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 Post subject: Year In Review: Neko Case - Fox Confessor...(13A)
PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:58 am 
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Average Metacritic score 84 (28 reviews):

www.allmusic.com

Neko Case
Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (Anti)
US Release date: 07 March 2006
Rating: 90

by Mark Deming

Neko Case hasn't had much need to prove her credentials as a major artist since making her solo debut with 1997's The Virginian, but she's been refining her skills in the recording studio on each subsequent release, and with 2006's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood she's fashioned an album that can cautiously be called a masterpiece. As always, Case's voice, an instrument of impressive strength, grace, and expressive power, is the star of this show, and she's never sounded better than she does here, but what sets this apart from her other fine work is her growth as a songwriter and producer. Case wrote or co-wrote all 12 tracks on Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, and her tales of failed friendship, faith stretched to the breaking point, and love that causes as much ache as comfort are subtle and expressionistic but deeply evocative, conjuring images and feelings that linger long after the album has ended, especially the spectral "Star Witness," the moody yet romantic "That Teenage Feeling" and "Hold on, Hold On," and the darkly beautiful closer, "The Needle Has Landed." And Case and her co-producer, Darryl Neudorf, have assembled a superb cast of musicians to accompany these songs, among them members of the Sadies and Calexico as well as Garth Hudson of the Band, Howe Gelb from Giant Sand, and Kelly Hogan. Together they've sculpted a dozen elegant sonic landscapes that are beautiful and richly detailed while meshing with the moody textures of the songs in their open space and unwillingness to crowd either the singer or the other players. The cumulative effect mirrors both the beauty and the sadness that lurks within the human heart, and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is a rich, mature, and deeply satisfying piece of music that deserves and demands attention -- if this isn't Album of the Year material, it's hard to say what is.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:01 am 
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My god what a good album.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:11 am 
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this was a true grower for me.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:18 am 
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This guy has crack Wrote:
this was a true grower for me.


ditto. Pretty meh at first, but I had it on the shuffle, inside the helmet in Boston a lot, where I couldn't really skip it. Next thing you know it slays me.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:23 am 
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about as good as the last album. but where "blacklisted" went heavy on the sensual, "fox confessor..." sided toward the intellectual. and when it comes to neko, i prefer the former.

still, a top 10 for me.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:27 am 
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A grower. But I liked "Hold On Hold On" after the first couple of spins on FT's mix earlier this year. That's easily a top 5 single for me in 2006.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:51 am 
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i like this a lot more than blacklisted. after going back and listening to The Virginian and Furnance Room Lullaby, I can really see a drop off on Blacklisted. I really like 2 or 3 songs on Blacklisted, but overall, it does not touch Fox Confessor.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:21 am 
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Blacklisted is the ultimate Neko Case album and an all time favorite, but this one is really good too. Maybe the reason I don't like her earlier albums as well is that I'm not a fan of country, and was quite surprised I didn't hate Neko Case altogether.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:14 am 
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She sounded more than ever like Patsy Cline on this and I liked it immediately a lot.. but it has been the opposite of a grower...I got real tired of it.

Top 20.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:04 am 
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I tried, but I just don't like Neko Case.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:11 am 
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Top 15. Don't listen to it much, but 'tis highly enjoyable when I do.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:23 am 
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harry Wrote:
She sounded more than ever like Patsy Cline on this and I liked it immediately a lot.. but it has been the opposite of a grower...I got real tired of it.

Top 20.


This happened to me since I was listening to it so much in the beginning. I ejected the disc to not wary over it prematurely. So, now my periodic revisits have maintained my love for the album as long as I don't overplay it.

I should add, it is a top tenner most likely for me. I only wish she had a couple/few more rollicking twangers in there.


Last edited by seafoam on Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:29 am 
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This was one of the few albums I actually purchased this year and I didn't buy it for me. That said, I have really started to get into Neko Case and really need to give this album a few more listens before I accurately review it.
I do agree that it is a grower.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:44 am 
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Not a grower for me, I thought it was great from the start.

How can you listen to a song like 'The Needle Has Landed' and not love it immediately? You really are some strange folk.

Top 5.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:47 am 
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I don't think I've listened to it since I bought it. I'm gonna have to give it a retry.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:40 am 
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harry Wrote:
She sounded more than ever like Patsy Cline on this and I liked it immediately a lot.. but it has been the opposite of a grower...I got real tired of it.

.


this pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Haven't put it on in a while.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:54 am 
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Old Kingfish Lee Wrote:
harry Wrote:
She sounded more than ever like Patsy Cline on this and I liked it immediately a lot.. but it has been the opposite of a grower...I got real tired of it.

.


this pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Haven't put it on in a while.


Me too. There are a few great songs on it, but overall I haven't had the inkling to play this album very often.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:39 pm 
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This guy has crack Wrote:
this was a true grower for me.

same here. finally put this on the other day after not hearing it for a long while and really enjoyed it (so much so that i actually ordered it finally).

#67.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:00 pm 
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KonstantinL Wrote:
How can you listen to a song like 'The Needle Has Landed' and not love it immediately?


Word.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:11 pm 
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Top 10 album for me. I love it.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:28 am 
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Amazing. Loved it from the start. Definite top 5, with Hold On, Hold On among my favourite singles this year


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