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Nine seconds into her first studio album since 2002's
Blacklisted, and there it is. You can't miss it.
The voice. Instantly recognizable and uniquely commanding, it has been uniformly overlooked by the masses and beloved by those who have caught on. And, believe it or not, it gets even better, whether Neko Case is warbling like a porch-swing neighbor to Loretta Lynn ("Margaret vs. Paulene," "John Saw That Number"), pontificating from the spiritual pulpit of Etta James ("Lion's Jaws," "Maybe Sparrow"), or unleashing the high-octane zeal of a power-pop spitfire ("Hold On Hold On," "The Needle Has Landed"). Her uncanny, often eccentric lyrics have always been delivered with an inherent passion behind the impulse, but rarely have they approached the boldness of these dozen--many of which were inspired by generations of tales from her Ukrainian ancestors. As usual, Case's industry running buddies collaborate to make the sounds behind her, from Calexico to Howe Gelb of Giant Sand to the Band's renowned Garth Hudson. Still, it all comes back to the voice, that serenading urgency that asks in the title song, "How can people not know what beauty this is?" Yes, there are some to ask, how not?
--Scott Holter More from Neko Case 
Furnace Room Lullaby | 
Blacklisted | 
The Tigers Have Spoken |
Live from Austin, Texas |
Electric Version, the New Pornographers featuring Neko Case
|
Twin Cinema, the New Pornographers featuring Neko Case |
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(120 customer reviews) 80 of 83 people found the following review helpful
The Case for a Great Voice - ****1/2,
March 11, 2006 B. Niedt (Cherry Hill, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Audio CD)
Neko Case's stock must be on the rise - I saw this CD on the "new releases" page of the weekly Best Buy ad, the page usually reserved for the likes of Christina Aguilera and Matchbox 20. This may be her "crossover" album into mainstream success, and I'd be crazy to say it isn't well-deserved. There are two sides to Neko - the rockin' singer in the New Pornographers (whose popularity also seems on the upswing), and the countrified chanteuse of her solo albums. She's been compared vocally more than once to Patsy Cline, and that's a fair analogy. Her clear, achy voice rings out through all these songs, which seem generally more folky, and even at times jazzy, than on the previous albums, which were more steeped in country tradition. There are hints of gospel too (the traditional "John Saw That Number"). The strongest tracks for me, hearing this for the third time, are "Hold On Hold On" and "Star Witness". "That Teenage Feeling" is another fine song (I love the illustration for it...Read more
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
An impressive cohesive whole,
September 26, 2006 Timothy G. Niland (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Audio CD)
With her flaming red hair and imposing good looks, Neko Case strikes an impressive pose, but that's nothing compared to the development of her singing and songwriting over the past few years. This album bathes her strong voice with echoing reverb, making her tales of love and loss seem even more apocalyptic. Case mixes country, folk and pop with an unusual deftness that sets her apart from the veritable army of female singer songwriters on todays music scene, and with backup from the likes of Calexico, one of the finest roots rock groups around, the music meshes very well with the lyrics.
Songs like "Star Witness" and "Margaret vs. Pauline" tackle working class themes and issues without the slightest smirk and are devastating performances. Surprising, yet equally powerful are the gospel influences in the music, most overtly brought forth in "John Saw That Number." But the theme that most pervades the album is one of hope amidst a great struggle, exemplified by songs like...Read more
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
ghosts in the reverb,
February 26, 2007 J. Holmes "blood+whiskey" (yokohama, japan) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Audio CD)
i have been a loyal fan of Neko case ever since her voice stopped me dead in my tracks on the song "Twist The Knife" from the Furnace Room Lullabye album. and i have been set to pounce and devour any new album that comes out with her on it. on her earlier works (like Furnace Room Lullabye), she seemed like she was growing into her role as a solo performer and as a singer with a blessed set of beautiful pipes. the music seemed fit for her voice and most of it seemed as though it were written specifically for her in mind (including the cover songs, strangely enough).
then, when Blacklisted came was released, there was a sense of change in the air. nothing in her overall sound was drastically overhauled, but there was a certain "witchy" way that had crept into the sonic pallete. the songs seemed to grow more ghostly, the lyrics a bit more obscure, and the overall atmosphere had garnered a little bit more fog, and more dust.
in this environment, Neko seemed to really...Read more
