Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
79 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Case for a Great Voice - ****1/2, March 11, 2006
Neko Case's stock must be on the rise - I saw this CD on the "new releases" page of the weekly Best Buy ad, the page usually reserved for the likes of Christina Aguilera and Matchbox 20. This may be her "crossover" album into mainstream success, and I'd be crazy to say it isn't well-deserved. There are two sides to Neko - the rockin' singer in the New Pornographers (whose popularity also seems on the upswing), and the countrified chanteuse of her solo albums. She's been compared vocally more than once to Patsy Cline, and that's a fair analogy. Her clear, achy voice rings out through all these songs, which seem generally more folky, and even at times jazzy, than on the previous albums, which were more steeped in country tradition. There are hints of gospel too (the traditional "John Saw That Number"). The strongest tracks for me, hearing this for the third time, are "Hold On Hold On" and "Star Witness". "That Teenage Feeling" is another fine song (I love the illustration for it in the booklet: a runaway tractor-trailer with "I love you" painted on the side.) The cover art is a bit odd in an Edward-Gorey kind of way, and some of her lyrics are a bit surreal. Also, the production is "alt-country reverb", an effect also used by bands like My Morning Jacket - I find it a little annoying after a while. But quibbles aside, there's no masking or denying That Voice, one of the most impressive in pop music right now. And I'm glad she's getting the widespread recognition she deserves.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An impressive cohesive whole, September 26, 2006
With her flaming red hair and imposing good looks, Neko Case strikes an impressive pose, but that's nothing compared to the development of her singing and songwriting over the past few years. This album bathes her strong voice with echoing reverb, making her tales of love and loss seem even more apocalyptic. Case mixes country, folk and pop with an unusual deftness that sets her apart from the veritable army of female singer songwriters on todays music scene, and with backup from the likes of Calexico, one of the finest roots rock groups around, the music meshes very well with the lyrics.
Songs like "Star Witness" and "Margaret vs. Pauline" tackle working class themes and issues without the slightest smirk and are devastating performances. Surprising, yet equally powerful are the gospel influences in the music, most overtly brought forth in "John Saw That Number." But the theme that most pervades the album is one of hope amidst a great struggle, exemplified by songs like "That Teenage Feeling" and "Maybe Sparrow" which acknowledge the hardships of ordinary life but never give into depression or clinched optimism, just small hard won triumphs. This album itself is a triumph of class, dignity and open minded musicians drawing from many different genres and ideas to create an impressive cohesive whole.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ghosts in the reverb, February 26, 2007
i have been a loyal fan of Neko case ever since her voice stopped me dead in my tracks on the song "Twist The Knife" from the Furnace Room Lullabye album. and i have been set to pounce and devour any new album that comes out with her on it. on her earlier works (like Furnace Room Lullabye), she seemed like she was growing into her role as a solo performer and as a singer with a blessed set of beautiful pipes. the music seemed fit for her voice and most of it seemed as though it were written specifically for her in mind (including the cover songs, strangely enough).
then, when Blacklisted came was released, there was a sense of change in the air. nothing in her overall sound was drastically overhauled, but there was a certain "witchy" way that had crept into the sonic pallete. the songs seemed to grow more ghostly, the lyrics a bit more obscure, and the overall atmosphere had garnered a little bit more fog, and more dust.
in this environment, Neko seemed to really find her voice. not the outer voice, but something channeled from deep inside her.
now, with her excellent Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (is that title obscure enough for ya?) album; all the elements seem to have fallen into place and the results are nothing short of spectacular. the opening salvo of "Margaret Vs. Pauline," "Star Witness," and "Hold On, Hold On" are enough to warrant purchase of the album immedietely. each song seems to be woven from a quilt of country music's past greats and yet infuses them with a disctincly hazy, reverb-soaked haze that would make your average David Lynch fan take notice. within these first three songs, there also seems to be a bit of a harmonic nod to older folky bands such as The Mamas & The Papas and The Byrds. just a touch of that jingle-jangle, like a freshly squeezed lemon over tuna steak.
once we get deeper into the album, things get a little less jangly and a darker hue tends to form (with an exception to the rousing gospel-flecked "John Saw That Number"...surely a future live crowd pleaser). the title track is full of perplexing riddles sung with conviction and with a vague sense of storytelling while ther swampy night air seems to leak forth from the stereo speakers. "Dirty Knife" and "Lion's Jaws" seem like sister songs, attached back to back in the album's tracklisting and both echo the black and white noir of a mysterious late-night exploration. there is something sinister, sad, and thrilling within these songs and they demand my listening attention the more that i hear this album.
my one minor gripe is that a few of these songs seem unfinished. "That Teenage Feeling" for instance careens along with a delicious groove and a wallop of a chorus but then seems to lose steam and the song ends far too quickly. it seems almost like a sketch of a song or a quick intermission before moving onto bigger and more realized cuts from the cd. one more (minor?) gripe is that i'm just not sure if i like the album's artwork. i really looove the drawings and pictures used for the front and back cover...but the layout of these pictures just seems to make the overall thing look bland. I'm not crazy about the colour scheme the inside booklet contains alot of doodles, sketches, and photos; which is cool. but it seems to carry a random awkwardness along with it. there are no lyrics included in the booklet.
these small complaints don't detract from my opinion of the album as a whole. i've been listening to it quite a lot since it was first released and it took me a few listens to fully come to embrace it. but it is without question, a stellar recording and one of my favorite discs released in 2006. seek it out along with Neko case's other fine albums.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
MP3 Download by Neko Case
MP3 Download by Neko Case
MP3 Download by Neko Case
MP3 Download by Neko Case
MP3 Download by Jenny Lewis
