Furnace Room Lullaby

By turns mournful, defiant and forgiving, Neko Case secures her stature as Queen of Alt-Country on Furnace Room Lullaby. Her sophomore album more than lived up to the promise shown on her debut album The Virginian — this time, her gutsy vocals are matched by a fully-realized songwriting talent. Case spreads her wings as a honky-tonk angel on such bruised-up ballads as “Twist the Knife,” “We’ve Never Met,” and “Bought and Sold.” Not all is torment though – “No Need to Cry” is a sensuous torch number, delivered with a honeyed caress and she reaches the opposite extreme on “Porchlight,” the very definition of a high ‘n’ lonesome tune. When Case grabs hold of an upbeat stomper, she’s a force of nature, as the likes of “Mood to Burn Bridges” and “Whip the Blanket” show. Most affecting of all is “Thrice All American,” a bittersweet salute to the faded virtues of her Tacoma, Washington home. Case gets sturdy support from the Boyfriends, a flexible cast of players including roots-rock guitar hero Evan Johns and sterling steel guitarist Bob Egan, but ultimately it's the brilliance of her performances that make this an uplifting experience.