Blacklisted is the third studio album by American musician Neko Case, released on August 20, 2002.

Blacklisted marked a departure from the alternative country sounds of Case's first two solo albums. Guest musicians on the album include Howe Gelb, Kelly Hogan, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Joey Burns, John Convertino, and Dallas Good.

As of 2009, sales in the United States have exceeded 113,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Music

Nick A. Zaino III of Paste Magazine assessed the style present on Blacklisted: "[Case's] persona and her music remained dark, mysterious, and a little distant with her voice wrapped in reverb as if she were calling out from a vast, empty space. If Tom Waits is the drunken dreamer caught in the gutter, Case is the woman who put him there. And unlike some of her contemporaries, she never gave up on twang as she developed her own voice."

Critical reception

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Upon original release, Blacklisted was met with critical applause, with particular praise towards Case's vocals. AllMusic's Mark Deming wrote that it contained "some of her finest and most insightful performances to date", as well as noting her progressions as a lyricist and composer. In another retrospective review, Stereogums Rachel Brodsky saw it announce Case "forging her own country-noir sound", noting its "then-new" qualities such as "pioneering" genre fusion and more. Brodsky wrote of "legions of younger artists" who would try to replicate Blacklisteds sound in the years since its release.

In 2016, Exclaim!s Sarah Greene ranked the album second out of five essential Case records. She called its songs "decadently dark and beautifully scary, providing a sympathetic backdrop for [her] torchy performances." In 2020, Consequence ranked it the best of Case's nine solo works.

Online music magazine Pitchfork placed Blacklisted at number 141 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.

Track listing

All songs written by Case, except where noted.

  1. "Things That Scare Me" (Case, Tom Ray) – 2:30
  2. "Deep Red Bells" – 4:03
  3. "Outro with Bees" – 1:35
  4. "Lady Pilot" – 2:26
  5. "Tightly" – 2:16
  6. "Look for Me (I'll Be Around)" (Sylvia Dee, Guy Wood) – 3:21
  7. "Stinging Velvet" – 2:55
  8. "Pretty Girls" – 3:25
  9. "I Missed the Point" – 1:52
  10. "Blacklisted" – 2:22
  11. "I Wish I Was the Moon" – 3:34
  12. "Runnin' Out of Fools" (Richard Ahlert, Kay Rogers) – 3:05
  13. "Ghost Wiring" – 3:54
  14. "Outro with Bees (Reprise)"
  • Neko Case - vocals , harmony vocals ; acoustic guitar, electric tenor guitar , tambourine , piano , acoustic tenor guitar , electric 6-string guitar & saw , electric guitar , drums & percussion ; arrangement
  • Kelly Hogan - sexy background vocals
  • Mary Margaret O'Hara - backing & harmony vocals
  • Dallas Good - 12-string guitar , baritone guitar , electric & acoustic guitar
  • Joey Burns - tenor guitar & pump organ , acoustic guitar , cello , bowed double bass , electric bass , electric guitar & acoustic guitar , vibraphone , accordion , upright bass
  • Brian Connelly - baritone guitar
  • Jon Rauhouse - banjo , pedal steel guitar , Hawaiian guitar
  • Howe Gelb - pump organ , piano , organ , Wurlitzer organ
  • Tom V. Ray - upright bass ; arrangement
  • John Convertino - drums

References