By Heather Yarnell

Killer whales, animal instincts, tornadoes, magpies, a kickoff single that relies on a "man eater" refrain for its hook, a cover of "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and a 31-minute album-closing nighttime chorus of cricket and frog chirps - Middle Cyclone finds Neko Case's ever increasing infatuation with nature-themed subject matter alive and well. Though a bit musically muted for an album so humbled by and fixated on nature's wild side, Middle Cyclone can be downright hypnotic in its best moments and is another doozy in Case's growing discography.