Not Your Average Country

Some people are pleasantly content to lead their quiet, routine lives. These people are less likely to relate to nomad rocker Neko Case, whose musical taste and career reflect a nonstop ride. She is an adventurous musician unafraid to tackle different genres of music, instruments and even bands. Her newest solo album, Fox Confessor Brings The Blood, is just another step on her road to becoming a musical outlaw. Possibly better known as a vocalist in The New Pornographers, Case has been experimenting with her own sound for years with a various array of albums under her belt. Foxes allows her to stand out with a more country flare than Pornographers fans might be used to. But that does not mean Case has gone soft. Though much of the album is full of slower tunes, her aching vocals, similar to artists like Lucinda Williams, give Case’s songs a dark, bitter tone not often found in the pop country hits of today.

The title track and opening song, “Margaret vs. Pauline,” shows off Case’s storytelling abilities. She is unafraid to be hopeful in “That Teenage Feeling,” and tackle religion both humbly and wittily in the gospel hoedown “John Saw That Number.” In “Hold On, Hold On,” her self deprecatingly smart lyrics, “The most tender place in my heart is for strangers,” reflect much of the tone of the album. The raging guitar, like a soundtrack to a western shootout, rubs up against the sound of Johnny Cash. It is kind of sarcastic, kind of sad, but both dangerous and beautiful at once. If you find yourself itching for a life outside the average norm, just pop in Foxes for inspiration. Every song is a ride worth taking.