Joanna Newsom - Ys
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Free Music Notes for Ys
Free Music Review: One of the best female performances of 2006!
Hit: 5 Stars
Joanna Newsom is like a dragonfly; strange, majestic, and perplexingly beautiful. My first introduction to her was probably not the way most people should be introduced to her; a video of her on YouTube. My initial reaction was lukewarm. "Okay, so she can play harp," I thought, "Big deal." However, I'm never one to be deterred entirely by a single listen, so I checked out "Ys" the first chance I got, and I'm in love with this album.
For those unfamiliar with Newsom, know that her voice is a very different animal than most of us music fans are used to. It is best described, and probably has been done so, as "pixie-ish," though I doubt that anyone could actually accurately describe how a pixie sounds. Suffice to say, her voice is "cutesy," and it only seems fitting that she would be some character in a fairy tale. Fortunately for us, however, Joanna Newsom has chosen to make music, and it's one of the best female performances of 2006!
"Ys" is instantly captivating. After all, a 5-song album whose shortest track still clocks in at over 7 minutes has to be. What Newsom accomplishes on this album is something awe-inspiring in itself. Not only does she weave intricate stories together with brilliant lyricism and unparalleled musical composition, but she does so with such passion that it's hard not to be caught off guard by its sheer beauty. The music itself could best be described as a brilliant collaboration between classical music and pop music, on such levels that not even Sufjan Stevens could pull off something of this magnitude.
Indeed, "Ys" is truly something to behold. It's not an album to play at a party, or to sing along to as you drive around town. On the contrary, "Ys" is an album that you play to relax, to unwind, to experience beauty, to fall asleep to only to be enchanted in your dreams. And while critics of Newsom will obviously cite her voice as the source of their discontent, I can't possibly imagine another artist taking her place on this effort. It would be tough to put the vocals of Jenny Lewis, Tori Amos, or even Shara Worden behind these excellent composition and lyrics. In that, Joanna Newsom has undoubtedly succeeded in creating an album that is uniquely her, and surprisingly unparalleled.
By all means, buy this album and give it a chance. It's definitely not for everybody, but "Ys" is one album that no one should pass up, if only to hear one of the most unique and talented females in music today.
Recommended for fans of Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond, and anyone who wants to dream of worlds unseen.
Key Tracks:
1. "Emily"
2. "Monkey and Bear"
3. "Sawdust and Diamonds"
9 out of 10 Stars
Free Music Review: defies expectations in wonderful, enchanting ways
Hit: 5 Stars
One of the most anticipated releases this year, Joanna Newsom's second full length Ys (fyi: apparently pronounced 'ease', not 'wise') probably needs no introduction. Before we all drown in the river of salivation, perhaps we should just ring the supper bell and holler, "Come 'n' get it!"
Have you been hearing the rather loud murmurs about how Joanna Newsom is telling all that -- contrary to all of the press portraits of her resembling an Appalachian woodland waif -- she is not simply a folk songstress? Us too, and well, on an initial couple of listens to Ys, it does seem to be true. Yes, she has reinvented herself, somewhat aggressively distancing herself from the young indie folk scene that she helped spawn. It appears all that lingers from The Milk-Eyed Mender is her trusty harp, though even it claims less of the spotlight. Ys most definitely shows much artistic growth and aspiration with a far broader creative scope and production sense. Really, if there's any question that Newsom (and her label Drag City) are goin' for the serious artiste cred, you need look no further than the big gun support and chaperoning courtesy of top shelf luminaries Van Dyke Parks, Steve Albini and Jim O'Rourke. Not unexpectedly, THEY do amazing work on this album. It's stunningly beautiful. With a supporting cast like that, Newsom was clearly afforded full freedom to focus on realizing her vision. But what is that vision? We're not being completely facetious when we suggest two words -- Kate Bush. Heck, she's certainly already captivated the imagination of a similarly obsessive adoring fanbase as Ms Bush's, and maybe just as many naysayers. The mere mention of either artist's name triggers immediate passionate love/hate reactions. Her overall presentation seems so directly inspired by the venerable artist's own eccentric dramatics that you'd almost expect her to break out into "Babooshka" at any moment! Speaking of which with regards to the vocal department, the Kate and Joanna fans around here have likened her pixie-esque singing on this album to Kate Bush as a child minstrel (mind you, the non-Kate and Joanna fans might rephrase that less kindly as Kate Bush as a squeeze toy).
Regardless, this is quite the ambitious work. In each of the five lengthy tracks (the longest is 16 minutes!), she unveils her lyrics in theatrical, highly literary fashion. It's still the storybook stuff of romantic fairy tales and whimsical fables, but it's set far less in nature than the rural hued Milk Eyed Mender. It evokes fantastic jewel-toned interiors, stages, salons, tea rooms. At once, dainty and sumptuous. The album defies expectations in wonderful, enchanting ways.
Free Music Review: Stories from the Kingdom of Ys
Hit: 5 Stars
'Ys', the second album by the unique Joanna Newsom, presents itself like a bejeweled and alluring volume of fairytales. I have yet to find an album with packaging as visually stunning, or songs as epically orchestrated and written as the ones featured on this album. The album comes in a stunning slip-cover featuring a gorgeous painting by Benjamin A. Vierling filled with symbology and luxurious detail; On the back is the list of song titles (Emily, Monkey & Bear, Sawdust & Diamonds, Only Skin, and Cosmia). The jewel case is a mirror image of the slip-cover, except the album cover is instead presented like an old journal cover, complete with an illustration of a gold flower wreath, lyre, and sword. The gold edged booklet enclosed is thick and its layout similar to a novel, complete with title page and sprawling lyrics, a total of 29 pages in total. The songs are rich and long, the lyrics of the longest song (Only Skin) taking up 9 pages. Accompanied with the lyrics are old-fashioned black and white drawings of oceans, mountains, men wresting with bears, wispy ghosts, sunsets, and harps.
The music has evolved and matured since Joanna Newsom's debut album 'The Milk-Eyed Mender'. The songs unfold like epic fables, filled with clever twists, turns, and ingenious rhymes that echo like medieval hymns. Newsom's voice unsettles many because of its childlike, high-pitched tone, but once you get used to the exuberant squeals of excitement at the climax of a chorus, you can easily appreciate the whimsical elements that are perfectly suited for the exquisite lyrics and imagery. Newsom's harp playing is stunning in itself, and is accompanied with a full orchestra that includes electric bass, electric guitar, percussion, banjo, mandolin, accordion, marimba, cymbalum, violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, and French horn. Newsom's sister Emily Newsom lends her voice for back-up in the song 'Emily', and Bill Callaham provides vocal harmonies in the song 'Only Skin'.
The lyrics are impeccably written, filled with images of meadowlarks, fires moving over prairies, meteorites, bears dripping of grime, and doves stuffed with "sawdust and diamonds."
All in all this is a moving musical work, filled with the beauty, fantasy, and whimsy that one is normally deprived of in life. It acts like an elixir for the soul, and leaves you hungry and wanting for more.
Free Music Review: Everything you don't expect and more...
Hit: 5 Stars
This is probably one of the most creative projects I've ever heard. Newsom plays the harp and writes epic song with lush orchestrations behind them. You hear every instrument and color on this album except what you expect to hear. Newsom's harp trickles through the chords while the songs are colored by lush strings, subtle brass and even an occassional banjo or jawharp. Newsom's songs are very different from traditional pop songs. She divorces the traditional song structure and gives each song a wider arc allowing her to tell the story at hand. The lyrics are very narrative and incredibly poetic. The texts drip with imagery poetic devices that just don't get used enough in mainstream music. This album is incredibly refreshing with its innovative instrumentations, lush orchestrations, masterful songwriting, poetic lyrics and fantastic production. Even with all of this I think that anyone may find fault with one particular aspect of the record:
Joanna Newsom's voice.
I'm not going to lie, it's kind of annoying. Her vocal quality is some kind of strange combination between abrasive and whinny. Images of a pre-pubescent Bjork may come to mind. One thing that I consistently noticed was that when Newsom sang the word, "and" or other words with a similar vowel sound higher in her regester, there was a very distinctive squeek of her voice, kind of like her vocal chords decided to do just a little bit of bumping and grinding. However, as absolutely bizarre as Newsom's voice is, I think it kind of works. Granted, she sounds like a crazy old lady gathering the village children around to sing them a story, but with the style of the music and the content of the lyrics, I think it is strangely appropriate.
Whether you like her voice at all, there is no denying that this project is incredibly unique and creative. You may have noticed that this album doesn't have a great rating from the pooled average of Amazon users. This is not from a consistent pile of mediocre reviews, but polarized reviews from people who adore this album and others who hate it. Obviously, I am one of the former. This album is very hit-or-miss. I've told you what I think, but the only way to tell what you really think about this very debated album is to take a listen for yourself and be the judge of your own tastes.
Free Music Review: An Open Window . . .
Hit: 5 Stars
"Ys" is a brilliant, poetic work that puts you in touch with the supernatural wonder contained in the natural world. The first thing I did was read the words - page after page of real poetry. The words stand alone and reveal a profound feeling for language. They are wonderful poems - full of wordplay and mysterious imagery. After that I listened to the recording all the way through while reading the words off the booklet. It was incredibly rich, obviously eccentric, lyrical and ancient sounding - almost on the edge of madness - but in a gorgeous way. I found the effect a little overwhelming - all the music, all the words and coming through that unique, unsettling voice of Joanna Newsom. I then listened to the recording again but this time I didn't read the words off the written page
- I just sat back and soaked it in. On the second listening, without the distraction of reading, it really opened up for me. "Ys" has almost an Alice In Wonderland effect, but with a romantic longing for transcendence. In this case, seemingly a transcendence through connecting with nature. To appreciate "Ys" you have to let go of rationality - just allow yourself to be pulled into the undertow. There is much of a symbolic nature to uncover since the depth of the music, the words and Newsom's delivery act like a mirror held up to the psyche. I found that after listening to it again I began to feel at home in its otherworldly worldliness - the worldliness of terra firma, of nature, as seen from the perspective of the spirit world. It made me imagine myself a ghost visiting the beautiful valleys and woods where I had once walked, but now from a timeless perspective, seeing it from a heightened reality. Its a beautiful piece of work and Van Dyke Parks enrichens it greatly with his evocative orchestrations. Like many works of art that plumb mythic depths and don't draw within the lines of convention, this recording will probably be greeted by some with an immediate sense of revulsion, while others will open up to it and experience wonder. Its not "normal", of course, so some people will give it the knee-jerk label of "crazy". Thats too bad because its an open window into the imagination, and, in this case, not a frightening one but one that seems to welcome you in.