The titles of both this album and its killer opening track, “This Tornado Loves You,” are fitting. Neko Case is a genuine force of nature, a free spirit who has seamlessly morphed over the past dozen years from punk rock go-go dancing drummer (Maow) to musically adventurous songstress. On her sixth solo album, she has moved well beyond the “noir country diva” label and into a sound that defies genre pigeonholing.

Highlight track: “This Tornado Loves You”
Subpar track: “Marais La Nuit”
Overall rating: 9/10

Typically with Case, talented friends join the fun; this time out, the cast includes Sarah Harmer, M. Ward, Carl Newman (from her side project, The New Pornographers), Dallas Good and members of Calexico and Giant Sand. Still, it’s always the lady’s Force 4 voice and ambitious songwriting and production that hold court.

Covers of tunes by Sparks (“Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth”) and Harry Nilsson (“Don’t Forget Me”) also ably confirm Case’s impeccable taste. That said (and no surprise, here): It’s original songs like the jaunty first single “People Got a Lotta Nerve” and the haunting “Prison Girls” (“I love your long shadows and your gunpowder eyes”) that linger.

Bottom line: Nothing cold about this Case, now more than ever. Nothing wrong with ponying up one of DRIVEN’s favourite album covers of the year, either.