Fox Confessor Brings The Flood [Digipak]

Performer: Neko Case
Artist: Garth Hudson; The Sadies
Producer: Neko Case; Darryl Neudorf...
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Personnel: Neko Case (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, dulcimer, tambourine, background vocals); Kelly Hogan (vocals, background vocals); Paul Rigby (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, loops); Travis Good (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Joey Burns (acoustic guitar, nylon-string guitar, cello, bass instrument, upright bass); Dallas Good (electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Howe Gelb (electric guitar, piano); Dexter Romweber, Travis , Brian Connelly (electric guitar); Jon Rauhouse (Hawaiian steel guitar, banjo); Anna DeWolf (violin); Garth Hudson (piano, organ); Tom V. Ray (upright bass, bass guitar); Tom Ray, Sean Dean (upright bass); John Convertino, Willie B, Mike Belitsky (drums); Rachel Flotard (background vocals). Issued more than three years after Neko Case's BLACKLISTED, 2006's FOX CONFESSOR BRINGS THE FLOOD finds the alt-country chanteuse finally unveiling a new full-length studio album. During the preceding years, Case built a sizeable following both on her own and with the New Pornographers, making this record one of the most anticipated releases of early '06. On this assured and inventive outing, Case does not disappoint, as she revisits the haunting atmosphere of earlier offerings, but also broadens her sound. Incorporating elements of country, early rock & roll, and moody film scores, Case creates a fascinatingly anachronistic aesthetic, evoking some enigmatic lost era with songs such as the lilting "Star Witness," the soulful "John Saw That Number," and the ominously orchestral "Dirty Knife." While Case--with her bold, sensual, and dynamic voice--is clearly the main attraction of FOX CONFESSOR, the record also features an impressive supporting cast, including the Band's Garth Hudson (piano, organ), Giant Sand's Howe Gelb (guitar, piano), and members of Calexico and the Sadies. For longtime Case fans, the album will only increase adulation, while those unfamiliar with this unique performer will likely discover a favorite new artist.

Rolling Stone (p.92) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[F]rom her luscious, aching croon, and her ensemble's solemn high-mesa twang and groove, you'd never guess she wasn't covering Patsy Cline standards." Rolling Stone (p.109) - Ranked #45 in Rolling Stone's "The Top 50 Albums Of 2006" -- "[Featuring] her smoky voice, rootsy band and cryptic songwriting..." Spin (p.60) - Ranked #17 in Spin's "The 40 Best Albums of 2006" -- "Her music is a study in visceral pleasure; when those pipes kick in, it's like sunlight piercing storm clouds." Uncut (p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[D]rawing on Baptist spirituals, lush country-pop and torch-song twang, it's less alt.country history lesson, more fairytale fever dream of Americana." Magnet (p.89) - "Neko Case not only carries torch songs, she handles them with care. And when she belts it out, she's as stirring as her gospel heroes and as punk as Exene Cervenka." Down Beat (p.84) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "[With an] unearthly beauty and uninterrupted landscapes of life after life..." Dirty Linen (p.55) - "The songs themselves are so lush and layered that they sound orchestrated....[The songs] stay with you for a long, long time." Mojo (Publisher) (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hese songs -- build on melodies resonant as hymns, but without traditional structures -- reveal themselves only in repetition; they're well suited for winter nights spent staring at a fire."

Armed with one of the most lush and disarming voices in pop music, Neko Case brought the DIY approach of her punk past to bear on the country singer-songwriter tradition. Releasing her first album in 1997 under the moniker Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, Case has proven herself to be both an adventurous interpreter (with unlikely renditions of Queen and Scott Walker songs) as well as a skilled songwriter. By faithfully covering standards by Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb, Case declared her allegiance to country's proud heritage, but collaborations with the likes of Giant Sand and indie-popsters The New Pornographers point to a restless creative spirit.

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