"Maybe Sparrow" / Neko Case / Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

The sublime, intoxicating Ms. Case. I alluded to her and her incredible voice back when I was posting about Kelly Hogan of the Jody Grind. These two ladies have the most beautiful voices in my collection, and I can't imagine any being lovelier.

Neko Case is one of the main cogs of Alt supergroup The New Pornographers, and some of my favorite songs of theirs prominently feature her (ie. "These Are The Fables"). I had the great fortune to catch them in Athens at the Georgia Theatre last April, and as you can see in the video, she was laid up from falling in DC a few days prior. I'm just happy that she made of a go of it, lame leg and all. Hearing that voice in person...it's amazing. I don't know how to technically say it, but it's so pure. There's no warlbling, showoff running octaves or strings of notes, just a freaking laser beam that can cut diamonds and fill up a hall without a microphone.

Unfortunately, the evening was almost ruined by Mike (good buddy and commenter) continually making snide remarks about how terrible and old she looked. He's shallow like that. You watch, I guarantee he does it if he responds to this post. That show was capped by a killer cover of ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down"



I bought "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" in the summer of 2006. I figured if I liked TNP that much that I'd like her CD as well. It is, indeed, amazing. A bit different than TNP stuff, as it's more country / roots inspired, but in it's own way, it's as strong as anything I've heard. A curious thing about it, though, is the songs structure. She doesn't go for that traditional verse/ chorus /verse / bridge stuff. Her songs kind of meander, with no real "parts". The lyrics are really, really vague too. She challenges the listener just a bit I think, but the rewards are many. To be fair, she has had a few other solo records, and commenter Eric swears that her CD Blacklisted is the real shit.

I'll never forget the first few times I listened to it either. I bought it in preparation for a solo road trip I was making to South Georgia that summer. Playing this brief CD over (and over and over) in my car as I was driving through desolate stretches of peanut fields on sizzling blacktop - well, it was just one of those instances in which the music perfectly matched the environment and it all just fit. Everything was right with the world for about three hours.

Here's the video for "Maybe Sparrow". The best part is at 1:04 when she just unleashes her voice. I also like the minor key guitar fill that you keep hearing in there. It sounds a little bit jarring within the song, but it's cool. Plus: owls!