CD reviews

Neko Case, 'The Gospel According To Austin, Vol. 5,' Del Castillo, Pink

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Neko Case

'Fox Confessor Brings the Flood' (Anti-)

She's been making records for nearly 10 years, but "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" is this chantuese's most detailed effort. You see, Case's reputation rests on her voice, a brightly booming instrument that recalls country pipes-for-the-ages such as Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. She could apply it to tunes written by Nashville pros and make herself a nice bit of change.

But she doesn't. She vocally anchors power-pop geniuses the New Pornographers and makes increasingly complicated solo albums of her own design, as full of nuance as verve. She wrote and produced almost everything on "Fox," moving from the wonderfully class-conscious opener "Margaret vs. Pauline" to the gorgeous "Star Witness." In "Hold On, Hold On," she joins the Sadies for a closely harmonized, mid-tempo piece of country pop, while "A Window's Toast" layers her own voice over a shimmering guitar loop. These are not the songs of a woman who needs to pander to anything but her own muse.

(Neko Case plays Tuesday, April 18 at La Zona Rosa.)

— Joe Gross

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Various Artists

'The Gospel According To Austin, Vol. 5,' (self)

Five is the lucky number of this previously uneven series, compiled by local gospel promoter Greg Atkins and covering the full range from male quartets to mariachi spirituals, hillbilly worship to Comanche hymns. There's not a weak track on the whole CD, which makes it hard to single out highlights. I was bowled over bad by the Durden Family's arena rock take on "There Is a Balm" (complete with canned audience noise), was reminded what incredible gospel singers Ruthie Foster ("Joy") and Carolyn Wonderland ("Jesus It's Gonna Be You") can be, loved the Kyle Family's "shaped-note" a capella singing on "Building On the Rock" and was warmed by Dale Watson's "Help Your Lord," a choir-imprinted calling card from Watson's upcoming gospel album.

Wait, there's more. Here's one project where "bonus disc" means something, as the entirety of Rev. Dan Smith's splendidly gritty and groovy 1991 album, produced by Buddy Miller for the Glasshouse label, is included.

This CD is a bargain like Steve Nash is a point guard.

—Michael Corcoran

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Del Castillo

'Brotherhood' (Smilin' Castle)

Make no mistake about it: Del Castillo is an Austin phenomenon up there with bluebonnets, cheap breakfast tacos and lighting up the tower after a championship. With a thunderous, polyrhythmic Latin throb, they've built a fanatical live following, racked up a mess of Austin Music Awards, play in a band with Robert Rodriguez and showed up on "The George Lopez Show." After five years, fame from Round Rock to Eagle Pass, from Brownsville to Los Angeles, from Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore., is simply something they deserve.

"Brotherhood" — packed with Del's singular mix of explosive percussion, dual (or is that dueling?) flamenco guitars and thrilling harmonies built around Alex Ruiz's dynamic pipes — could be the breakthrough they need. Of course, when the grooves are this deep, this explosive, this potent, they could be singing the phone book and you couldn't stop dancing. They remain perhaps Austin's most egregiously underrated outfit.

— Joe Gross

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Pink

'I'm Not Dead' (La Face)

When Pink is at her worst, like on the affected southern bar band growl of "The One That Got Away," she's hard to take — forced, vacuous, show-offy. Sometimes Pink sounds like a Janis Joplin fan who sings like Pat Benatar, an "American Idol" finalist who keeps a diary.

Just tough love, baby. When someone sings as magnificently as the former Alecia Moore, you're looking for every track to make your brain float.

Like the 2002 breakout album "Missundaztood," the new Pink CD "I'm Not Dead" will wear out the remote, as the great songs — "Who Knew," "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)" and "Dear Mr. President," a pretty obvious protest song sweetened marvelously by the Indigo Girls — will make you play them again immediately.

This three-star album earns its fourth star with its hidden track, the daddy-daughter duet of "I've Seen the Rain," which Pink's father wrote about his experiences as a Vietnam veteran. Pink says more about herself through her loving, supporting, unflinching harmonies than she does with all those songs about running away, being lonely and finding strength in low expectations. She's her generation's Bette Midler, only with the voice to match the emotions.

— Michael Corcoran