Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
by Neko Case

From paladisiac TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/09/2011 22:01 | #32534 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

If "blacklisted" tried to seduce you, then neko's "fox confessor brings the flood" tries to speak to your mind. Of course, it's that sultry voice that i keep coming back for and by the time "hold on, hold on" kicks in, my mind's mush. It's the devil she loves, singing "I leave the party at three a.m. / Alone, thank God / With a valium from the bride / It's the devil I love" with a place in her heart for strangers. (i'm coming, neko!) There are some beautiful, echoing self-provided harmonies (like on "a widow's toast") that give more credence to her producer's claim that she's one of only 2 he's worked with (neko & nelly furtado) that have never used any form of auto-tune. She has a majestic voice that can just as easily swoon you into bed as it can pile-drive a knee into your groin. The desperation is shallow, but palpable when she sings "I don't care if forever never comes" holding out for "that teenage feeling". "john saw that number" is a jaunty little number with an actual chorus-sounding bit about an angel sent from God to check on John the Baptist: "So he flew from the pit with the moon round his waist / Gathered wind in his fists so the stars round his wrists / Cryin' holy, holy to the lord ". Other highlights include "dirty knife" and the beautiful "maybe sparrow" ("Maybe sparrow / It’s too late / The moonlight glanced off metal wings / In a thunderstorm above the clouds / The engine hums a sparrow’s phrase "). (Edited)

What an interesting record. Sometimes it's hard to choose between the dark smokey dust of Blacklisted and this light, delicate collection of songs, but this record takes the cake. The melodies are striking and every song really stands on its own in jaw-dropping quality. The production is unique and compliments the wistful vocals quite well in a dreamy mix of indie tunes. Recommended.

Track Pick: Hold On, Hold On

From ffudnebbuh TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/01/2010 00:03 | #6349 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Such a great voice, check out Margaret vs. Pauline, one of my favorite tracks for 2006, also "Maybe Sparrow"...but the band needs to be tightened up, the production, the arrangements, great potential, needs more focus..Garth Hudson appears on several tracks for The Band fans. He always give an additional dimension to any record he performs on as he did with the Band.

From buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 09/10/2016 16:18 | #174691 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

A few years ago, NPR Music conducted a series of polls to try to find out which albums were most loved--meaning, among people who've heard the album, what percentage of people liked it. In this very non-scientific methodology, among albums made by female artists, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood came in at #5. That's consistent with my experience. Among people who've heard of Neko Case, I don't know a single one who doesn't love her. Although I personally prefer Blacklisted, this is the album most people would point to as her best. And it's hard to argue with that. "Hold On, Hold On" is such a perfect example of what makes Neko Case so great, with its urgent, reverb-heavy guitar; pitch-perfect, lungs-for-days vocals; and stormy, David Lynch-esque narrative.

I first heard 'John Saw That Number' on the show True Blood which sent me on a hunt to find out who it was. I have been a huge fan from then on however, as much as I hate to say it, I haven't been able to get into her last couple of albums. Maybe I haven't given them enough time but I doubt that is the issue.