By Heather Yarnell

After years of Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn comparisons, one of modern music's premier vocalists has grown into one of its premier songwriters. Inspired by Ukrainian folk tales, Neko Case's layered and echo-laden vocals give life to twelve concise epics littered with characters haunted by big questions. Relying less on typical song structure and more on what sounds like dusty, decades-old atmosphere, Confessor's cryptic words demand personal participation and help to create one of the year's most stunning releases. It's like unearthing a long lost classic.