Neko Case - "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood"

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Fox Confessor... is the fifth solo album from alternative country singer/songwriter Neko Case, who is also known as a member of the Vancouver supergroup the New Pornographers. The album was recorded in Tucson, Arizona, spanning 11 original songs plus the traditional country number "John Saw That Number." Featured performers on the record include Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico, Dallas and Travis Good from the Sadies, and Howe Gelb from Giant Sand. Case also gets help from a member of the rock'n'roll Hall of Fame, as keyboardist Garth Hudson from the Band guests on the disc.

Release on the Canadian Mint Records label in February 2006.

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 22:47 (twenty years ago)

Pfff gurgle blurb! Me excited, very excited. Not only does she reunite the classic Sand lineup but she gets Garth Hudson on there! Ah, Neko, you spoil us so.

― Stew (stew s), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 23:22 (twenty years ago)

EEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

― Jimmy Mod wants you to tighten the strings on your corset (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

this should be good.

― gear (gear), Friday, 28 October 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

I talked to a couple "industry" friends - a music publisher, and a TV booker - who have heard it and both are flipping about how good it is. Has anyone here actually gotten a copy yet?

― skinner, Wednesday, 30 November 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

There's a new bio/press release on the Anti website for the album but no audio sample or MP3s.

― bales, Wednesday, 30 November 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

I have it but I've only had a chance to listen all the way through once because of other things piling up on me. First impression is that it's good... Sorry, that's completely unhelpful. I'll listen more and report back.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 1 December 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

i'm on the fence about neko, but i'll listen to just about anything giant sand/calexico-related. (matos to thread to say the exact opposite.)

― like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 1 December 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

I like Neko a lot as a singer; less sold on her songwriting. Most of her albums have 3-4 songs I really like and a bunch more that I forget about right after I hear them. I'll have to listen to the new one some more to see if that's true here.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 1 December 2005 08:50 (twenty years ago)

(right after I get done figuring out what there is to say about the new beth orton, which, speaking of "on the fence")

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 1 December 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

saw her perform a bunch of the songs from this upcoming record last night in Toronto at the Rivoli. Good show. She claimed to have a cold, but still hit some pretty damn nice high notes. The new songs definitely have a similar sound to the stuff on the Blacklisted record, at least live. No Sadies, Giant Sand or Garth Hudson spottings, though.

― pauls00, Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:33 (twenty years ago)

Heard it as preshow music at a show last week, so not a close listen but - very similar sound to Blacklisted - heavy reverb, Southwestern baritone guitars, etc. I'm with gypsy - like her singing and atmospherics but not a huge fan of the songwriting/lyrics. 'Timber' off The Virginian is still one of the best - specific lyrics, rousing chorus, etc.

― Eazy (Eazy), Thursday, 5 January 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

well, yeah, the songwriting seems especially similar to Blacklisted, with quite non-specific or at least hard-to-parse lyrics. Seems to be more about images and less about rousing choruses. I like that, myself, sometimes. Works pretty well on her stuff, anyways.

― pauls00, Thursday, 5 January 2006 17:10 (twenty years ago)

specific lyrics are for assholes!

― gear (gear), Thursday, 5 January 2006 18:37 (twenty years ago)

Actually got a lyric sheet/booklet from the publicist for this album - I don't think Neko typically includes them in her CD booklets? - and was surpised at how good they were, really amazing in spots. And I'm one who's been a fan, but generally not bowled over by her words. The new record is pretty masterful lyrically however (Margaret vs. Pauline, "Hold On Hold On," and "Teenage Feeling" in particular). She's obviously relatively "young" as a writer (I think the first couple records were all co-written). And while she's not one to write straight narratives or story songs, her lyrics on this record are as good as the music and her voice. Though I think this record - despite some immediate standouts - won't hit people until after a few spins.

― munny, Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:21 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

I was half-expecting some sort of Shirelles girl-group thing but it's really awesome -- Less gothy than Blacklisted and warmer and larger at the same time. Kelly Hogan gets a big gold star for her harmonies. I'm so happy right now I could crap my pants.

― Jimmy Mod (I myself am lethal at 100 -110dB) (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:15 (twenty years ago)

cover art:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000CS4L1E.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― gear (gear), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:19 (twenty years ago)

I kind of wish the main cartoon was blown up as the whole cover, but then it would look virtually indistinguishable from "The Tigers Have Spoken."

― T/S: Pinks/Oki Dog/Scoobys/Tail o' the Pup (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:20 (twenty years ago)

that cover art is rad. i love inky book-illustrations.

― stockholm cindy (winter version) (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:22 (twenty years ago)

The back is better.

― Jimmy Mod (I myself am lethal at 100 -110dB) (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:25 (twenty years ago)

the font's gotta go tho.

― stockholm cindy (winter version) (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:26 (twenty years ago)

i wish it was lighter and pen-drawn like the art.

― stockholm cindy (winter version) (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 27 January 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

i wish it was lighter and pen-drawn like the art.

I suppose, but there's a metric ton of (ugh) "new weird folk" releases that have fonts like that.

I love the art, it reminds me of Edward Gorey.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 27 January 2006 23:53 (twenty years ago)

That cover sucks. I want a Neko pic on the cover, hopefully naked.

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Friday, 27 January 2006 23:55 (twenty years ago)

don't worry, this is the back cover:

http://www.zoilus.com/documents/neko3.jpg

― gear (gear), Saturday, 28 January 2006 00:01 (twenty years ago)

i was actually glad for a break from her scene-of-the-crime cover art. i had to turn in a review of this last week. after a lot more listening, i think it's her strongest set of original songs, even though there are a few in the later stretch that run into her problem of melodic and lyrical vagueness. the first 8 or so tracks are all pretty strong, and i love the last one ("the needle has landed"). i like that it's less self-consciously twangy, more noir-pop. i don't think you can really call it a country or alt-country album at all. the gospel song is great. she and kelly hogan really need to do a gospel album.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 28 January 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

don't worry, this is the back cover:

girlfriend has THIGHS. (i approve, but i would.)

― stockholm cindy (winter version) (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 28 January 2006 00:38 (twenty years ago)

more importantly, girlfriend has TITS

― gear (gear), Saturday, 28 January 2006 00:44 (twenty years ago)

eh, who doesn't these days

― stockholm cindy (winter version) (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 28 January 2006 00:46 (twenty years ago)

Yes, but when on earth does it leak? A fellow can only listen to the new Jenny Lewis album for so long.

― Les, Saturday, 28 January 2006 09:53 (twenty years ago)

It's leaked. And it's amazing. Her best yet.

"Hold On, Hold On" is quickly becoming my fave of the bunch. Though "Dirty Knife" and "Star Witness" are great, too. I agree with gypsy mothra, she has to do a gospel album. What a cover of "John Saw That Number"...

― a. begrand (a begrand), Saturday, 28 January 2006 09:57 (twenty years ago)

where oh where can I find this? :)

― carson dial (carson dial), Saturday, 28 January 2006 13:59 (twenty years ago)

so, what do you think?

― katie, a princess (katie, a princess), Thursday, 9 February 2006 21:46 (twenty years ago)

i've only heard the "star witness" mp3, and -- not to get hyperbolic or anything -- it's breathtaking. if she's got an album's worth of songs like that, then she's got a hell of an album. Everything about it is pretty much perfect.

― Tyler W (tylerw), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:37 (twenty years ago)

i think my three favorites are "star witness," "hold on, hold on" and "the needle has landed." but that could change the next time i listen.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 9 February 2006 23:02 (twenty years ago)

it's amazing

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 9 February 2006 23:21 (twenty years ago)

This record is unbelievably great. Between this and Jenny Lewis, 2006 is shaping up to be a banner year for 30-ish alt. country redheads making albums under 40 minutes.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 9 February 2006 23:25 (twenty years ago)

After hearing the iron & wine EP and now this, I'm beginning to think that calexico's support work has become too predictable. They pulled out all the stops for giant sand in the 90s, but now it just seems that since chore of enchantment, burns and convertino just toss out either their signature 6/8 rhythm or the El Picuador beat played at a different tempo for every song. Too much of the rhythm work, along with the reverb, makes fox confessor sound like a retread of "blacklisted". I still like it, but I feel that calexico are now saving thier best material for themselves (I love feast of wire and the eps they have come out with since).

I think the sadies provide the best support work for neko's own songs. Her orignal songs with them on the live album were great, and Hold on, Hold on is my current favorite for the new one. Neko just sounds more propulsive with them.

― ghoser, Saturday, 11 February 2006 01:54 (twenty years ago)

agreed. she's most simpatico with the sadies (even though on their own, i like calexico more than the sadies). (and i just almost typed shadies, becz i was just reading the eminem thread, which now has me contemplating a neko/eminem collaboration. they both have a gothy side, it could work.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 11 February 2006 01:59 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

this is great! i managed to secure a copy a couple of days ago. also: she's playing amoeba records in L.A. on Wednesday. I won't be able to go ; (

― gear (gear), Sunday, 5 March 2006 21:26 (twenty years ago)

this comes out tommorow

I'm gonna go buy it

― Hairy Asshurt (Toaster), Sunday, 5 March 2006 21:55 (twenty years ago)

Still listening to it nonstop. Right now my favorite is Maybe Sparrow. Best of 2006, thus far.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Sunday, 5 March 2006 21:58 (twenty years ago)

Yeah it's up there for me too. The new Sondre Lerche thing blows it out of the water though.

― Hairy Asshurt (Toaster), Sunday, 5 March 2006 22:04 (twenty years ago)

best!

― timnyc (timnyc), Sunday, 5 March 2006 22:41 (twenty years ago)

I am so psyched for this. Off to Best Buy Tues, only 9.99.

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Monday, 6 March 2006 02:00 (twenty years ago)

When does the new Sondre Lerche come out btw?

― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Monday, 6 March 2006 02:06 (twenty years ago)

http://harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=3993

Dammit Neko, yr 65 Cougar only makes me love you more

― Jimmy Mod: The Prettiest Flower In The Pond (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Monday, 6 March 2006 04:50 (twenty years ago)

When does the new Sondre Lerche come out btw?

-- Jim Reckling (Jreckli...), March 6th, 2006.

The proper album isn't out until summer i don't think. But this odd jazz-pop thing he has done is out soon i think. And it's fantastic.

― Hairy Asshurt (Toaster), Monday, 6 March 2006 11:53 (twenty years ago)

i can't get fox confessor till next week. i can hardly wait

― gem (trisk), Monday, 6 March 2006 11:54 (twenty years ago)

I just popped out before lunchtime to get it. This is the first time I've bought a CD in a shop on release day for about three years. In HMV, no less. And only £9.99. I was expecting to pay about £13. I felt youthful and fantastic.

Haven't listened to it yet, but love the three or four tracks I have heard.

― Mike W (caek), Monday, 6 March 2006 12:18 (twenty years ago)

i'm so envious of you people able to get it on the release date. stupid isolated city, frustrating. i haven't looked forward to an album this much in an incredibly long time

― gem (trisk), Monday, 6 March 2006 12:55 (twenty years ago)

Hrm. A little, oh, boring, maybe. She seems further down the SONGWRITER road and not so much THE SINGER that I loved from her second album (and from the Live Album). "Come On, Come On" is pretty good, and I'm sure that I'm going to find more songs I like if I make myself listen to it a few more times, but it was pretty much exactly what I expected. Which didn't ever use to be the case with Case.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 March 2006 14:52 (twenty years ago)

I disagree. Her singing has never been better. She's learned how to control the sheer power of her voice, and has gradually moved away from the full on stylings of her first two albums to explore a wider expressive range. And the music is better too, much stranger, richer and evocative.

― stew!, Monday, 6 March 2006 15:07 (twenty years ago)

I don't know, she's, like, turned into Nick Cave (and Nick Cave of the last 5, 10 yrs at that) and just, sort of, one more SONGWRITER and one less BRIDGE-BURNER.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:11 (twenty years ago)

(though, obviously, this is just a matter of my taste, I can fully appreciate that if you like the direction she began moving in on her last studio album, y're gonna LOVE this one)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:12 (twenty years ago)

Oooh, this is lovely. And I'm going to see her live! Hurrah!

― carson dial (carson dial), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:17 (twenty years ago)

Don't get me wrong, I love to hear Neko tear it up on a country barnstormer, and she still does that live, but I feel that the direction she's moving her studio albums in is ultimately more interesting and unique.

― stew!, Monday, 6 March 2006 15:20 (twenty years ago)

Great quote re: image-making in that Harp article: "What I want people to know about me cannot be communicated in a photograph."

― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:22 (twenty years ago)

I haven't heard it yet, but I'm worried that Huk is probably OTM.

― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:25 (twenty years ago)

UNCUT says it is very good!

― the bellefox, Monday, 6 March 2006 15:39 (twenty years ago)

Mojo too. And Metro gave it five stars. It's a remarkable record. I can't get Hold On Hold On out of my head.

― stew!, Monday, 6 March 2006 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Just bought this. Saw it onsale for like 9.99 at a couple places -- Best Buy and Tower. I have to spin it some more, but after a couple listens this is record of the year, hands down. A total massive leap from Blacklisted which was already pretty great. But this is a genuine classic type album. There's only one song that I'd even suggest is anything less than amazing.

― jojo, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:58 (twenty years ago)

I'm still only feeling about half of it (Star Witness, Hold On Hold On, Dirty Knife are as good as anything off Blacklisted), but I'm really liking that half. Going to keep listening until the rest is unklocked, as it were.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 23:00 (twenty years ago)

the last song is great.

― Hairy Asshurt (Toaster), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 23:21 (twenty years ago)

Indeed. Standouts for me are the last track, Hold On x2, Star Witness, and Maybe Sparrow. This may be the first album that I really solve in a long time. Fantastic.

When is she going to tour the UK though? I long to whisper in her ear.

― Mike W (caek), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 23:28 (twenty years ago)

just noticed that her website is up thought finally

www.nekocase.com

― wilhelm, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 02:43 (twenty years ago)

i got it yesterday. i'm definitely liking it and i suspect it will continue to grow on me. my current favourites are hold on, star witness and i think also widow's toast. i love all the strings, they add some drama for sure. and the sadies add 12-string brilliance too.

― gem (trisk), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 02:51 (twenty years ago)

the tshirts on her site are sick.

― Jimmy Mod: The Prettiest Flower In The Pond (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 03:39 (twenty years ago)

I notice a lot of people are listing Hold On, Star Witness, Maybe Sparrow, and the last one as their favorite tracks. These songs are my favorites as well (along with Magaret and Pauline and the title track), but this consensus emphasizes to me that the album is flawed.

I mentioned up-thread that I thought Calexico's backing had gotten predictable on this album, but I have to change my view and say that the element that keeps this album from being perfect are Neko's occasionally uneasy chord progressions (assuming that the basic structure of all the songs were written by her). To give an example (wish I had a chord chart in front of me), the chord sequences in Dirty Knife (whole song), Teenage Feeling (just the verses), and Lady Pilot from Blacklisted are unusual, in that they utilize a lot of passing tones and diminished chords (technical knowledge may not be exact here). These sequences sound uneasy in themselves, which seemingly fits in with the dark pop theme of much of Neko's songwriting.

The problem with these progressions is that Neko doesn't need them to get her point across. She can write a song with a couple of basic major/minor chords (see first three songs on fox confessor)and allow the power of her voice and the musicianship of Calexico and the Sadies to convey her vision just fine. For christ sake, the chords on Hold On could be turned into a mediocre REM knock-off if handled by lesser hands, but Neko's vocal performance and the Sadies backing (love Dallas Good's brief solo in the beginning) turn it into the best song on the album. So to sum it up: She should use more simple and direct chords.

― Ghoser, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 03:42 (twenty years ago)

uhh, why don't you send her your analysis and she how she fares on the next album.

― Elliot (Elliot), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 03:54 (twenty years ago)

hmm. that comes across as a bit pissy, but seeing "problem" and "doesn't need them to get her point across" and "she should..." rubbed me the wrong way.

― Elliot (Elliot), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 03:59 (twenty years ago)

Well, at least you were pissed at the tone of my comment, because I initially interpreted your comment as "omg someone brought chords into this discussion what a dork".

I guess a better way I could put it is that she is skilled enough to sound original without getting fancy or mysterious harmonically.

― Ghoser, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 04:22 (twenty years ago)

So, is this one as good as Destroye's Rubies?

― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 04:27 (twenty years ago)

heh, i wasn't pissed exactly. it was just a bit forceful. I actually really like said "mysterious" harmonies in these songs.

― Elliot (Elliot), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 05:27 (twenty years ago)

Holy shit! This is total goosebump-inducing stuff.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 09:27 (twenty years ago)

She's doing an in-store at the Hollywood Amoeba today (Wednesday), 7 pm.

― nickn (nickn), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 17:25 (twenty years ago)

she is skilled enough to sound original without getting fancy or mysterious harmonically.

I find this criticism exceedingly odd: how can working with a broader musical palette than maybe anyone else in (alt-)country be a negative? The suggestion seems to be that, since she has a unique voice, the rest of her music shouldn't be unique. Makes no sense to me. Overreliance on I-IV-Vs is one of the most frustrating aspects of the genre, and Case is at her most exciting when she's working with unconventional song structures and atypical chord progressions.

― erklie (erklie), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 19:34 (twenty years ago)

DON'T CALL IT ALT-COUNTRY

― Jimmy Mod: The Prettiest Flower In The Pond (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 19:38 (twenty years ago)

HOW DO I BLOODSHOT COUNTRY?

― Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 19:44 (twenty years ago)

Erklie-

I'm not against her bringing in odd chords,I just wish she use them only breifly (like the 7th chord (?) she throws in during the "there were no survivors" line on Star Witness) as a wrinkle thrown in the standard I-IV-V progression. It's that type of intuitiveness, combined with the superior arranging skills of her backing mates, that best demonstrates her skills and breaks from conventions in the genre.

Contrast that with Lady Pilot from Blacklisted, where the entire song is based around an odd progression. it seems unique at first but fails...to go...anywhere because the "dark" or "goth" mood is revealed almost immediately. I like it a lot better when she establishes a standard progression at first, then takes it somewhere you wouldn't expect before bringing it back, as it's more a testament to her uniqueness to me.

― Ghoser, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 22:33 (twenty years ago)

is she as good as genesis?

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 22:37 (twenty years ago)

I wanted to add that instrumentation is a factor as well. Maybe if she didn't strum the chords on a accoustic guitar, but rather used a piano and voiced it with more subtlety, it would sound better to me.

― Ghoser, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 22:46 (twenty years ago)

I think for me the area this might fall a little behind Blacklisted is the lyrics. So much of Blacklisted's greatness was how effectively it evoked sensory memories; especially "Things That Scare Me", "Deep Red Bells" and "Stinging Velvet". Nothing on here quite hits those heights, though there are still flashes of brilliance, especially "Hold On Hold On" which may be, ooh, the third best song she's done.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 9 March 2006 01:53 (twenty years ago)

I think this is her best album. I really love it and can't stop playing it.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 9 March 2006 09:02 (twenty years ago)

Same, but without knowing her others.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Thursday, 9 March 2006 09:10 (twenty years ago)

Whole record streaming at: http://www.nekocase.com/music/2006/02/fox_confessor_brings_the_flood.html

― Eazy (Eazy), Thursday, 9 March 2006 23:36 (twenty years ago)

Just caught her on the late night repeat of Leno. Wow. One of the better sounding TV performances I can remember hearing. Her voice was amazing as expected, but you could actually hear the band, good mix and it looked like she had Kelley Hogan and the girl from Visqueen singing backup. The performance was almost worth having to listen to a couple minutes of Larry the Cable Guy's schtick.

― waaron, Friday, 10 March 2006 08:05 (twenty years ago)

For anyone subscribed to www.emusic.com the Neko record and the new Stereolab are up there for download. The new Destroyer record is there too.

― mms (mms), Friday, 10 March 2006 09:07 (twenty years ago)

the Tonight Show spot is online:

http://www.prefixmag.com/video/N/Neko-Case...ith-Jay-Leno/27

― juana, Friday, 10 March 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

Just got tickets to see her at the 9:30 club in April. hooray!

― dar1a g (daria g), Friday, 10 March 2006 18:40 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, last night's Leno was my first encounter with Larry the Cable Guy (I'd heard the git-r-done catchphrase and all that, but never actually seen or heard him do material) and it was really fooking bleak. Painfully unfunny. Makes Jeff Foxworthy look like Lenny Bruce.

― erklie (erklie), Friday, 10 March 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

She's playing at the Vic in three weeks!!!

how do i shot sold out, i bet

― gbx (skowly), Friday, 10 March 2006 22:59 (twenty years ago)

tickets are still available for the Vic show - I just got mine yesterday, so unless there's a been a huge run since then.

― juana, Friday, 10 March 2006 23:07 (twenty years ago)

― gbx (skowly), Friday, 10 March 2006 23:19 (twenty years ago)

Makes Jeff Foxworthy look like Lenny Bruce.

That's funnier than anything Larry the Cable Guy said last night.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Saturday, 11 March 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

The No Depression review is SPOT ON.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 13 March 2006 16:52 (twenty years ago)

What does it say? Is it not predictible alt country enough for them? (apologies if I'm wrong)

― stew!, Monday, 13 March 2006 17:06 (twenty years ago)

Memorably dunderheaded review in Word magazine review, suggesting it's Neko's fault if Dave Hepworth doesn't *get* her songs in one listen.

The Uncut review, on the other hand...

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:16 (twenty years ago)

Word. The magazine that places KT Tunstall at the forefront of nu-folk.

― stew!, Monday, 13 March 2006 17:25 (twenty years ago)

haha, i wrote the no depression review. thanks huk. it kind of just says what i've said on this thread, except possibly more coherent.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:34 (twenty years ago)

I knew it was you, but not until I finished reading it. But it said a lot things I had been thinking about it.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:42 (twenty years ago)

Ah fair enough then. Any chance of posting the review?

― stew!, Monday, 13 March 2006 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I've been enjoying this album, but I think that I've been listening to it under optimal conditions- on cheap speakers with the volume way down, so I can only hear the vocalizing and not the band or the lyrics.

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Monday, 13 March 2006 18:53 (twenty years ago)

Any chance of posting the review?

i'd like to, but ND doesn't put its stuff online so i oughta respect that. the short version is: great singer. lush noir-pop. pretty good record.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 13 March 2006 21:57 (twenty years ago)

so I can only hear the vocalizing and not the band or the lyrics.

The band and lyrics are great, though. I mean, I am not a Calexico fan at all, but whatever is going on this album works for me.

The band is definitely not the point of the album, but there are all kinds of nice little flourishes here and there that really sound quite lovely.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Monday, 13 March 2006 22:21 (twenty years ago)

the background vocals on "hold on hold on" during the "it's the devil I love" bit are MIND WARPINGLY AMAZING and hooky. I could loop that part for an hour and die of happiness.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 13 March 2006 22:32 (twenty years ago)

This link still works...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkQP-9BM84U&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emyspace%2Ecom%2F

― stew!, Monday, 13 March 2006 23:11 (twenty years ago)

I'm with Huk...I'm not much of a fan of this record, and I think that much of the potential goodness is obliterated by sheer amounts of unnecessary echo drenched all over. I actually found myself irritated by the record, rather than taken in like I usually am. I'll give it another listen later and hope it was just my mood, but I have a feeling that this one is bound for my sell pile.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 13 March 2006 23:59 (twenty years ago)

Finally got around to finding the rest of this album today after living with "Hold On" and "The Needle Has Landed" for a month or so. On their own, I find them quite affecting. But I had a similar reaction to Sean -- why the echo on EVERYTHING?

― Mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 00:17 (twenty years ago)

Oh man, I don't think I could ever be bothered with too much echo. I'm a sucker for all My Morning Jacket, and I think all this echo-talk might mean I am attracted to this record for much the same reasons. That voice just soars and the reverb never ceases to chill me a bit.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 01:47 (twenty years ago)

I like reverb, echo, whatever you want to call it...but for me, this is just tooooo much. She's got such a good voice, and this just buried it, in my opinion.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 02:26 (twenty years ago)

Do you think they borrowed that old mixing board the Go-Betweens used on their last album?

― The Day The World Turned Dayglo Redd (Ken L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 02:31 (twenty years ago)

i think the reverb on the vocals is both tastefully done and in keeping with the overall sound.

― erklie (erklie), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 02:51 (twenty years ago)

Agreed. Sean, I actually think the reverb totally compliments her voice, but different strokes I guess. xxpost

― regular roundups (Dave M), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 03:02 (twenty years ago)

I promise I'll take a listen to it again. Not sure if it'll change my opinion on it, but will try.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 19:57 (twenty years ago)

return listens for me have mainly just reinforced that "Hold On Hold On" is effing brilliant and wonderful, and everything else is competent and good, but not terribly interesting.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 19:59 (twenty years ago)

w/the reverb, i think she's trying to go for a morricone vibe, and i think it works quite well (though not quite as well as on blacklisted, which is gonna be pretty hard to top).

― gear (gear), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:01 (twenty years ago)

If you think the reverb is bad on this album, you have not listened to any of the other albums! *Everything* is slathered in reverb. I think they actually pulled back on it for Fox Confessor!

― righteousmaelstrom (righteousmaelstrom), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:08 (twenty years ago)

Canadian Amp--which is probably the turning point between Chanteuse Neko and Singer Songwriter Neko--is reverb porn.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:10 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I've heard the other albums, all right. There's just something about this one that irritated me while I was hearing it. I liked Blacklisted just fine when I heard it. I'm not saying this necessarily makes sense.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:20 (twenty years ago)

The reverb would be more satisfying if it were used more sparingly, or if the recordings themselves felt more live and natural (a la Trinity Session).

― Eazy (Eazy), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:47 (twenty years ago)

I like it, so far (got it at lunch).

Think I like Tigers better, though....we'll see.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 22:02 (twenty years ago)

The 45 that Radcliffe has played is so exciting!

It makes me wish that it was me, or I, playing those guitars.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 22:08 (twenty years ago)

who is radcliffe? what 45?

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 22:11 (twenty years ago)

xpost to Sean

I'm not making a judgment about whether there was too much reverb on the new album or not and whether that was a good or bad thing. Fact is, there has always been two tons worth of reverb on all of her albums, so if you're saying it's the amount of reverb that's keeping you from enjoying the album it could be that the songs are just not grabbing you. Though I'm not you (obv.) so I can't tell you what you think. I'm just offering a suggestion of why this is irritating you.

FWIW, I think there are some of her best songs on here but there a quite a few meh moments. I'm just glad to see that she's moving away from the "country school-marm bullshit" that a friend of mine dismissed her albums with and more towards the "lush noir pop" gypsy mothra mentions upthread. I have yet to introduce my friend to the awesomeness aka 'The Needle Has Landed.'

― righteousmaelstrom (righteousmaelstrom), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 02:08 (twenty years ago)

Mark Radcliffe: a BBC DJ, from 10:30 to midnight.

I don't know the 45's name.

I agree that she always seems to use a lot of reverb. I like it!

― the bellefox, Thursday, 16 March 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

From the sound of it, I think The Pinefox heard 'Hold on, hold on'.

I am baffled that anyone could be lukewarm about this record. Everytime I hear it, it grows in my estimation. I wish I had given it 5 stars now!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 16 March 2006 18:19 (twenty years ago)

Still the best record of 2006

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 16 March 2006 18:55 (twenty years ago)

Word.

She's on the cover of Time Out Chicago this week, looking great. And weird.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Thursday, 16 March 2006 19:05 (twenty years ago)

I wasn't expecting not to be disappointed.

(It'd be the perfect debut, in a way - such a small tight wonderful album to try to solve staring at the cartoons on the box, to quietly obsess three years before Blacklisted's flaws and ghosts and heartbreak.)

(Every kid I like is getting a copy of this record at summercamp)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 18 March 2006 05:54 (twenty years ago)

Neko Case
at Shepherds Bush Empire

Reserved seats (2):
- section: STALLS row: E seat: 15
- section: STALLS row: E seat: 14

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 18 March 2006 06:27 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LbNQ5arvbdg&search=neko%20case%20sparrow

― gear (gear), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 05:24 (twenty years ago)

Live in DC (scroll down for MP3)

― Paul Eater (eater), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 17:03 (twenty years ago)

I just saw/watched some old Evaporators video "Goin' to France" and it has young, anonymous Neko in it. It's probably up at Nardwuar-dot-com or whatever.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 18 April 2006 17:15 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Anyone going to the Shepherd's Bush show tonight. I am, and I'm rather excited.

― caek (caek), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 12:05 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

I think this LP is like a Musical, rather than a normal LP (as Blacklisted and Furnace Room Lullaby are). All those very short songs, that could be narrative hinges or interludes; all those odd chord sequences (as discussed above) and tempo changes; all the impenetrable though suggestive words (that might make more sense if sung by 'characters', in a story?).

It sounds better on a decent stereo. She sings terrifically. I like it - I like everything she does, and I admire her adventurousness and craft here - but I still don't think that these are great Songs like Blacklisted had; they're sort of one-off performance pieces. I can hardly imagine anyone covering them effectively: they're Neko-only.

― the pinefox, Saturday, 8 March 2008 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

eleven years pass...

the first three songs on this jewel of a record might be my favourite opening run of all time, ama

― A man offers an inverted bottle of water to the Techno Viking. (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 17 July 2019 11:38 (six years ago)

This album is just impossibly good

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 17 July 2019 14:24 (six years ago)

"Star Witness" is definitely in my top ten songs of the last two decades.

― I don't get wet because I am tall and thin and I am afraid of people (Eliza D.), Wednesday, 17 July 2019 15:08 (six years ago)

It's her best album by far IMO.

― akm, Wednesday, 17 July 2019 18:16 (six years ago)

yep. a masterpiece

― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 17 July 2019 18:41 (six years ago)

absolutely brilliant lyricist too

― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 17 July 2019 18:42 (six years ago)

i almost feel bad for artists who make an album like this...the stuff that comes before feels like it was working up to "the album" and the stuff after feels somehow a letdown, and she's done great stuff before and after, but i never love them as much as this

though i guess i don't feel bad because they made something perfect at least once

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 17 July 2019 18:43 (six years ago)

Kelly Hogan is the secret star of this album imo

14 years now since this came out, jesus fuckin christ

― sleeve, Wednesday, 17 July 2019 18:59 (six years ago)

the end of "star witness" is unbelievable

― tylerw, Wednesday, 17 July 2019 19:12 (six years ago)

i almost feel bad for artists who make an album like this...the stuff that comes before feels like it was working up to "the album"

Nah — I think of this, Blacklisted, and Tigers as the "big three"... and this one (though terrific) isn't necessarily the best, just the most "mannered" and demonstrative about its own merits. The other two are more casually/effortlessly brilliant, while this one swings for the fences.

― stan by me (morrisp), Thursday, 18 July 2019 01:31 (six years ago)

My thoughts exactly! Always felt "Blacklisted" was her best. But really, I love her entire output.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 18 July 2019 01:44 (six years ago)

the first three songs on this jewel of a record might be my favourite opening run of all time, ama

― A man offers an inverted bottle of water to the Techno Viking. (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, July 17, 2019 1:38 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

Listened to this for the first time tonight. Countless repeats later and yep, this is otm. I'm swooning.

― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 22 July 2019 22:56 (six years ago)

Star Witness is just all time in conception and execution. Like the Cocteau Twins zoomed and enhanced into Dylan. That someone can both sing like that and write like that? In retrospect, this is the record where she crosses out of Americana and into free-standing territory of her own.

― bendy, Tuesday, 23 July 2019 11:33 (six years ago)

hell yes lbi, glad to have you on the fox confessor train xp

― A man offers an inverted bottle of water to the Techno Viking. (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 11:52 (six years ago)

Middle Cyclone is great too
She has kind of lost me after that, though I try

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 12:15 (six years ago)

opening track on middle cyclone is all-time and yeah it's a really good record

i've gotten less enjoyment out of her later records too but i could listen to her sing anything tbh, her voice just gives me chills every time

― A man offers an inverted bottle of water to the Techno Viking. (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 12:18 (six years ago)

I like Case/Lang/Veirs as a way of balancing her songwriting style and voice within others.

― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 12:55 (six years ago)

Middle Cyclone has a sideful of bangers.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 13:05 (six years ago)

She’s still good for a stunning song or two each album, like I’m From Nowhere or Ragtime or Bad Luck

― mott the hoopleheads (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 13:58 (six years ago)

Worse Things Get is a dip, but Hell-on has grown on me. The singles from both are great. "Man" is like a great lost Pete Townshend song from 1981.

― bendy, Tuesday, 23 July 2019 13:59 (six years ago)

I have a special place in my heart for this album. I was working on a trial (16+ hour days for 6 months, living in a hotel) in 2006-2007 and listened to this at least once every day the time I was there

― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 18:03 (six years ago)

this is also my favourite album to fall asleep to fyi

― Welshy's Lean Bulk - ****loads of pics (bizarro gazzara), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 18:40 (six years ago)

I just listened to this for the first time in ages not knowing how much I'd remember but it was all there and damn what an album. I still think I'd rank it just behind Blacklisted, but not by much. There's something about the subtleties of Blacklisted's production that puts me right there - on the prairies, under a hanging moon.

― Good cop, Babcock (Chinaski), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 19:11 (six years ago)

Her entire output in the 00s is amazing--Furnace Room, Blacklisted, Fox Confessor, Middle Cyclone. All classics, though Middle Cyclone is my personal favorite. I think each one is slightly better than the one before it.

Her albums this decade have moments that are just as good as anything she's ever done, but overall they're less consistent. I was just listening to them both last week - she has these moments where she slips into The Neko Melody, and it just sorta sounds like she's singing whatever she wrote down. The lyrics are clever but also a bit meandering, almost conversational--like, I imagine I'm with her and I wonder why she doesn't just speak, rather than put everything into this sing-song pattern. Almost feels like she's making the melody up as she goes.

But then she has these other moments like "Man" or "Bracing for Sunday" or "Last Lion of Albion" that are just outstanding.

― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Tuesday, 23 July 2019 21:53 (six years ago)

one year passes...

15 years of ‘Fox Confessor Brings The Flood’ pic.twitter.com/XaqNrunJze
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) March 9, 2021

― JoeStork, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 19:24 (five years ago)

Was Garth Hudson doing a Monty Python bit?

― JoeStork, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 19:37 (five years ago)

gotta assume so!

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 20:56 (five years ago)

sounds like it was lost on Paul Rigby, though

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 20:56 (five years ago)

wait, what?

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 10 March 2021 13:06 (five years ago)

Oh, I see.

― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 10 March 2021 13:20 (five years ago)

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