Middle Cyclone
by Neko Case
  • Record Label: Anti
  • Release Date: Mar 3, 2009
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 49
  3. Negative: 1 out of 49

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  1. TomB
    Apr 12, 2010
    9
    Great album. But the 31 mins of crickets chirping is hardly lazy. She just added that to fill up the disc. Noone creates a 74 minute album ... and the album is 16 songs ... and most just give you a disc with fully blank space at the end. The larger question is why people couldn't figure this out on their own?
  2. DionB
    Mar 21, 2009
    10
    Best ever! buy it now! lick em twice!
  3. EdouardK
    May 3, 2009
    7
    Cyclone is a good album, but thing Ive always like about Neko's music is that theres always some lyrics in her song that I totally identify with. This album didnt have anything like that for me. Since I rank music on what it means to me, I can't give this a ten. Its a good album, but me and it were like two ships passing in the night.
  4. GVB
    Mar 10, 2009
    10
    I don't feel like writing a real review.. It's a great record, go get it. Good bye.
  5. TimH.
    Mar 13, 2009
    7
    I don't think I've ever been so bored listening to an album. When Case isn't monotonously echoing the instrumental melody, she's dipping so low in her range it sounds like she's speaking the track. If she writes her own shit then why doesn't she tailor songs to her voice? I'm not necessarily asking for an album full of "Letter From an Occupant," but it I don't think I've ever been so bored listening to an album. When Case isn't monotonously echoing the instrumental melody, she's dipping so low in her range it sounds like she's speaking the track. If she writes her own shit then why doesn't she tailor songs to her voice? I'm not necessarily asking for an album full of "Letter From an Occupant," but it seems such a waste to hear one of the greatest vocalists of our generation meander through track after pointless track, never really blooming. I've heard what Case can do and I definitely still like her, but this album is profoundly disappointing.… Expand
  6. eastside
    Mar 3, 2009
    10
    Not much needs to be said about this fantastic album. i listened to this over and over while streaming for free on npr and look forward to getting the physical copy in my grubby little hands asap. truly a remarkable recording. just like on the cover, neko is gonna slay you with her gorgeous singing!
  7. SimonS
    Mar 5, 2009
    9
    Great album, which took about three listens to appreciate.
  8. TerenceM
    Mar 17, 2009
    10
    Far be it for me to label Tim H. an aesthetic retard, but if the the glove fits... to be more charitable, perhaps he's simply tone def. Middle Cyclone is undoubtably Ms. Case's finest effort yet; a collection of song whose melodies and lyrics reveal their complex nuances each time they're played. Any artist should be envious of Neko's skill at embedding these pithy pop Far be it for me to label Tim H. an aesthetic retard, but if the the glove fits... to be more charitable, perhaps he's simply tone def. Middle Cyclone is undoubtably Ms. Case's finest effort yet; a collection of song whose melodies and lyrics reveal their complex nuances each time they're played. Any artist should be envious of Neko's skill at embedding these pithy pop passages with such wistful wit and grandure.… Expand
  9. JF
    Mar 3, 2009
    8
    Not her best, but not bad at all. The opening 5 tracks are amazing, especially "This Tornado Loves You", "The Next Time You Say Forever", and "People Got a Lotta Nerve". The title track is a definite highlight, too. The closing 30 minutes of crickets and cicadas is a bit tedious and far too glacial for its own good. It is more than half the length of all the previous songs combined. Not her best, but not bad at all. The opening 5 tracks are amazing, especially "This Tornado Loves You", "The Next Time You Say Forever", and "People Got a Lotta Nerve". The title track is a definite highlight, too. The closing 30 minutes of crickets and cicadas is a bit tedious and far too glacial for its own good. It is more than half the length of all the previous songs combined. It's calming and good background fuzz, but if you take it off, you realize that "Red Tide" is not a very satisfying end, and neither is "Marais la Nuit". So, it ends sourly, but the majority of Middle Cyclone is great.… Expand
  10. Yan
    Mar 4, 2009
    7
    Only three or four great songs. This is no second coming of the Fox Confessor, unfortunately. Of course all the songs do have her incredible voice.
  11. RandallC
    Mar 4, 2009
    10
    Great record.Sadly beautiful.
  12. StephenB
    May 16, 2009
    10
    MC is a great album. Consistently enchanting and springing new from track to track. Subtle but brassy. Literate but no nonsense. Lyrically she keeps getting better. She reins in her voice, but I think to really great emotional effect. Then she also pulls some great pop choruses out of her bum. What's not to like? At Tim H and all those grumpy reviewers...If having a looping track of MC is a great album. Consistently enchanting and springing new from track to track. Subtle but brassy. Literate but no nonsense. Lyrically she keeps getting better. She reins in her voice, but I think to really great emotional effect. Then she also pulls some great pop choruses out of her bum. What's not to like? At Tim H and all those grumpy reviewers...If having a looping track of spring peepers after 42 minutes of music is lazy, then what do you call leaving the empty space on a CD filled with absolutely nada. That's what everyone else does. The track is in keeping with the spitirt of the album. It also has its purposes. In the deep latter stages of winter I played that track as background noise and my wife instantly got happier without knowing why!… Expand
  13. RickK
    Jun 1, 2009
    5
    As with the other listener who likened his experience with the cd as 'two ships passing in the night', I too was disappointed that I did not immediately tune to the emotions of the lyrics. This one does not rise high for me, but her voice! What a voice.
  14. SteveA
    Mar 17, 2009
    10
    I didn't think Neko could surpass the masterpiece that is Fox Confessor. But she did. Middle Cyclone is a fantastic listen. Even the crickets are captivating. Once Ms. Case learns how to properly use Photoshop, she'll become a one-woman powerhouse in the music industry.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Middle Cyclone is the kind of record it's nearly impossible to hate: a pleasantly swirling strum and twang of guitars, gentle percussion, and That Voice.
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  2. Spin
    90
    Middle Cyclone carries case's unique vision one step further: here, she truly embraces the beast within.
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  3. The Boston Phoenix
    100
    Middle Cyclone is her most fearless and arresting record, ruthlessly composed and beautifully recorded.
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