, a Southern-fried waltz called "Favorite," is here, along with renditions of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s "Soulful Shade of Blue" and Loretta Lynn’s "Rated X" that are both upbeat and down-home. More surprising choices are "The Train from Kansas City," originally recorded by the Shangri-Las, and a slab of vintage Boston rock, the Nervous Eaters’ "Loretta." The former gets perfect ’60s-pop treatment, with driving drums and angelic harmonies; the latter is a hot, greasy run through the garage. Even when the subject matter tends toward the sour or the somber, as on new tunes such as the title track and "If You Knew," the mood remains celebratory. Far from a stopgap between studio releases, The Tigers Have Spoken adds a new dimension, and luster, to Case’s catalog.
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