AILSA CHANG, HOST:
When Ari spoke with the singer-songwriter Neko Case about her memoir, he said that he thought her music often sounded like the gray skies and green hills of Washington state, where she grew up. Well, Neko Case has a new album out called "Neon Grey Midnight Green."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NEON GREY MIDNIGHT GREEN")
NEKO CASE: (Singing) I hear a hole where the scrape and the drag of my cannons should be. I hear a hole.
CHANG: This is the first solo record for Neko Case in seven years. And here to talk about it for our New Music Friday series is Evan Miller from member station WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Hi, Evan.
EVAN MILLER, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa. Thanks for having me.
CHANG: Oh, thanks for being with us. So I know that you've already spent some time with this record. What are your first impressions?
MILLER: Well, I can say quickly, the short version is that it's brilliant and I think a notable record of this year that rewards repeat listens.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
MILLER: Neko Case hasn't exactly been quiet over the past seven years since her last record. Her band, The New Pornographers, has put out a couple of records in the meantime, and she wrote this new memoir that we've already heard about.
This record is a really strong reminder of how vital and singular of a songwriter she is on her own. And topically, it covers a lot of ground, but it pays particular attention in tribute to collaborators, friends, musicians, activists, producers that have passed away in her orbit over many years. There's one in particular, Dexter Romweber of the duo Flat Duo Jets, who was a longtime inspiration for Neko Case. And the track "Winchester Mansion Of Sound" is a really exceptional memorial for him.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WINCHESTER MANSION OF SOUND")
CASE: (Singing) So you string a few together just to bang them all around and build a tragedy's momentum. You're a Winchester Mansion of sound.
CHANG: Well, I also understand that this is the first album that she has ever produced entirely herself, right? Like, she's been putting out records for - what? - over 25 years?
MILLER: Yeah.
CHANG: So how - what does the production sound like on this one?
MILLER: It's dense. It covers a lot of ground. There's power pop. There's chamber music, string flourishes. There's Americana and girl-group-style harmonies that you can expect.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DESTINATION")
CASE: (Singing) You love boys and guitars and girls and trucks. The way you move fills me with envy and wonder.
MILLER: There's a track that's just her and saxophones duetting that's bizarre in the best way possible.
CHANG: (Laughter).
MILLER: I think this record really is a testament to how wide her range is musically and how she can do basically anything, especially with her voice in tow.
CHANG: Well, I saw that she told the website Stereogum that she wanted the record to sound like it was made by real people. What do you think she meant by that?
MILLER: I think that's a testament to the humanity of the record and how it talks so much about people. I think it makes a lot of sense for this record to sound like people. There's breaths. There's creaking and shuffling around. It sounds very warm and lived in.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BABY I'M NOT (A WEREWOLF)")
CASE: (Singing) I remember nothing but horizon I ate miles and miles of the horizon.
MILLER: I think the human element of the music is displayed so lovingly by the production. You can tell it's a bunch of people in a room all making music together.
CHANG: That's so cool. So can you take us out on one of your favorite songs on this album?
MILLER: Yeah, I really like "Wreck," the third track on this record. It's a jaunty, like, bouncy little number. It has this really fun drive to it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WRECK")
CASE: (Singing) Please come back soon, sooner than you want to.
MILLER: There's strings swirling around. Neko's voice is soaring through the whole thing. And she's sort of spinning this cosmic love metaphor, which I think really fits the sounds on it. It's a really fun earworm on this one. Go listen to it a million times.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WRECK")
CASE: (Singing) Possibilities, a volatility of stars. My clothes can't hold together, and I know I can't burn this bright forever.
CHANG: That is Evan Miller from WYSO. You can hear more of his analysis on today's New Music Friday podcast from NPR Music, and Neko Case's new album "Neon Grey Midnight Green" is out now.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WRECK")
CASE: (Singing) And I can live with that, whether or not you leave. So please... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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