Fans of both Neko Case and 12-inch frisbees rejoiced this year when a reissue of her doomy masterwork Blacklisted appeared in LP racks.
Thanks to Canada's Lance Rock Records, this album finally makes a vinyl appearance in North America. I've read that it was available briefly on vinyl from Matador Europe, but I've sure never seen one for sale anywhere. The label has also issued Fox Confessor Brings the Flood on LP, with a release of The Tigers Have Spoken announced as well.
Fans already know and love these albums. So what's here to recommend purchasing them again? Well, the packaging is super deluxe in both cases. And if you're a vinyl die-hard, it's very welcome that they now exist in the preferred format.
Audiophiles may not be too pleased with these reissues, however -- both LPs sound to these ears as if they were mastered straight from the CD mixes without the alterations needed for the different medium. Blacklisted often sounds thin and tinny, and Fox Confessor tends to start sounding overdriven and distorted about midway through both sides.
I've tried them on several turntable setups in the hopes it was just my imagination, but I found similar results to no avail. Here's hoping the Tiger reissue emerges with a more sonically-accurate bite. (Lance Rock, 2008)
