While the spare and often haunted sound of
Neko Case's home-recorded Canadian Amp EP seemed at the time like a late-night detour from alt-country's leading songbird of the North, listening to
Case's first full-length album following Canadian Amp suggests it may have been the first step along a new and different path for her.
Blacklisted is a considerably darker and more understated affair than
The Virginian or
Furnace Room Lullaby, and its sometimes stark, sometimes elegant 3 a.m. sound is informed as much by pop, jazz, and blues flavors as the country & western-slanted melodies of her first two solo albums. Which isn't to say
Blacklisted is a total departure for
Neko Case; her big, bold, but silky smooth voice is still a thing of beauty, and if anything, she's still learning more remarkable things she can do with it, with the result being some of her finest and most insightful performances to date. And
Case continues to grow as a songwriter; penning most of the album all by herself,
Case is a lyricist willing to answer to both her heart and her head, and she had a fine ear for a melody to boot. With
Joey Burns and
John Convertino of
Calexico,
Howe Gelb of
Giant Sand,
Dallas Good of
the Sadies, and
Kelly Hogan all contributing to
Blacklisted,
Neko Case has crafted an album whose quiet drift only adds to its power; it's hard to say if hanging out with
Nick Cave on tour had much of an influence on her, but this disc sounds a bit like
Case's version of
The Boatman's Call, a personal exploration of the heart and soul that proves sad and beautiful can often walk hand in hand. Highly recommended. ~ Mark Deming