Jakob Dylan Recruits Neko Case For New Album

It doesn’t seem like we hear much from Jakob Dylan these days, not like back when he was leading The Wallflowers and songs like “6th Avenue Heartache” and “One Headlight” owned the airwaves. But the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter is back with a second solo album, Women and Country, due for release on April 6.

That’s great news. But the story gets better because Dylan has enlisted none other than Neko Case, and fellow alt-country singer Kelly Hogan, who provide back-up vocals to eight of the album’s 11 tracks.

“Neko’s a huge character,” Dylan told Billboard.com. “She and Kelly add a huge personality to the record.”

And not only do Case and Hogan sing on the new record, Billboard reports Dylan plans to tour with Case and Hogan this summer, along with several players from Case’s backing band, and will incorporate songs from throughout his entire career.

With one solo album under his belt, the 2008 acoustic set Seeing Things, the 11-track Women and Country reunites Dylan with T-Bone Burnett, who produced the Wallflowers’ 1996 breakthrough “Bringing Down the Horse” and hit single “One Headlight.”

“I’m so happy to be collaborating with Jakob at this exciting and vital time in his life as an artist,” Burnett said in a statement. “I think this new album is an important work from a great musician.”

Case and her New Pornographer buddies are set to release new album Together May 4, so hopefully there will be no conflict with any live dates the Pornographers have planned and Case’s summer tour with Jakob Dylan. More Neko Case the better. I might have checked out the new Jakob Dylan anyway, but with Case and Hogan on board it definitely is a must-listen when it debuts in April.

Women and Country:

• 1. “Nothing but the Whole Wide World”
• 2. “Down on Our Shield”
• 3. “Lend a Hand”
• 4. “We Don’t Live Here Anymore”
• 5. “Everybody’s Hurting”
• 6. “Yonder Come the Blues”
• 7. “Holy Rollers for Love”
• 8. “Truth for a Truth”
• 9. “They’ve Trapped US Boys”
• 10. “Smile When You Call Me That”
• 11. “Standing Eight Count”