Concert Chronicle: Neko Case Illuminates When She Sings

It is common for artists visiting Stockholm and Sweden to celebrate, but Neko Case is more than most artists. She recorded most of the last album in Stockholm, with Björn Yttling as a producer, and now she calls us the kindest people in the world, celebrating our cooperation, our food … and how Canadian we are.

Then she whispers something shameful about her own nazipresident.

So she is so kind Honorary member of the Vancouver group The New Pornographers, after collaborating with The Sadies and with KD in Long Trion / Long / Veir. As well as some teenage punk bands in Vancouver.

Yet, it's like some kind of American queen that she appears in Nalen (though she also celebrates the place), with a remarkable combination of absolute flippancy and magnificence of the most sophisticated. Four nerdy musicians in the back, where many change instruments all the time. And then two singers on one side, who also sometimes play guitar or small percussion.

I can not help but wonder if she was already using the same kind of trio of songs before the case / long / veirs project, it's something that fits her well and that represents many of the moments the more radiant concerts.

Not because the Neko affair has difficult to wear a song itself, it belongs rather to the kind of artist who would like to add a little lust to almost all kinds of songs: three-step country, night blue salon bellows, 80s style radio stockings or the kind of rock to the purest tradition like The Band once set the bar for, and where Calexico belongs to the top current name.

Several times during the evening, I will simply remember Calexico, in the often cinematographic price, the discreet professionalism, the possibility to switch between many styles in a strict and rather small. Correction of a Calexico with more charisma and less Mexican then.

She has a furious mass of songs in a relatively short time, including the album "Hell-on" from almost every year – varied enough to impress the composite of a long career. Despite everything, she feels that she could have played a completely different set of songs and come up with the same result: everything is in the flow, the way she shines things and how her whole face is. Lights up when she sings a little more.

read More music reviews by Nils Hanssonfor example on how Kacey Musgraves unfortunately pays a little too much for happiness.