Neko Case : Middle Cyclone

2009 album from the singer/songwriter, her first studio album in three years. With Neko's indefatigable touring band building the bedrock of the tracks, Case was able to bring in a collection of friends and fellow travelers including M. Ward, Garth Hudson, Sarah Harmer, and members of The New Pornographers, Los Lobos, Calexico, The Sadies, Visqueen, The Lilys, and Giant Sand. From the ragtag 'piano orchestra' that drives the Phil Spector majesty of 'Don't Forget Me,' to the guitar/vocal intimacy of 'Middle Cyclone,' this album represents both a continuation and a profound leap for Neko Case - the fusing of her long-term themes of nature vs. man into a shining lyrical broadsword, like the one she wields on the album cover.