Ys

God help me, I tried for three tracks but I just can't. I'm not going to be mean about this. I'm not going to say there are parts where she sounds like Carol Kane impersonating Regina Spektor. I'm not going to say that the lyrics sound like a rough draft of Jewel's middle school poetry. I won't say this sounds like a bad acid trip at a small-town Renaissance Faire. I won't mention my confusion that her voice is so raspy yet high that it sounds like she's sucking helium through a lit cigarette. I tried, but I just can't make sense of this.

This album is quite astounding. Very ambitious but she achieves what she aims for. I may even go so far as to call this album "visionary," which is a rare thing indeed. I am consistently disappointed by how the users on this 1001 generator website rate great, unorthodox albums; people here have an enormous bias against anything unconventional. I much prefer RYM users in this regard: even if they are more snobby, they are better able to appreciate the weird albums too.

this has less than a 3 on here... didn't know they let the deaf use this website

Wish.com Bjork. Possibly the worst album I’ve ever heard.

Oh my god she never shuts up. 2/5

Fuck, I really like this, and I was not expecting that AT ALL. I mean, five songs all longer than what I consider casually listenable? Seems like something I'm destined to be annoyed or at least bored with, but I really adored this. Firstly, it's gorgeous both musically and lyrically, with the strings really meshing well with the weirder choices such as a mouth harp and banjo. In that way it reminds me of a Leonard Cohen album, but I'd say the lyrics are far more abstract than Cohen's works, but it still really works. I like that there s no regular song structure yet it returns to the same line every few minutes to bring the song into its own orbit and not let it stray too far outwards and become a mess. I don't know if I'll go out of my way to listen to most of these songs separately due to their length, but as a whole album this is certainly up there as something great. I will admit her vocals remind me a little bit of whoever sings "Dance Monkey", but not really annoyed at it here. Then again, I never found the vocals on that track too annoying either, so perhaps I'm the one broken. Any way, amazing album, truly unexpected.

The strengths of this album (originality, ambition, storytelling, cool chamber music vibe, cohesion) are outweighed by the weaknesses (vocals, length of the songs, wandering song structure). It's interesting, I almost enjoyed it in places, and I can see a place for it on this list. But personally, overall, not for me.

I’m mad I had to listen to this

Just when you think each song is about to end... you get 6 more minutes of 2-star music.

Friends are supposed to help keep you making a fool of yourself. This woman has no friends.

one of the best rap albums i’ve ever heard

"Come on home, the poppies are all grown knee-deep by now Blossoms all have fallen, and the pollen ruins the plow Peonies nod in the breeze and while they wetly bow with Hydrocephalitic listlessness ants mop up their brow" Maybe it's all the harps, but I'm pretty convinced that Joanna Newsom is an angel. No human person could fit the phrase "hydrocephalitic listlessness" into a musical phrase so beautifully. This music is sent from somewhere divine. A friend put Newsom's Peach, Plum, Pear from her first album on a mixed CD for me many years ago and I was entranced with its harpsichord and the first lines: "We speak in the store I'm a sensitive bore You seem markedly more And I'm oozing surprise." The Milk-Eyed Mender became one of my favorite albums, so lovely it nearly breaks my heart. Ys is a harder album to digest. Tracks are long. So are the words. Deep listening is rewarded again and again. This isn't music meant for the background. But still heart-achingly beautiful and holy.

Ok so the background music was awesome, but I could not do her voice. Whenever she hit a high shift and squeaked it actually hurt.

The people who suggest they like her apparently only do so in an attempt to appear interesting. They're not interesting. Neither is Joanna Newsom. We already have Björk, who's mastered whatever this genre is and has proved no one else should even try it. Not for nothing, but I'm sure that Icelandic Princess Björk and I would get along famously. Joanna Newsom seems like someone who wouldn't put up with any of my shit.

I bet Andy Sandberg is hony for harp music.

This. Is. A. Vibe. Gentle and touching and weird and whimsical. A beautiful record. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Cosmia Date listened: 30/11/23

I've given Joanna Newsom a listen before but didn't like it. Maybe that's changed, I dunno. Oh no, no, noooo. That voice is too much for me. She can sing really well but there's this horrid inflection in some words that makes me wince. Plus a lot of the time the singing had almost zero connection to what was going on behind it - no doubt the point, but no thanks. The music itself was like jazzy renaissance fair stuff, but with the voice added in it had an odd country flavour. This was a struggle. 2/5.

This is an incredible album. The musicianship and songwriting is just on another level. I have always liked Joanna Newsom but hadn't listened to this album in a while. It got me hooked again. I listened to this one all the way through multiple times today and then moved on to listen to "Have One On Me" for the rest of my work day. I'll probably listen to "Divers" all day tomorrow. It's a 5/5. Standout Tracks: Emily, Monkey & Bear, Sawdust & Diamonds, Only Skin, Cosmia

The most wonderful fever dream

Opening the first track and playing the first 5 seconds... *extreme wince face*... Oh man, this is going to be an experience. Her singing voice is really bad. Like, really bad. And not just her voice, but the performance of it. It's like she's role-playing a crone from Macbeth at times, and other times as some kind of woodland nymph, caught up in a state of perpetual wonder at the natural world. The music around her is all dis-jointed and awkward. She occasionally juts in with this extreme shrill tone, and it would always make me jolt back in an alarmed manner. I might actually quite dig some of the music if it wasn't accompanied by such an awful performance. But let's be honest, most of it sounds like cringey, medieval minstrel music, with artsy-fartsy poetic lyrics that are WAY too earnest. I don't just dislike this, it makes me really annoyed. Awful.

This first day I listened to this album, I ended up listening to Joanna Newsom’s entire discography. This album is absurdly beautiful. The instrumentation, arrangement, and Van Dyke Parks’ production is truly stunning. Newsom’s lyrics span mythology, allegory, and mythologized scenes from her life and childhood. Though this album is five songs and almost an hour long, the songs never overstay their welcome and are engaging to the end. Joanna Newsom is perhaps my favorite current songwriter and I find her talent staggering.

Incredibly unique. I'll probably need another listen while reading along with the lyrics to fully appreciate it. Orchestral folk, but I like the terms "prog folk" and "freak folk" to describe it. Not my cup o' tea musically, but maybe I'll give it another shot.

Someone here said she's Wish.com Bjork and now I can't unsee/unhear it. Good god "Y" did this make the list? Horrid singing and just droning on and on about nothing. 2/10.

1.5 I really try to be mindful and open to new music that’s very much outside of my normal wheelhouse… but Jesus, what was this? Yoko Ono presents Snow White? As someone who has never been to a ren faire before, this may have single-handedly convinced me to keep it that way. Ok, this album admittedly has a lot of lush instrumentation to it and is produced incredibly well. Hell, if it was an instrumental album, I actually may have mildly enjoyed it (how often do you hear me say that?) - but holy cow, I find Joanna’s vocals unbearable. Look, I’m normally one of the first pretentious a-holes to praise unconventional vocalists - I genuinely think there’s a unique sense of beauty and identity in imperfection - but my God, this made me want to pour bleach down my ears. Before anyone writes me off as having not given this a proper chance, I listened to this four times, each time dreading the next listen more than last. I’ll give credit to this album for certainly being a unique release for 2006 and for the sense of tranquilness to its instrumentation, but it ain’t for me - feels more like a thing for theatre kids. Or Andy Samberg I guess.

Listens: 3 Standout tracks: Emily, Bear and Monkey Well this is certainly unique and off the beaten trail from what you normally get from the List. "Baroque Showtunes" , with a orchestral quality, steeped in heavy metaphoric, symbolic, poem-style lyrics, with a great use of harp and other string instruments. It's wild this was produced in 2006. I really liked this. It's clear Joanna really poured her soul into this album. I enjoy how her voice squeaks or cracks at the high notes and beginnings of stanzas. There's something about the quality of her voice that I cant quite place, someone she sounds like (or someone who sounds like her). Edit: Retroactively bumping this up to a 5. This album has become a guilty pleasure, mostly because I am pretty sure anyone for whom I would play this music in front of would look at me like I have 3 heads. But fuck the haters.

I checked out the reviews of Joanna Newsom's Ys. before I gave this a spin and was shocked by the scathing vitriol heaped upon this record, especially her singing voice. The most rabid described it as "squeaking" or "annoying" (reflecting an old trope that women's voices are too high pitched to listen to comfortably) through a view that this is "just an inferior Bjork copy" (implying that there is really only room for one female artist). I wanted to give Ys. a fair go, and here are some thoughts: - her voice was much better than the commentariat would have you believe. In terms of tone and timbre, it reminds me of Karen Dalton, although they have _very_ different takes on folk. - I can see where her pushing the artistic boundaries draws some comparison with Bjork, who is similarly bold and is also female, but beyond that, the comparisons are a bit lazy. - it was a non-obvious choice to get Steve Albini to do the basic tracking, but his approach to honest and powerful capture of performance really strengthens this record. He is quoted as saying "I gotta say, she tore ass on that thing [the harp]. She's one of the best musicians I've ever worked with. It's an unwieldy instrument, really difficult to control and she has that thing down." - the orchestral arrangements are *mwah* chef's kiss. Again, Van Dyke Parkes was not an obvious collaboration choice. You can't argue that she doesn't have a strong artistic vision. I won't pretend that this record isn't challenging. It's pretty "out there" and does not give up its riches easily. You have to work at it. But if you are a serious music fan, don't you want to be challenged with something different from time to time? Now, my tastes run to a lot more straightforward "rock", so this isn't really my usual cup of tea, but I can appreciate the vision. I am glad I listened to this, even if it isn't going on my 'want list'. For my personal taste, this is probably a 3, but I feel like she deserves an extra star for sticking to her vision in spite of all the sexist bullshit. PS - check out clips of Joanna Newsom and Andy Samberg talking about each other in interviews. It's super cute.

This was my introduction to Joanna Newsom. I think I need to spend a bit more time with it to fully absorb her music. I especially loved the orchestra arrangements with the marvelous harp. I was a little less enamored, but very much intrigued, by her vocals and wandering lyrics. Maybe a little Björk mixed with Blossom Dearie? I just can't say I loved this, but I really would like to try it again sometime.

pretentious, artsy nonsense

Jesus christ this is effing terrible. I wish I could give negative stars.

Forget the rack, the Scavenger's Daughter and the manacles if the tower of London had this they would have had way better success torturing people. She can play but her voice makes me want to confess to heresy.

"She sounds like Lisa Simpson." I'm playing Milk Eyed Mender for my college roommate. Scratch that: I've hijacked a bedroom at the party to play Joanna Newsom for several nonplussed people circled on the carpet, including my roommate, who has eviscerated her by comparing her voice to Lisa Simpson's. This will always hang over my relationship with Joanna Newsom's music, and my total lack of surprise at the sub-3 average rating for this album (does anyone else consider 3 the turning point for average ratings here? Anything below feels like an insult, anything above feels like universal acceptance). I've gotten into it before, but I was heavily alienated by my college experience: mix up some culture clash with self-doubt and mix in the late-teens impatience to Become the adult I'm still working at being twenty years later, and you get one unhappy camper. I dove deep into music; while my socal peers were deep into dance-rock (your Bloc Party's, your The Faints, your Arctic Monkeys), I was falling headfirst into Freak Folk. Joanna Newsom was the woodsy poet who proudly kept some Yes and Gong records on the shelf. Lyrics were especially important to Young Me, and Joanna had lyrics for days. I carried Ys with me everywhere for the coming year: walking a California-winter college campus, flying back to Arizona for Thanksgiving and Christmas, temping for a loan company in rural Arizona for all of January, then zigzagging over Europe for four months as I studied abroad solely for an excuse to not be in California for that time, all of it culminating in my first long-term relationship with someone whose parents were mysteriously connected enough to obtain two tickets to Joanna's sold-out show at Walt Disney Concert hall in fall '07. This album is inextricable from my experiences. It's a bit of a shame none of her music is on Spotify; I'm sure more people could benefit from accessing it more easily. It's kept me away, as well; I don't have it on vinyl (I will rectify this soon) so my only copies live on my laptop and ipod. It's probably been a decade since I've listened to Ys. But from "the meadowlark" on, I'm tuned back into a complex yet completely familiar part of myself. The music has so many nooks and crannies, touches and flourishes which I can nestle into like the couch in my childhood home. I can't speak to this music from an objective place. But I sure hope that if I heard it for the first time today I'd take pause. That I'd come back to the person who used to sit for a moment as the final track ended, and then press play on track one once more.

Surprised by the low ratings. This thing is a journey, a sublime masterpiece. Full marks

I totally understand Samberg. Had I met Joanna Newsom the same year this was release I would have fallen in love too. Ys is uniquely complex, fragile and beautiful. It’s like nothing else. A rare work of utter brilliance. I don’t think there’s ever a time when I’m not in the mood for this.

Unlike anyone else

4.0 + "Emily" encapsulates all that is amazing on this record. Newsom's combination of harp and vaudeville-styled vocals are among the most unique in music, and the lyrics evoke images from nursery rhymes, ancient myths, as well as a childlike fascination with the cosmos. The rhythms and tones morph constantly, creating strange and exciting landscapes. This records offers up a feast for the senses, though perhaps one that's best consumed in small bites.

I really don't know how to feel about this

I’ve had this remarkable album for almost two decades and I still don’t know what to do with it. Too intense to stay in the background, over a close listen it demands a commitment to its convolutions that I’m unwilling to give. It’s loaded with imagery and analogy that I’m too knackered to decipher, and while it sounds gorgeous and close (requiscat, Albini) and its intricate movements are dynamic, for anything to linger I’d have to march through it… well, I haven’t marched through it enough times yet. I like this record, but “it’s complicated”.

yikes

Nope.

OMG! The first singing notes caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up, and not in a good way. MAKE IT STOP!

One of the most amazing albums ever created. The musicianship, the lyricism, the recording, the packaging...just a monumental piece of art. Ignore the knee-jerk hatred in many of these reviews of her singing style, and when you get this record, give it a real listen with an open mind. Some people don't find Dylan's singing easy. Or Tom Waits. Or Nina Simone. Others won't give rap a chance, or metal, or jazz. But if you're doing the 1,001 album thing, you should be here for a reason. So give Joanna Newsom an honest try, and even if you're initially put off by her voice, you might just find yourself embracing what this record is. My only gripe is I wish Have One On Me and Divers were included here, too. Ys is her early masterpiece, but she just gets better and better as her career progresses. A thousand stars to this album, and I'll happily give it 5 here.

wow - beautiful. totally unlike anything i've ever heard. her voice is its own instrument! andy samberg your wife is a gem

This is one of my all time favorite albums and a desert island album. Whether it’s a classic breakup song where you’ve lost yourself in the other person, a myth about the formation of Ursa Major, or an ode to a dead friend, I love all these songs. I could get lost during the journey of Only Skin over and over again and never get tired.

4.8 One of the greatest albums of all time. Says something when it's so far removed from anything else I'm into it and it just smashes through and transcends all matters of taste, preference etc. I luckily got into this not long after it came out (from 4chans /b/ of all places before it went all nazi) and keep coming back to it every couple of years but wow, every time. Emily is probably the peak, but it doesn't really go much further down from there. The ending of Only Skin, shivers every time. The melody of Sawdust & Diamonds, everything. I used to never like Monkey & Bear too much, but listening back now, the final line redeems it, "sooner or later you'll bear your teeth" is such a great ending. With time comes more relatability. The vocals always surprised me when I was younger, but listening back now and quite enjoying Bjork it feels less out there, and the album even more approachable. Lyrical depth wise the album is insane, I feel like I'd need a degree in English Lit to fully comprehend it. What also makes it magical is it feels like a flash in the pan, lightning in the bottle. I tried and failed to get into of Joanna's any other stuff, and any similar albums just didn't stick, not that there are too many. And I think it's what makes it so magical. Literal lightning in a bottle. Bravo.

One of the oddest (in an amazingly good way) artists out there today

I may have heard 𝘰𝘧 Joanna Newson, and filed her under some indie critics' darling, I think?, but never her music. So glad this changed today. Whoa. Never expected anything like this. What is it even? In the lineage of Kate Bush and circa Tori Amos, but Folk Prog? Whatever the possible label, this is gorgeous, simply wonderful. This is: I need to visit my record dealer tomorrow and see if he has this. Because I will need to listen to it a lot more in the future, all of the future (not willing to release on Spotify is an extra 0.5 rating points these days). And wrap myself in it. Notwithstanding some weird squeaks in the otherwise enchanting singing performance (or whatever happens in the first note of "Only Skin"?), the sum of it all might be the finest and most important album this side of the year 2000 the generator has introduced me to. I love this.

I have no clue how someone could conceptualize this album in 2006 as a 24 year old because it sounds like it's from the 1500's and we're on a pirate ship sailing the seas. There is such an incredible whimsical approach with lyrics that are more similar to Ye Olde English than anything we typically hear today. Her metaphors and analogies are so unusual that it makes it difficult to keep up with what the heck is going on in any of the 10+minute songs. Use of vocabulary is exceptional because it's just so out of place for today. This really is musical poetry and each time I hear an unusual analogy, I have to go back and try and figure it out. Like in Monkey & Bear, when the bear is frolicking in the sea and the bear's shedding it's clothes, which "fell off as easy as if sloughed from boiled tomatoes". Ok it's easy when it's written, but when you randomly hear her talking about boiled tomatoes in a song, you wonder how we got here. Also, she plays the harp. WHAT?! Honestly it seems unfair to have this album on a list with some of the more vapid, well known singers. Popular singers certainly have more public sway, but in terms of true artistic ability and value, I find this album on a completely higher plane.

Wonderfully unique. It's not the most accessible album but clearly a masterpiece. Newsom has an unusual singing voice that would be grating were the compositions weaker, but they are perfect for the dreamlike fantasy atmosphere that the whole album gives off. Also, why don't we hear more harp in popular music? It's superb here. One of the best things about this album is the production. Steve Albini is one of the best producers out there, but this might be his best work. Honestly might be the best produced album I've ever heard. It really allows Newsom's vocals to shine. As a huge fan of prog rock, I was curious what progressive folk would be like. Turns out I love it. I hope it's not that unique, so I can find more like this.

THIS WAS SO GOOD WHAT PUT THIS ON STREAMING NOW SO I CAN PLAY IT ALL THE TIME

-absolutely mind-blowing work of art. this album hits like a truck every time -Joanna Newsom is a strong contender for one of my favorite lyricists of all time, and it’s exemplified here perfectly. and the fucking harps and orchestra?? incredible. such an ambitious album but pulled off perfectly, has moved me to tears a few times -Favorites are Emily, Monkey and Bear, and Sawdust and Diamonds

I love this album so much i wish i could live in it.

This average rating here is criminal, do you people just not like music? One of the most original and beautiful hour of music you'll hear in your life right here. 'Sawdust & Diamonds' and 'Cosmia' are like an out of body experience every time.

Oddly affecting

As of 2024, Joanna Newsom has released four albums, each of them garnering praise from small ardent circles and bafflement from many more. "Ys" was released when she was just 24, and addresses a range of life events including her growing relationship with her sister, a miscarriage she had suffered, a failing romantic relationship, and her place in the music industry itself. It sits completely outside any other music on this list, anything I have in my collection, and certainly anything else happening in 2006 (when this was released, Justin Timberlake was topping the Billboard charts). "Ys" could have been written in 2006, or it could have been written in 1681, or 1147, and I'm not sure I'd be any the wiser. It's as though Newsom discovered a secret, untapped alchemy for making music, existing in her own vacuum. At what point did I realise I was listening to a true classic? Perhaps somewhere between the eighth and ninth listens, wandering the city farm, completely lost in my own thoughts, the music growing out from the ground, drifting down from the heavens, shining in with the sun. To summarise the five tracks/poems/epics… "Emily" meanders delicately through a verse, pre-chorus and chorus, running a four-minute cycle three enthralling times. It builds masterfully, then pulls the rug away, then gently lays it back at our feet. "Monkey and Bear" is a twisty-turny allegory of two animals escaping their farm for a life of performance. It initially felt disposable to me, but has such engaging narrative and colour in its delivery that it's hard not to be swept away on the journey. "Sawdust and Diamonds" consists almost entirely of Newsom's vocals and her harp playing (the undeniable instrumental centrepiece, taking my breath away every time). Utterly beautiful. "Only Skin", my favourite track, is stunning from beginning to end: the ornate, orchestral intro, the perfectly judged changes in dynamics throughout, the ragged runaway climax featuring backing vocals from Bill Callahan. Finally, "Cosmia" is relatively simplistic, a plea to a departed friend which stretches grief into a celestial exultation. A heart-melting chorus, gorgeous harp work, and we're done. What else to say? Newsom's vocabulary is off the scale, standing as poetry on its own, to an extent which won't appeal to every listener. Reading the words alongside the music helped it all come together for me: very few lines are wasted, with every one either beginning a new story, running alongside a key change, offering a switch of perspective. And every now and then, a stunning, straight-to-the-heart melody breaks out like sunshine: the hook of "Only Skin", the chorus of "Sawdust and Diamonds", the refrain of "Cosmia". It's almost impossible to grasp on the first couple of listens, but then to embrace "Ys" is to follow Newsom down a rabbit hole - or into a labyrinth, or through a wardrobe - into a wonderland. With just a little time, it becomes lush, expansive, immaculate. It's taken a while and I had to put the work in (in fact, my first listen was five months before finishing this review) but I'm very, very glad I did.

Adele if she was good

I wasn’t really looking forward to this when it popped up with just 5 tracks coming in at nearly an hour but it was something of a revelation. Slow and ever developing prog-folk and baroque pop weaves a tapestry of wonderful music that reminded me of someone like The Mummers whose music also enraptured me from the very beginning. With tracks ranging from 7 to 17 minutes it’s not one you can just pop on and listen to in the background; it demands attention but rewards you for it. I’ll be returning to this and her for sure!

I somehow never sat down and listened to a whole album by Joanna before today. I can't believe what I've been missing. This album is magical. Thanks for the recommendation.

"Ys" is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom. Progressive folk, indie rock, baroque pop, avant pop and indie rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Yes, I guess...more on that later. The album has five tracks, which deal with events and people in Newsom's life including a sudden death of a best friend, a continuing illness and a tumultuous relationship. Newsom has also stated that Roy Harper's "Stormcock" was an inspiration for the album. The album was produced by Newsom and Van Dyke Parks. Bandmembers included Newsom (harp, vocals, pedal harp), Lee Sklar (bass), Grant Geissman (guitar), Donna Heffington (percussion), Matt Cartsonis (banjo, mandolin), Van Dyke Parks (accordion) and Terry Schonig (marimba, cymbalom). The album had universal acclaim and, commercially, hit #134 in the US and #41 in the UK. "Emily" begins the album. Strings and harp accompany Newsom's voice. It's a song about her sister, Emily, and their differences. The sky, meteors and light are used to help describe the differences. The production sounds like it was recorded in the 1930's/1940's. I kind of like that. A flute is added to "Monkey & Bear. It's a story about the exploitation of the bear by the monkey and, in song bigger sense, about the desire for freedom and the consequence of escape and the illusion of liberty. In "Only Skin," Newsom's voice sounds like Kate Bush. This story involves a soldier and a female character (lover/Mother) who tries to heal his damages but can't. This album can best be described as Newsom's personal poetry reading accompanied by music that is primarily a harp, strings, and other mostly acoustic instruments. I guess that puts it in s folk category of sorts. The stories are allegories to bigger and more personal meanings. The music is sparse but accentuates the lyrics appropriately. This is not an album that you can play in the background and hope that you like it; it requires some work listening but the reward is there with her intricate stories and larger meanings. An album that is not for everyone but poetry, folk or any music fans can find this to be quite an album. I eventually did.

I don’t think it works for me

Oh I don't know It's really good, it's also really bad Just when you start liking it it smacks you in the ear with a rubbish section Songs are too long which may be the tipping point for me into not listening to it again

I found Joanna's singing to be disagreeable. Not a fan.

The way she sings is quite similar to Björk, and I really like Björk but in this instance I feel like it's detracting from the music immensely. I really like this project except for her vocals. It's a shame.

Típic disc que encanta a la crítica, per la seva valentia, el seu so, la seva imatge. I és cert: és un treball valent, amb només cinc llarg temes, amb l'arpa i la veu de Newsom com a protagonistes; amb un so diferent i molt propi, encerclat en la corrent de l'alt-folk que tan en boga estava en aquells anys. I amb una imatge exquisida, com una guapa joglar medieval recent aterrada en els nostres dies. El contingut, però, no està a l'alçada de tot el que l'envolta

This is an impressive album, in the way that the arrangements are inventive and grandiose. The songwriting is original and explorative, and I appreciate that she’s doing something different. That being said, I hated listening to it and I really disliked her voice

If a whiny Alvin the chipmunk had tried to record an arthouse album. Zero stars. This is just bad luck that this album came a day after I had to sit through a Joni Mitchell crap-fest.

Goodness sakes what a horrible album. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a worst vocalist. This album seemed like a mashup the chipmunks & other cartoon characters singing.

Surprising that this is a mid 00's album and not an early 70's or late 60's album. It sounds like it would fit in much better with the psychedelia movement at that time. That said, it doesn't offer much of a new spin on that movement either, so I can't understand why this is even only the list. Perhaps it's noteworthy for reviving interest in a genre that was last popular before many listener were born. Musically, the album may be nuanced, but ultimately, it sounds pretty contrived. The swings in volume make Newsom's singing sound grating, occasional squeakiness in her voice really doesn't help either. The album would probably also have benefitted from fuller sounding instrumentation. All in all, a very unpleasant listening experience. I didn't finish it.

Was initially interested that she was a harpist, thinking this would be some nice soothing music to put on and chill. Instead what I heard was shrill wailing that was like nails on a chalkboard. I saw one review say she is the “wish.com Bjork” and funnily enough it’s pretty accurate. Her music does grow on you a bit but there is almost no chance I’ll give it any more than the time already given to her. 1.5/5 as it’s not the absolute worst thing I’ve heard. Annoyed at first that this wasn’t on Spotify but found on YouTube. Now I’m glad it’s not on Spotify so I don’t have a song to add to my 1001 playlist.

Can't say I've heard much music that sounds like this. Not entirely sure what she's on about most of the time but instrumentally, this is one of the most beautiful things I've heard in a while.

What a coincidence to get this right after Kate Bush's The Dreaming. Simply singular and otherwordly. It's an album that would feel ponderous and impenetrable if it wasn't so enchanting and emotionally riveting. The first few times I tried to listen to it (a couple of years ago) I could barely get past Emily—such a heavy song that it seemed impossible to simply move on to the next one. A few tries later and the same was even more true for Only Skin, which plucks at emotional string not touched by anyone outside of maybe Bob Dylan (particularly thinking of stuff like Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands). A few more listens and I grew similar feelings for Sawdust and Diamonds, which was the one that particularly moved me this time around as as well (though it's impossible not to feel euphoric by Only Skin)—those hurried strings, rushing to whoever knows where, excitedly elevating to realms unseen, seem slither into places in my heart inaccessible to anyone or anything else, letting out and reviving so much buried and dead stuff with a breath of fresh bloom, only to let them suffer at the height of their fragile beauty. And every song is that way too, more or less. Densely poetic and alternatingly personal and allegorical lyrics which unclothe you long before you can even hope to grasp them. Not to mention the complex musical fluidity throughout, which I'm not nearly equipped to be able to express. In otherwords: a masterpiece.

A modern bard. Completely different than what I listen to normally, but it is incredible.

Such a unique and otherworldly album. Newsom's second release immediately distinguished itself from her debut (and everything else at the time) by delivering only 5 songs, but long ones. I'm actually surprised how someone can learn how to perform these without charts or anything given they're so complex in their structure and progression. The complexity of these songs set Joanna apart from Devendra Banhart's New Weird America movement she came up with a few years earlier. The twee-ness of the movement is still somewhat present in the lyrics and Newsom's delivery, but with a sophistication of a seasoned novelist, as all of the songs here paint pretty evocative pictures and build fantastical narratives. The personnel on this record is also impressive: string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, recorded by Steve Albini, mixed by Jim O'Rourke. With Ys, Newsome proved she was more than the "quiky girl with the harp" most knew her as after her debut came out. Key tracks: Emily Cosmia

Overall: 10/10 This is a very unique album. I've never heard a voice quite like Joanna. It fits perfectly with this sort of whimsical style she has. The instrumentations seem to incorporate a lot of harp and classical instrumentation, which I found really beautiful. It's a challenging album with songs that pass the 10 minute mark, but I never found myself struggling to enjoy it. It's just too stylish for me to think of it as anything but an ambitious masterpiece. Fav Song: Monkey & Bear

Instant classic. Album that I have been intrigued by for years but its absence from Spotify has always deterred me from listening to it. Boy I’m glad I did though this shit was an absolute masterpiece. I need more time to really sit with all of the music and lyrics because it is so dense but I wanna buy the record badly and dive deep

Like fine dining but music. So crisp, the material and the execution/performance is just amazing. The poetry that makes up these lyrics is breathtaking. At times it lost me for being a bit too meandering, but that might say more about my attention span being shorter than it should be.

You see, it's albums like this that remind me that the stats on this website are not to be trusted. What do you mean Ys has an average of 2.8? This album is beautiful! How do you guys not love this? Then again, I probably should've stopped trusting this website's scores when I saw that 1989 has a higher average than Loveless, but I digress. So, why do some people not care for this? Well, admittedly, Ys is not the most accessible album on the planet. Joanna Newsom's singing is rather Björk-esque in its unconventionality and the shortest song on here is 7 minutes long. This is not an album that everyone will "get," but if you "get it," as I do, you are in for arguably one of the most beautiful album experiences ever. I'm serious. The writing on these songs is baffling in how excellent it is. This is straight-up poetry and I adore it. The nature-focused themes make this one of the most earthly albums I've ever heard and I really love it. No other album that I've heard has captured the beauty of nature as well as Ys. The music is also just wonderful. The string arrangements are gorgeous and the whole sound is lush and intricate. I have to give props to the entire group of people who worked on this, which somehow includes Steve Albini of all people. How? Uhh, what else can I say? I guess I could highlight the songs, but all 5 of them are just as great as each other and they all work perfectly to form a cohesive album. I guess I'll highlight "Emily" and "Only Skin" since those are the longest songs and the ones that I put on my 1001 Albums playlists. Amazing songs. I'm kinda speechless, to be honest. I knew I'd enjoy this going into it based on what I'd heard, but I'm a little blown away by how genius this is. Ys is the kind of album that you have to commit to, but if you have it in you to enjoy something like this, you are in for an experience unlike any other. Ys is outstanding. Now is it better than any of the music that Joanna Newsom's husband made? I don't know. It's kinda hard to beat such classics as "I'm on a Boat" and "Dick in a Box," am I right? Nah, I'm kidding. 5/5.

I love it. It’s different. It’s beautiful. I think I cried listening to it.

1001 albums generator users when they have to actively engage with anything that's slightly out of their comfort zones for once: is this the worst thing ever?

I absolutely love this, and have done from my first listen when it originally came out. I understand that her voice is an acquired taste and some people might feel the tracks go on too long, but the ambition, storytelling, melody, and orchestration are all sensational.

I mean.... damn its insane. Always loved it but maybe not ever as much as this listen

it makes me too emotional... its just indescribably beautiful...

🐐 alarm! While this is indeed one of the best albums of all time, its inclusion kind of runs contrary to the very nature of this project. An album a day… Who on earth would be able to process all the genius that is baked into the fabric of this wonderful, truly magnificent recording within just one day? It took me years, at least... But when I saw this cover today, I didn’t even have to spin the record — it just began playing in my head, note for note. There aren’t many records that I’ve internalized as much as I have Ys. Joanna Newsom’s voice and her songwriting are astonishingly unique; the arrangements practically pop out of the dictionary when you look up “idiosyncratic.” It’s such an abundance of genius that I completely understand if it feels overwhelming on first listen. It also says a lot that even Van Dyke Parks found it challenging to conduct the strings, given Joanna Newsom’s frequent rhythmic shifts throughout her songs. Seriously - how many musicians are actually able to hold together all those constantly shape-shifting parts that make up these compositions? There can’t be many. GOAT.

Stunning. Have loved this one forever but, as it's not available on Spotify, I rarely come back to it. It was a reminder how amazing this artist is and this album is her highpoint. Production on this album is perfect. I truly can't think of anyone or anything that sounds like her and that's pretty awesome in my book

"Emily" and "Sawdust & Diamonds" absolutely blew me away with the musicality, lyricism, and dynamics. I had listened to this album only once before but not really actively. It really demands your attention and focus but it's worth the effort.

Wow. This made me rethink all the 5 stars I've already given because THIS deserves 5. An extraordinary, breathtaking masterpiece.

I’m above a 5. Not a 10, but… wow. I mean, look, I’ll admit; I’m as lost lyrically as everyone else. I do think I have slightly more of a sense of what these tracks are all about, with some family / relationship dynamics in play, explored with the flowery language of an early 20th century poet describing things with a mind’s eye that feels lost in the modern day, or at least, something that feels more innately human at its core as opposed to such recent wordsmithery as “Spongebob Big Guy Pants OK”. The lyrics do help, to a point, but they help in the same way that reading a Shakespeare play will only help you understand the meaning – a true Shakespearian performance is just that: the performance. The lines mean something, but the actor’s delivery, body language & clearly shown passion for the role they’re playing has to tell the story most effectively, and Joanna Newson’s approach to this album lies in the same range. Sure, her vocals can feel shrill at times, sort of like Bjork with an Amy Winehouse twang, but after the first track showcases the ‘worst’ of it (which is simply her out of the rhythmic structure), it becomes far easier to fall in love with her delivery, as she hits these lines & rides on the instrumentals with the precision of someone doing Hamlet. I do think one’s enjoyment of this album will come in the tolerance of that – this is an album that requires patience, for the stories told within to build up and slowly reach the climax she wants, yet without the instrumentals always matching that same sense of climax. The catharsis is not the same as a big beat drop (though there are some moments where the instrumental intensity picks up in similar ways), but rather, just little releases of tension that guide the album from section to section. The longer it goes, the more your ears will feel used to the pace & language she’s speaking with, so if you can get past the earliest bumps of “feeling out” the album, then I think it’s well worth it. If you don’t have the patience for longer tracks, or for storytelling that takes this much time, or the tone of her vocals or the looser “medieval” feel to the instrumentation, then you will probably bounce off of this album. I wouldn’t say bouncing off of it means you have to give it a 1, but it is what it is. Ultimately, if you can find the grace for it, or if you just have a fun penchant for this sort of soundscape / overall style, what emerges out of it is a delightfully strong album. I do think it’s a bit too cryptic to really warrant a 10 like that, & any album that feels like it needs a Genius caption for every single line might be just a little too flowery for its own good. However, I’m certainly above a 5 with this – I think it’s a lovely, lovely album, & even in its most flowery & confusing moments, I found myself just mesmerized by it, with a sort of pageantry that I can’t explain. I’m glad it’s on the list, and even if you bounce off of it, it’s certainly worth giving a try before you die. I'm pissed this isn't on Spotify.

This album is beautiful and soaring. It's probably not everyone's taste, but it is mine and I love it.

When I put on this album, I thought, this is pretty cool. A harpist with a pretty unique voice; makes for a nice novelty. 15 minutes in and was like, this is fucking amazing!! The lyrics create marvelous world building, and the arrangements fold together in an infectious groove. It’s still like nothing I’ve heard before, but it manages to push past novelty to be avant-garde, forging future sounds while remaining relevant and worth listening to decades later.

Listened while at home. One of the greatest albums ever made and it's a crime that it's not in the top 50 albums on this app. There's nothing I can say about it that hasn't already been said other than I love this album and it was a pleasure to hear it again.

One of the best albums of all time. Deeply personal, sounds really lush and beautiful. 10/10 [KEEP]

i was so pleasantly surprised by this. i was expecting to dislike it because i remember being irked by her voice as a kid. as i’ve gotten older, though, i love someone who can push their voice to the limits: neil young, bjork, definitely joanna. the harp in this is stunning and all the arrangements are beautiful. found me at the right time! 4.5 but i’m rounding up

Her best album, one of the best of the decade and all time. Each song is a journey and even though they're all long they never feel like it. A modern day classic.

So this is why I’m so glad I signed up for the generator. I’ve always meant to listen Joanna Newsom because on paper she seemed like an artist I would like but because she’s not on Spotify and I’m basically bone idle, I never did. Now the generator has motivated me to go to the huge effort of firing up YouTube, I can say I loved this ambitious, individual and beautiful album.

Poetic and beautiful. This is the reason I signed up for this challenge. To find stuff I would never have listened to otherwise.

I waited nearly 800 albums so I could give this a 5. Too many favorite elements to list but the only time I've seen her perform, she opened with a reworking of an old Scottish song and then played this album from start to finish with only a few other musicians and it was so wonderful.

Wow. I'm stumped. Not only is this record so beautiful in terms of songwriting, instrumentation, and beautiful vocals, I've also never heard anything like it on its own. I'm pretty sure Joanna Newsom is the product of genetical engineering, where they fused a Disney princess with a 50's soul singer. Almost every aspect of this record had me enchanted.

i’m so obsessed with this, and i’m so happy it’s not on spotify so i get to learn how to download the music another way!

This style makes me wonder what medieval lyricists sounded like and if they just told poetic stories that took a long time to play/recite. I love the harp!! I am digging her unique style of singing and I want to read the lyrics the next time I listen.

This is insane. 5 songs, 56 minutes. No clue what its about, but I went through something.

Keep giving me songs not available in US on Spotify. Had to listen on YouTube. Amazing album — I had heard of her but hadn’t heard her music. Reminded me of an Appalachian Bjork. Have a feeling music will grow on me.