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Folk tales, country music and poetry collide in a heady indie mix as acclaimed singer-songwriter/producer Neko Case unleashes her new long-player.

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood by Neko Case

“Neko Case is on her way to well-deserved status as a music legend for our generation.” - Bust Magazine

New album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood finds Neko Case backed by a cadre of talented collaborators including longtime band-mates Jon Rauhouse and Tom V. Ray, frequent musical foils The Sadies, Giant Sand leader Howe Gelb, vocalist Kelly Hogan, Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino, as well as Canadian cohorts Brian Connelly and Paul Rigby. Former Flat Duo Jet Dexter Romweber and Rachel Flotard of Seattle punk-pop combo Visqueen also guest, as does legendary piano/keyboard/accordion genius Garth Hudson of the Band.

Aside from the intro to John Saw That Number (recorded in the back stairwell of Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern) and At Last (tracked at Toronto’s Iguana studio), the balance of the album was done at Tucson, Arizona’s Wavelab Studio, with engineers Craig Schumacher and Chris Schultz. Produced and mixed by Neko and Darryl Neudorf.

Case’s childhood was spent in Washington State, followed by art school in Vancouver. Her early baptism into the world of country and gospel music, and contemporary gigs in distaff punk trios Maow and Cub, as well as a longer - and ongoing - stint in powerhouse Canadian pop group the New Pornographers.

Since the late ‘90s, however, the bulk of Case’s energies have been devoted to a thriving country-tinged solo career. Following three critically lauded studio albums, 1997’s The Virginian (the most red. country of the batch), 2000’s Furnace Room Lullaby (a John Peel favourite - with tracks Twist The Knife and Guided By Wire turning up regularly on the famous DJs BBC Radio One shows that year), and 2002’s masterful Blacklisted. Add to that a quietly potent kitchen-recorded EP, Canadian Amp (available on tour dates pretty exclusively - a treat for the concert-going faithful); and last year’s brilliantly conceived concert collection, the storming The Tigers Have Spoken.

The full track listing for the new album shapes up like this:

1. Margaret vs. Pauline
2. Star Witness
3. Hold On, Hold On
4. A Widow’s Toast
5. That Teenage Feeling
6. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
7. John Saw That Number
8. Dirty Knife
9. Lion’s Jaws
10. Maybe Sparrow
11. At Last
12. The Needle Has Landed

Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is out now – on CD only – from Anti.

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