Neko Case @ The Vogue

A lot of times you’ll hear people talk about the way female vocalist used to sing. They’ll probably drop names like Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Aretha Franklin: women whose voices ached with soul and held emotional ranges as vast as the French Alps. Contemporaries like Beyónce definitely can compete; there never seems to be a shortage of attitude and each newly proclaimed diva can take their voice through an impressive number of octaves. In the end, however, that essence, that purely un-nameable quality, still lacks.

In comes Neko Case. Her new album, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, took a while to grow on me but has surely been one of the most memorable albums I’ve heard in the past few years. For one, her songs weave vast novellas from everyday experiences: wishful romances, social classes, and the power of memory. Who can’t relate to that? Neko sings with a demure strength, content to gently draw listeners in with her siren song. There’s no pretentious air and no unnecessary cry for attention, just stirring alt-country sung in beautiful harmonies.

Seeing Neko Case sing at The Vogue left me transfixed. Her voice sounded just as pure and unwavering as on her albums and her backing band couldn’t have been more agile. The band swooned the crowd one moment and playfully jangled across the next, each time resulting in uproarious applause. “Star Witness,” a haunting song about the loss of her true love in a car accident, masterfully used every aspect of Neko’s vocals and instrumentation to capture this memory. Her tender heartache came across elegantly, leaving the sold out crowd hushed in awe, no one even daring to sing along.

Neko case, simply put, has a gift. I don’t think I can remember another time getting goose bumps so many times at a show. She sings so confidently yet honestly that a listener can’t help but feel something for her, as if she touched you gracefully on the shoulder and openly gave you her most precious thoughts. She has such a presence that if I ever hear someone say, “Man, I love the way all these amazing women used to sing,” I’ll correct them: that’s the way Neko Case always sings.


Neko Case - Margret vs. Pauline
http://www.mediafire.com/?7ia2mmy5xjq