New Neko Case album "Hell-On" (June 1, 2018) *

Now streaming on NPR:

First Listen: Neko Case, 'Hell-On'

 

Neko's fans are going to love this album. There is a lot to love about Hell-On. I like this album so much better than the last one. If there is a complaint, many of the songs are in the same tempo and/or production style. But that is really a petty complaint, because the album is loaded with good songs.

 

i had a listen all the way through, and the first half is excellent to outstanding. the song at the tail end with the archers of loaf frontman nearly derails it though. that song is pretty bad by "neko standards" if you will. probably could have done without it and kept an excellent 45-minute album.

can't wait to grab this on vinyl next week.

 

According to discogs, the North American vinyl of "Hell-On" was pressed at Independent Record Pressing (IRP). In my experience, their pressing quality is terrible, so I will be looking to import an EU copy instead.

 

Anti- has truly been using awful pressing plants lately.

 

Most of their recent pressings have been done by IRP - a terrible plant in which they apparently have partial ownership. You would think they would want to have better quality pressings to advertise their own plant The poor quality is especially obvious when they have some of their releases pressed at QRP (like their release of the recent Mavis Staples album). Unless I know for sure they have pressed at QRP (thanks to AcousticSounds website), I always order the EU pressing - which is typically done by Record Industry and of much higher quality than anything IRP could ever produce.

 

On first listen, Halls of Sarah is an instant favorite, and I think it's a good record, but I'm going to need to take some serious time with the second half before it fully grows on me.

 

I've listened to her albums before but have never purchased. I listened casually to this new one streaming at NPR and I must say it's musically boring. Perhaps I'll listen again if it's still streaming.

 

I doubt that it will be streaming since the release date is today. Generally the streams end upon the album release.

 

Just about to spin this for the first time. I'm a huge Neko fan who discovered her late, right as The Worse Things Get was released, and spent the intervening years amassing pretty much her entire solo and New Pornos discography. If she sings on it, I'll buy it.

The vinyl packaging for Hell-On is beautiful, and actually justifies the $40 sticker price here in Canada. But no download code? That's always a disappointment, as I don't subscribe to any streaming services.

 

5 star review from the U.K. Guardian!

Neko Case: Hell-On review – a pitch-perfect roar of female defiance

 

nice. it sure seems like a lot of outlets are taking their sweet time to review this.

 

This is definitely another grower, like The Worse Things Get was. Middle Cyclone seems like the last time Neko had any interest in writing even remotely "accessible" material. After four listens through Hell On, I'm not sure what to make of it. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the production on "Bad Luck", really compressed & mid-range heavy that makes it stick out from the rest of the songs.

 

I think this is my favorite Neko Case album since Blacklisted (which I can’t imagine anything ever topping).

 

The first side of disc 1 is full of pops, clicks and static and badly off-center. US pressing. Unacceptable.

 

Give it time. She does play with song structure more than she used to, but the harmonies, lyrics, and arrangements are just as gorgeous as ever.

 

yeah, see previous posts about the awful plant that ANTI uses. bummer.

 

For the price of the vinyl - $40 - a download code or CD would have been nice. I can't justify buying this album twice when $40 typically gets me more than a LP.

I haven't listened yet, though. I'm not in a particularly Neko State of mind right now.

 

I'm no Neko Case expert but this is fantastic, one of the best so far in 2018 and the SQ via the CD is very good.

 

Do you have the black or peach colored vinyl release?

 

Colored vinyl

 

she's so weird...but wow what a great voice and writes some cool stuff.

 

I'm wondering if I should just get the CD on this one?

 

Album of the year so far for me. I'm a huge fan, so you can take that with as many grains of salt as you want. I absolutely loved "The Worse Things Get..." as well. I think it's her best album and one of the best records of the last 15 years. "Hell On" may be just as good. I need some more time with it, but I think it's special. Neko's run of albums from "Furnace Room Lullaby" to "Hell On" deserves to be in the conversation of greatest consecutive runs of albums by anyone in any genre. She's that good.

 

Big Neko fan. My first impressions of the album are very positive indeed. I'll no doubt listen a few times before week's end.

FYI, although the album itself isn't streaming on NPR, here's a live show that features many of the Hell-On tracks, plus a few old favorites:
First Listen Live: Neko Case, 'Hell-On'

As usual, she sounds fantastic live here.