Neko Case @ Shepherd's Bush Empire 24 May 2006

For someone whose music is ostensibly serious – a dark blend of earthy Americana and gospel-tinged country – Neko Case is in a buoyant mood. Joshing with her backing singer and recounting lewd stories, such contrast could seem disrespectful in the hands of the less adept, but Case carries it off – and when she sings, she stuns. Her strident, bell-clear voice dominates highlights 'Star Witness' and 'Margaret vs Pauline', and a cover of Dylan's 'Buckets Of Rain' betrays her emotional and poetic roots with style.

Charlie Ivens