Customer Reviews

Furnace Room Lullaby

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What a CD! What a maverick performance!..dont let her ever get near Nashville..record company executives might find out that she really understands that traditional country sounds can be delivered in a new fresh and rocking way..that dont involve the santitized straight jacketed *pop* sounds of a Twain Hill or the like..it will cripple the country music establishment. Where did she come from?I hadnt heard of Neko Case before,I read a couple of reviews and bought this on impulse alone.If you are like me,and believe that country music can evolve from line dancing rural cringe and not end up like a production line of country pop divas,saying nothing more than dont leave me cos my dog died..this is your kind of CD,amen praise the Lord. Can you believe it!!!.. an intelligent emotional collection of gloriously rockin,twangy,heartfelt sensible songs sung by an ex drummer ex punk songstress with an exceptional set of pipes!!! Miss Case would have to be right up there with Shelby Lynn and Alison Moorer,as leading the way for the alternate fringe dwelling country movement that delivers interesting note worthy country for the mature adult. Every song on here is nothing if not an ambitous attempt to capture the history of country past,with a reverence to the style of Cline ,Jackson(Wanda)and dare I say it Springfield and Fitgerald(Ella)..and then it adds an adventureous touch of her own style. This Seattle songbird embarasses the Nashville phonys...big time!!!! Sure..there are flaws and there are some notes that are a little off..but I have no hestiation in saying that this CD is both an accessible bitter sweet melancholy journey and a feel good foot tapping delight...it is simply great!! From the excellent lyrics to the line up of her *boyfriends*,which pleasingly notes one Ron Sexsmith on acoustic guitar..this has a class above feel about it.She sings with a genuine emotion in the voice...it won me,I'm in heaven...you will be to if you like a true alternative to the same old same old being presented as *country*.From the opening bars of *Set Out Running*,through *Mood to Burn Bridges* to *Whip the Blankets* and*South Tacoma Way*and the haunting title track you are in for a delight. I am delighted with this impulse buy,it was worth every cent,,I give it 4 to 4.5..and I think it will get better every time I play it.I recommend you give it at least 4 or 5 plays to really appreciate the product.I do listen to country..and this is excellent...

The cover features a pic of a comatose Neko sprawled out on the gritty floor, red hair pooled around her, as if the victim of a dirty deed. The back features Neko looking guilty, crouching over the body of a knocked-out guy as she rifles through his wallet. Is it any wonder Nick Cave had her open for him on his 2002 North American tour?

Neko's music shares some similarities with Cave in its heartfelt intensity, haunting dark melodies, and occasional rip-roaring debauchery. They diverge at the line between soulful folk balladeer and soulful country pop, the difference between a Leonard Cohen-esque piano ballad and a twanging electric guitar. Neko's "Whip the Blankets" and "Mood to Burn Bridges" are countrified rockabilly rip-stompers. When she snaps "my mood to burn bridges is like my mood to dig ditches," you know you'd better not cross her for fear of ending up in one of those ditches. "South Tacoma Way" is a deeply heartfelt lament for a dead friend or partner that sounds too authentic not to be autobiographical. "Bought and Sold" is a loving but wry look at Neko's hometown of Tacoma, Washington, which has steadfastly resisted development and big-box stores for years. "God bless California, make way for the Wal-Mart," Neko sings, "I hope they don't find you, Tacoma."

Then there's her voice. With Loretta Lynn twang, Patsy Cline throb, and Dusty Springfield soul, Neko has a voice big enough to fill a canyon. The album opener, "Set Out Running," is the most soulful country song about trying to outrun heartbreak that I've ever heard. When Neko belts out, "The springs inside the mattress will cry my dirty secrets; I just can't shake this feeling that I'm nothing in your eyes," it stops my heart every time. The gorgeous, haunting title track, "Furnace Room Lullaby," was featured on the soundtrack to the movie The Gift, with Cate Blanchett playing a spirit medium in the deep south, outwitting abusive boyfriends and vengeful ghosts. Neko's atmospheric song was a perfect choice. The lovely, weepy "Porchlight" is another cry-in-your-wineglass classic ("sorry to tread on your patience, my dear; my heart might be willing by this time next year; I can't make you wait `cause I long to be forgiven"). "No Need to Cry" harks back to Patsy Cline's romantic countrypolitan leanings of the late `50s/early `60s, and it's great to sing along with in the car.

With her classic song structures and big voice, it's no surprise that Neko wrote a song about her influences. "Guided By Wire" tells of salvation through the radio, of the voices of songwriters and performers, new and old, who have influenced and guided Neko through her life and career. "Even in my darkest recollection," she sings, "there was someone singing my life back to me." Neko has been there for me in the very same way on many a road trip, hectic work commute, trip to the corner grocery.... Pop this CD in your car stereo and take Neko along for the ride. She'll provide some much-needed comfort on those hairpin turns, lonely roads to nowhere, and any time you need some soulful countrified pop to give more meaning to your day.

You can't start to talk about Neko Case without first stating right out front that this lady has an incredible set of pipes. She can sing. It's like the best parts of Loretta Lynn mixed with the ballsier parts of Rose Maddox rolled into one package. I'm reminded of that Hank sr. quote about Rose and how she could sound like an angel one minute and like she just came out of a cathouse the next. Neko's got in spades. (She's to my ears just about the best country singer to come out of Canada since Hank Snow.) And this Cd showcases it all from torchsongs like "Twist the Knife" to barn burners like "Mood to Burn Bridges" (Althought the highlight for me is the incredibly sultry little "No Need To Cry") This isn't any of that prepackaged Nashville crud (I mean, if the Dixie Chicks sang the same but looked like Motorhead, do you think anybody'd listen?)or that too hip swing revivalist stuff in cowboy hats and shiny shirts. this is honky tonk. Music meant to be heard in a smokey bar with a glass of something in your hand. (having had that pleasure I can highly recommend it if she comes your way.)She sings it like she means it. Has an ace backing band (with Ron Sexsmith and the criminally under appreciated Evan Johns making appearances) and she just rocks. In a just world this woman would be a platinum selling star. See what you can do.

Since Furnace Room Lullaby's release, Neko Case has released 4 other albums and countless collaborations and appearances (like her membership in The New Pornographers). This album represents a great moment in time when her music moved from old time country recreation (The Virginian, although a great album on its own) to a true development of her own influences from country's darker side along with her own talent for spinning tales from the Northwest. The songs are all steeped in longing and heartache in a way that echoes her influences without merely copying them. Standouts are 'Twist the Knife' and the soulful title track 'Furnace Room Lullaby' along with a heartbreaking song about the loss of her own on 'South Tacoma Way'. Definitely a must have album from her overall catalog!

Neko Case packs Furnace Room Lullaby with great old-school country. This album is a must for those who hate the state of country radio and for those who really don't like country music at all. It both twangs and rocks. Mood to Burn Bridges and Whip the Blankets are not only rockabilly, then just plain rock - both showcasing percussion that points to Case's stints in punk and country-punk bands. Porchlight, Set Out Runnin' and South Tacoma Way are some of the saddest songs I've ever heard. All of the songs on the album showcase the versatility of her voice. Case's voice is not of this world! She runs the gamet from overpowering to vulnerable and uncertain. Furnace Room Lullaby (along with 2002's Blacklisted) are a must-have for all fans of GOOD music.

I've known about Neko Case for 4 days now. I heard her for the first time because she opened for Nick Cave in Seattle. At first, I thought, what a weird opening band for Nick Cave. But as it turns out she was perfect. She is really great live. You never get a sense that she's corporate music product, or that she gives a damn about anything but music (in a good way). I was really impressed by her voice because I think it really reflects a personality and the sass that you see live comes through. I bought this CD the next morning, and it's pretty much all I've listened to for the last few days. She did a lot of these songs when I saw her play, plus some REALLY GREAT stuff on the new album coming this summer.

This is country with attitude. Neko has roots in country & punk, and it comes out with a bit of R&B in it. There's a range of songs on this album, and she reminds me at times from everyone from Patsy Cline to Dash Riprock. And it shouldn't matter, but she seems like a really normal person who absolutely loves music, and is singing with all her heart to find the transcendence she's looking for.

I found more music to add to my list on her site too. She credits her inspirations -- among others some great gospel and r&b stuff that's probably only on vinyl (well, and Lux from the Cramps) :)

I'd recommend this wholeheartedly unless you absolutely cannot stomach ANY country. But if you're a closet Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline fan but normally don't buy anything with a twang, you should check this out.

Neko Case has a delightful voice like none I've never heard. It has been my finest and favorite musical discovery of the past year. I listen to a good bit of alt-country, and this is not one of those waif-ish voices typical of the female side of that genre (though I like many of those voices). Neither is it the sort of voice described in the Amazon review here. To my ears, this is not a voice with the sophistication of a Patsy Cline, Judy Garland, or Sarah Vaughan, and perhaps not a voice of quite that strength. And I don't care - I don't listen to those singers for fun. Neko Case is fun! She rocks, she can belt them out, but she's no diva. So don't buy this expecting Patsy Cline. I think the Amazon reviewer for another CD who described her voice as "spunky" was more accurate.

I expect I'll get the dreaded "not helpful" ratings for not joining in the lovefest here, but beyond the delight of hearing Neko Case's voice, I found this CD disappointing. I'd like to contribute a review that might be useful to those who haven't previously heard Ms. Case and aren't yet converts, as opposed to the many reviews here by fans of all her music. Those fans won't agree with me, but this is a site for buying music, and potential consumers should probably hear from some folks who aren't already sold on the item they're thinking about buying. The singing is magnificent in general, most strikingly so on the first track, "Set Out Running", which just grabbed me and drew me in. I'd love to hear it live! More traditionally country than the typical alt-country, but that doesn't put me off. I found it mostly a downhill ride from there, though, with the biggest bump on "Guided By Wire, where Ms. Case sings inexplicably off-key. The main problem here, in my view, is that the songwriting and to a lesser extent the musical accompaniment is nondescript. "Set Out Running" and the "Thrice All American" aren't bad lyrically, but neither are they particularly well-written. As someone wrote below, this is a singer with a great craft and a great voice, but she is working with poor material here.

I wouldn't recommend against buying - I might buy a recording of Ms. Case singing the phone book just to hear her voice, and would love to hear her perform even these songs live. But they are not the best vehicle for her voice. In contrast, the material she does with the New Pornographers is brilliant, and showcases this amazing voice to much better effect. I would start there if you're not already a Neko Case fan. I haven't heard her other recordings, so can't offer comparisons to them. If you are a Neko Case fan, please forgive my lack of enthusiasm for these songs and please grant me absolution for this review based on my love of her voice. :)

Neko Case wraps you around her sultry country voice, driving heart ache deep through your eyes. This album demands you sit down and listen, as it takes hold. Neko Case tells stories in her songs with a voice to match Patsy Cline, telling tales of the rusted worn out cities that our losing way to the Walmarts and targets of the faceless tomorrow. Neko is your friend there bemoaning the weariness of the world with such eauty that you can't help but sympathize. The CD tilts and swaggers like the drunken janitor tending the boler singing his own furnace room lullabies. The best recommendation I can give for this cd is that its like drinking yourself to sleep, the tears may still be there but you won't have a headache in the morning.

Neko Case makes the kind of songs that you can listen to over and over again and appreciate at all different levels. She's deep, powerful, authentic -- and makes music that kind of defies comparisons.

This record pairs really nicely with her latest, "Fox Confessor."

"Fox" is dark, a little mystical. "Furnace Room" has the energy and heart of old-time country from the 40s and 50s, though I hesitate to use that label because Case's lyrics and harmonies are always deeper and more interesting than country music generally.

On "Furnace Room" her luscious voice just blows you away. On "Fox" she's holding back a bit, focusing more on telling stories.

I have to say that as an introduction to Neko Case, this CD is a fantastic ride. It's full of sweet, sad and melodic tunes that, well A. make me want to hear more Neko, and B. make the hours pass quickly. For those New Pornographers fans (my first introduction), it's very different, but every bit as enjoyable.