Neko Case

A must for Neko Case fans, Canadian Amp is her aural love letter to this country. One of our strongest musical advocates south of the 49th, she presents some of our best songwriters using some of Chicago's best musicians. Opener "Andy," penned by Mike O'Neill, renders Neko at her heartbreakingly reflective best. Moving to Neil Young's "Dreaming Man" shows how adept she is with production, this being her debut home recording. Not only can she pick excellent songs by others, like Sook Yin Lee and Lisa Marr, Neko is also handy with a turn of phrase herself - witness the remake of "Make Your Bed," co-written with Toronto's the Sadies. Canadian Amp has great mood, and while it will get pigeonholed in the ever-broadening alt-country genre, it is a wonderful autumnal pop record. Her work with the New Pornographers showed how unlimited she is musically and Canadian Amp emphasises this with greater confidence.