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Jun 1, 2018Hell-On, Case’s seventh album, addresses [when a newspaper invaded her privacy] at the hands of selfish writers and cruel men--and finds Case asserting the facts of her life with daring candour and wit.
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May 31, 2018Case’s restless exploratory impulses are contained within relatively conventional song structures, with much more compelling results.
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Jun 7, 2018With Hell-On, Case has once again given herself an ideal showcase for her talents as a vocalist, songwriter, and producer; it's lush but intimate, and one of the strongest and most satisfying records she's delivered to date. Which, given her catalog, says a great deal.
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Jun 4, 2018It’s as good a model of modern folk music as has come along in some time.
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May 29, 2018Hell-On is incredibly dense and eclectic; each moment sonically plays up Case's lyrics and her inimitable delivery--which can turn from tough to vulnerable, to casually wry and to siren-esque within a few lines. It's chock full of delicious attention to detail.
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Jun 1, 2018Women as underdogs, history as patriarchy, nature as kindling for civilization’s bonfire--there’s an anger percolating beneath many of these songs, yet the hard medicine goes down smoothly thanks to the ease of the arrangements.
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Jun 4, 2018Her catalog overflows with interesting and unconventional songs that nonetheless feel comforting and familiar. That’s a catalog worth celebrating, and Hell-On is a wonderful new chapter of Case’s career.
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Jan 7, 2019Hell-On is Case’s most idiosyncratic album, but it’s also her most generous and grounded. It is her strongest--as in it projects strength, the kind that comes with vulnerability.
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Jun 7, 2018Neko Case's clarion pipes remain the calling card, but on her 8th studio LP, between lyrics and vocal arrangements, they've never channeled more imagination or sense of purpose.
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Jun 5, 2018Hell-On is a good demonstration of just how great she’s become.
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Jun 4, 2018On Hell-On, Case once again spins the roulette with a treasury of surprises, stimulating lessons that are complex, thoughtful and articulate.
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Jun 1, 2018It’s a richly realised record and one that is as powerful a statement in support of Case’s measured musical expertise as it is her long-established prowess as a lyric writer.
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Jun 1, 2018Hell-On is an impressive adventure through the mind and talents of one our most erstwhile and beloved musical treasures.
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May 30, 2018“Sleep All Summer,” which features Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann brings his harsh vocals to the forefront of the track, which unfortunately make it challenging for Case to standout. But it’s a small flaw in a gorgeously curated record that reveals Case is never really done reinventing herself.
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Q MagazineMay 24, 2018It shows that whatever life brings her, Case can turn it into something startling. [Jul 2018, p.108]
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May 24, 2018Hell-On is one of Case's moodiest solo records to date.
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UncutMay 24, 2018As ever, Case finds room for expansive manoeuvres in the gap between her lusty, orthodox pop choruses and droll, deadpan voice. Still a singer-songwriter like no other. [Jul 2018, p.24]
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Jun 5, 2018Hell-On is a record that can feel equally fragile and impenetrable, its songs like complex universes connected only by proximity.
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Jun 7, 2018We are guests in her world, after all, and Hell-On is precisely the breezy rock record we may need right now. If you need proof, any of the 12 tracks here will suffice.
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May 29, 2018As usual, there are just enough catchy pop songs to draw in casual listeners but the bulk of the material on the album is weird and idiosyncratic.
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May 30, 2018There is a chilly, somewhat detached vibe that often overtakes the material, making it a challenge to unpack each of these dense selections on an album that’s easier to appreciate and admire than enjoy.
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MojoMay 24, 2018Images both earthy and heavenly make repeated showings, but case's vexing concern is troubled humans. [Jul 2018, p.88]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 30 out of 38
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Mixed: 4 out of 38
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Negative: 4 out of 38
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Jun 2, 2018
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Aug 30, 2018By far her best. Extremely thoughtful lyrics. Every track is really strong. A must have.
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Jul 9, 2018