Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009

Review: Neko Case, ragged but regal

Neko Case brought her unique voice and loopy sense of humor to the Granada Monday.

Preston Jones

DALLAS -- The words to A Widow's Toast skittered away from Neko Case, momentarily eluding the singer-songwriter Monday night at the Granada Theater.

She quickly regained her footing and the gorgeous cut from 2006's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood continued, but the evening was prone to moments like these. The near-capacity crowd didn't mind in the least, shouting out song requests and, as vocalist Kelly Hogan phrased it, "words of affirmation."

Loose almost to the point of shambolic, Case's penultimate performance of the current tour supporting her latest record, Middle Cyclone, was a bit road-weary. Despite the few hiccups, the nearly 80-minute set was altogether beautiful (not counting the ominous owl looming over the stage backdrop); the power, clarity and potency of Case's voice cannot be overstated, particularly as augmented by her top-flight touring band.

She ran through much of Cyclone and Flood, including singles This Tornado Loves You and People Got a Lotta Nerve, reaching back to beloved tunes like Deep Red Bells to fill out the setlist. Between songs, Case and Hogan kept up an amiable, surreal patter, affecting British accents and extolling the virtues of Vietnamese tea.

It all flew by, as seemingly every Case show does, far too quickly, like some giddy rush of wind or, perhaps in this case, a relieved exhalation that comes after much toil. Take the rest of the year off, Neko -- you've earned it.

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