NEKO CASE
Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
Mint
· Quiet courage reigns on the sixth full-length recording from everybody’s favourite girlfriend.
Neko Case beckons you closer with every note. Ever since her debut release, The Virginian, positive reviews have surrounded her. Cases’s latest, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, is no exception.
There is a lot about this release that is familiar, so if you are a fan of Neko, don’t assume that you will be immediately surprised. Having evolved past the simple sound of twang long ago, her music is a more complicated mix of genres. For some reason, I was expecting this album to include a few more obvious risks. Fox Confessor is beautiful, orchestrated and haunting, but Case has always presented these qualities.
Where the stakes are slightly higher and where her growth is most apparent, is in the lyrics. From the heartbreaking commentary of the opening track "Margaret vs. Pauline," to the whirlybird accents on "Star Witness" and the satisfying build on "That Teenage Feeling," Case is an accomplished storyteller, focusing on personal tales and themes related to women (which is something that the music industry is sorely lacking). Her talent extends to the expansion and performance of traditional songs, like the moody and optimistic tempo of "John Saw That Number," a phenomenal gospel-flavoured tune.
Lots of lovely reverb on her vocals gives off that trademark sound and makes room for the inevitable and inimitable sorrow that guides her voice and gives the listener goosebumps. Joined by some of her favourite people, including Calexico’s Joey Burns and Jon Convertino, Kelly Hogan, The Sadies, Rachel Flotard of Visqueen, Jon Rauhouse and Howe Gelb, Neko is particularly wonderful at arranging her friends’ strengths to accompany her in the best way possible. While there is no doubt that these are deliberate compositions, they have an air of casual conversation.
Presented in a beautiful package with cover art by Alberta College of Art and Design graduate Julie Morstad, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is kind of deceiving in that it lulls you into thinking that you’ve heard it before. Once you listen more closely, you will recognize the emotional sophistication of every song, making this highly anticipated album worth the wait.
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