The New Pornographers “The Crash Years”

Remember when you were in school and you had a huge crush on someone, you’d seem to see them everywhere?

You’d spy them in the lunch room. Single their face out of the crowd in the football stadium. See them going into their house as you happened to be riding your bike down their street which, yeah, is across town, but you were in the neighborhood, and you’re not actually stalking them . . . are you?

Okay, so sometimes your crushes can get a little obsessive. And it’s good to recognize that.

I mean, I recognize that I’m slightly obsessed with Neko Case.

And I’m okay with it, because my crush is on her voice. And the only place I’m stalking her is in the record bin.

But the spring has been an embarrassment of Neko riches.

In the best news, The New Pornographers have a new record, and the first single has Neko, who’s part of the NP cast of characters, on lead vocals.

And she’s popping up on other people’s records, too.

Jakob Dylan has her on 8 tracks of his new “Women + Country” album, including the duet “Everybody’s Hurting.”

Peter Wolf brought her in for “The Green Fields Of Summer” on his new record.

And Rosanne Cash has released a bonus track from her sessions from “The List,” featuring, yes, Neko Case, on “Satisfied Mind.” It’s available only as an iTunes exclusive.

Yeah, I’m slightly obsessed.


The Crash Years


“Everybody’s Hurting”


“The Green Fields Of Summer”