Hell-On

Hell-On is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Neko Case, released on June 1, 2018, on record label Anti-. Case recorded the album largely in Stockholm, co-producing with Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John.[1]

Hell-On
Studio album by Neko Case
Released	June 1, 2018 (2018-06-01)
Studio	Carnacial Singing, St. Johnsbury, Vermont Ingrid Studios, Stockholm, Sweden WaveLab Studio, Tucson, Arizona
Genre	Alternative country
Length	52:44
Label	Anti-
Producer	Neko Case, Björn Yttling
Neko Case chronology
The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You (2013) Hell-On (2018)

Overview

Hell-On was recorded during a tumultuous period in Case's life. While already dealing with serious problems caused by obsessed stalkers, her farmhouse residence in Vermont was destroyed by fire while she was away in Sweden working on the album, leaving her homeless. The recording of the album in Sweden allowed her to focus her energy on something positive and not dwell on these problems back home.[1]

Case promoted the album by touring with Ray Lamontagne.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.9/10[3]
Metacritic	85/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
The A.V. Club	A[6]
Chicago Tribune	[7]
The Guardian	[8]
The Independent	[9]
Mojo	[10]
Pitchfork	7.7/10[11]
Q	[12]
Rolling Stone	[13]
Vice	B+[14]

Hell-On received universal acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 85 based on 22 reviews.[4]

In the review for AllMusic, critic Mark Deming praised the album; "With 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."[5]

Cover art

Fans and critics have speculated that the fire in the album's cover art represents the fire that destroyed Case's Vermont home, but she has said it's actually completely coincidental. Inspired by the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, she wanted to craft a family sigil. "I decided that my background was so trashy that my family crest would probably have a cigarette butt on it. But I was also obsessed with fake Hollywood cigarettes, so I thought it would be funny to make a costume out of what looked like burning cigarettes", she said of the cover art.[1]

Accolades

Publication	Accolade	Rank	Ref.
The A.V. Club	Top 20 Albums of 2018	2	[15]
Albumism	Top 50 Albums of 2018	16	[16]
Entertainment Weekly	Top 20 Albums of 2018	12	[17]
God is in the TV	Top 50 Albums of 2018	9	[18]
PopMatters	Top 70 Albums of 2018	25	[19]
Uncut	Top 75 Albums of 2018	12	[20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Neko Case and Paul Rigby, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hell-On"		4:11
2.	"Last Lion of Albion"	Case, Jeff Galegher, Rigby	3:38
3.	"Halls of Sarah"		3:53
4.	"Bad Luck"		3:59
5.	"Curse of the I-5 Corridor"		7:01
6.	"Gumball Blue"	Case, Allan Carl Newman	4:14
7.	"Dirty Diamond"		3:44
8.	"Oracle of the Maritimes"	Case, Laura Veirs	4:25
9.	"Winnie"		3:54
10.	"Sleep All Summer"	Eric Bachmann	5:04
11.	"My Uncle’s Navy"	Case, Newman	4:14
12.	"Pitch or Honey"		4:27
Total length:			52:44

Personnel

• Neko Case – vocals, backing vocals, guitar, kalimba, tambourine, clave, piano
• Paul Rigby – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar
• Mark Lanegan - duet vocals on "Curse of the I-5 Corridor"
• Eric Bachmann - guitar, duet vocals on "Sleep All Summer", piano
• Rachel Flotard, k.d. lang, Kelly Hogan, Laura Veirs, Nora O'Connor, Robert Forster, Kathryn Calder, Carl Newman, Jon Seiders, Beth Ditto - backing vocals
• Doug Gillard - guitar, harpsichord
• Sebastian Steinberg - autoharp, electric bass
• Joey Burns - upright bass, cello, bass, piano, wurlitzer, pump organ, synthesizer, vibraphone
• Barbara Gruska - drums, percussion, drum machine
• Jeff Galegher - kalimba loop sample, guitar
• Björn Yittling - keyboards, bass, guitars
• Steve Berlin - saxophone
• Thom Monahan - tambourine, tuba
• Tobias Tagesson - drums
• Simi Stone - violin, backing vocals
• John Collins - synthesizer
• Chris Schultz - soundscape, space echo loop
• Matt Chamberlain - drums, percussion
• Tom V. Ray – bass
• Jon Rauhouse – guitar, pedal steel
• Dan Hunt - drums, percussion
• Sandy Schwoebel - bass flute
• Kyle Crane - tambourine

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[21]	88
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[22]	123
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[23]	4
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24]	38
US Billboard 200[25]	31
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[26]	2
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[27]	4
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[28]	4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[29]	5

References

1. Abdurraqib, Hanif (May 30, 2018). "Neko Case on her new album and moving on from tragedy: 'I've always been a person who fights'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
2. Varga, George (May 27, 2018). "Neko Case, armed with new album, 'Hell-On,' is SDSU-bound with Ray Lamontagne". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
3. "Hell-On by Neko Case reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
4. "Hell-On by Neko Case Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
5. Deming, Mark. "Hell-On – Neko Case". AllMusic. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
6. Rife, Katie (May 31, 2018). "Neko Case is a force of nature on the masterful Hell-On". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
7. Kot, Greg (June 1, 2018). "Neko Case stomps the terra with the powerful 'Hell-On'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
8. Snapes, Laura (June 1, 2018). "Neko Case: Hell-On review – a pitch-perfect roar of female defiance". The Guardian. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
9. Kaplan, Ilana; Aubrey, Elizabeth; Morgan, Jessica (May 30, 2018). "Album reviews: Father John Misty, Roger Daltrey, LUMP and more". The Independent. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
10. Nelson, Chris (July 2018). "Neko Case: Hell-On". Mojo (296): 88.
11. Sodomsky, Sam (June 5, 2018). "Neko Case: Hell-On". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
12. Barton, Laura (July 2018). "Neko Case: Hell-On". Q (386): 108.
13. Hermes, Will (June 7, 2018). "Review: Neko Case's Fierce 'Hell-On' Is One of Her Best". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
14. Christgau, Robert (July 7, 2018). "Robert Christgau on Merrill Garbus's Creative Compulsions". Vice. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
15. Purdom, Clayton; McLevy, Alex (December 18, 2018). "The A.V. Club's 20 Best Albums of 2018". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
16. "Albumism Selects: The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Albumism.com. November 27, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
17. "The 20 best albums of 2018". Entertainment Weekly. December 6, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
18. "GIITTV Album Of The Year Poll 2018 Results: 50 -1". Godisinthetvzine.co.uk. December 10, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
19. "The 70 Best Albums of 2018". PopMatters. December 20, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
20. "Uncut's 75 Best Albums of 2018". Uncut. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
21. "ARIA Chart Watch #476". auspOp. June 9, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
22. "Dutchcharts.nl – Neko Case – Hell-On" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
23. "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 11, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
24. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
25. "Neko Case Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
26. "Neko Case Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
27. "Neko Case Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
28. "Neko Case Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
29. "Neko Case Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2019.