My love, I am the speed of sound
When Neko Case sings, "My love, I am the speed of sound," my heart was won. A force of nature, Case has a voice that knocks you down with its gorgeous clarity, emotion, and physicality. In "This Tornado Loves You," she sings from the point of view of a tornado but it's so much more. The torrential force of love is beautifully captured in the whirling guitars and pattering snare drums. Singing of tearing up trailer parks, cutting through 65 miles of land in search of her love, Case's lyrics have never made destruction sound so romantic. The aching longing brought to lines like "I carved your name across three counties" and "come out to meet me / run out to meet me," are clear evidence as to why Case is one of the best singers around. While likely not the kind of love for everyone, I identified with Case here. "This Tornado Loves You" is about a love that is unrelenting, unwavering and yes, maybe a little dangerous, but it's precisely that wild passion that makes the song so soulful and gorgeous. If only all love could have that passion.
Written for Treble Zine's Top 50 Songs of 2009.
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