Neko Case — Middle Cyclone

Neko Case's follow-up to 2006's Fox Confessor Brings The Flood continues that album's relatively quiet vibe, but its subtle charms grow on you with repeated listens. Case's voice can leave you enraptured even when it's not big and brassy. The two primary exceptions where she lets loose are on the country-tinged pop lead single "People Got A Lotta Nerve" and the bold and strident "I'm An Animal."

Dynamics are also in play with songs as relatively simple and sparse as "Vengeance Is Sleeping" and the title cut, and as intricately arranged as string-laden and multi-voiced tracks "This Tornado Loves You" and the beautiful cover of Sparks' "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth." While Case penned 11 of these songs herself and co-wrote "The Pharaohs" with Toronto's Sadies, her fine taste in other artists' material is further displayed by covering another 1974 composition, Harry Nilsson's sadly humorous "Don't Forget Me."

Case also co-produced Middle Cyclone with Canadian Darryl Neudorf. But while she has her hands all over the record, she had a lot of help at the same time. In addition to her touring band of guitarist Paul Rigby, bassist Tom V. Ray, multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse, drummer Barry Mirochnick and vocalist Kelly Hogan, the album features contributions from the likes of singers Sarah Harmer, Nora O'Connor, Rachel Flotard, Lucy Wainwright Roche and New Pornographers frontman Carl Newman.

Then there's Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino on cello, bass and drums, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb on piano, Los Lobos' Steve Berlin on saxophone and organ, M. Ward and The Sadies' Dallas and Travis Good on guitars, and a "piano orchestra" featuring Case with The Band's Garth Hudson and The New Pornographers' Kathryn Calder, Blaine Thurier and John Collins.

Middle Cyclone is Case's fifth studio album, and she shows no signs of being blown away anytime soon.

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