NPR

First Listen: Neko Case, 'Hell-On'

A quarter-century into Case's career, her words still feel intensely personal and utterly oblique, as if she's whispering her darkest secrets in Sanskrit.
Neko Case's <em>Hell-On</em> comes out June 1.

There are billions of voices in the world, so it's a stretch to call any one of them "peerless." But through seven albums — not to and, and a long-running gig in — has reached a point where her voice conjures a constellation of mixed emotions on its own. Before her words and meanings can be parsed, the sound alone has become shorthand: You feel mystery, hurt and want in every weary, soaring note.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
A Car-free Town In The Amazon Serves Lessons For Pedaling To Net Zero Emissions
Afuá, a remote town in the Brazilian Amazon, banned motor vehicles over 20 years ago. Writer Mac Margolis and photographer Stefan Kolumban paid the town a visit to see what life is like.
NPR17 min readAmerican Government
What Did Trump Say? Explaining The Former President's Favorite Talking Points
Former President Donald Trump continues to ratchet up his rhetoric on the campaign trail, but if someone doesn't follow Trump all the time, decoding his meaning can get confusing. We're here to help.
NPR2 min read
Hiking The Azores Into Lush Mountains And Stormy North Atlantic Weather
NPR correspondent Brian Mann went trekking on Sao Miguel, one of the most remote islands in the North Atlantic. He found volcanic mountains, birdsong, solitude and lots of rain.

Related Books & Audiobooks