Ys

kinda like Bjork but without the charming Icelandic "everything is music" vibe. Not for me

respectfully im going to rate this 3/5 because im going to need like 5 more listens to come to close to actually following all the things she sings about

bleh

Very strange and personal to the point it is beyond rating in a way, unique to say the least

This was so weird and I'm glad I took the time to find it and listen after it not being on Spotify. Her voice is beautiful and the songs are bizarre. The orchestral accompaniments are also both bizarre and beautiful. Will definitely be seeking this out again.

Having finally found this album on YouTube, listened to it until it got dull in the later stages. The vocal style takes a little while to acclimatise to, but is not entirely unpleasant. Doubt I'd go out of my way to seek out more from her, however.

I don't think I've been this excited for an album to be done yet on this entire journey. In fact, I'm still listening to this doodoo feces as I write this. I can't believe someone like a voice as terrible as this was able to put out even just one full album. It sounds like she's doing a diabolical Amy Winehouse impression. Easiest 1 star yet.

Ys A colleague of mine in Japan absolutely loved this album and used to play it in the office a lot. Kind of through everpresent osmosis I grew to like it back then, although I haven't listened to it since. Her voice is a bit of a taste I’ve had to try and reacquire after these 20 years and it's helped by how many people have subsequently used and exaggerated her off beat sad indie girl ennunciations and delivery (eg mornin’, mornin’ or meteroid in Emily) to the point of complete irritation. Once I got past that I remembered why I liked it 20 odd years ago. Emily really is fantastic in its free flowing brilliance and etherealness, a play of a song exploring childhood, memories and loss through religious touchpoints, comfortably sustaining and justifying its 12 minute run time. I like the fable-like story of Monkey & Bear, even if I’m not totally sure what the allegory is, other than the Monkey seeming to gaslight the Bear. Sawdust & Diamonds is also rather inscrutable, but also fantastic. Only Skin is genuinely epic, with another set of image laden lyrics, with too many fascinating lines to digest. I think she is referring to the other themes on the other songs, I think the line ‘Rowing along among the reeds, among the rushes mirrors similar references to Moses in Emily. Cosmia is also fantastic, as the perspective shifts melancholically from human to moth it strikes a beautiful note of hopeful sadness about death and rebirth. The narratives of each song demand that they are lengthy, but they all have such a beguiling atmosphere, often lulling you in with a pastoral softness, before suddenly peaking and bursting into life, e.g. the superb couplet of ‘I wasn't born of a whistle, or milked from a thistle at twilight No; I was all horns and thorns, sprung out fully formed, knock-kneed and upright’ over the final minute and half of Sawdust and Diamonds. The string and horn arrangements are terrific throughout, but her harp is the key instrument, both melodic and, without drums, percussive and rhythmic. In other hands this could easily come over as twee and contrived and self indulgent, and while there is certainly a degree of ostentation, with the labyrinthine alleyways she moves around in each song feel natural and genuine. It’s a superbly singular album, almost bardic in its long form story telling and medieval feel, something that would normally put me off, but in this case I think it's fantastic. It took a few listens to get back on its wavelength, but it was worth the effort, as it really is a uniquely excellent album. 5. 🪉🪉🪉🪉🪉 Playlist submission: Emily

I just can't. I didn't know the name of it before, but as I've gone through this list, I've come to learn that" baroque Pop" is by far my least favorite genre of music. I used to just call it "Kate Bush style pretentious bullshit". I think this list for teaching me the name of the genre so I can avoid it at all costs.

I had the strangest feeling I'd reviewed this before so I searched my history and I had not. I dropped her name in three reviews though: Fairport Convention (Liege And Lief), Joni Mitchell (Blue), and Devendra Banhart (Rejoicing In The Hands), which is its own way of signaling Newsom's importance to my understanding of popular music of the past and the distant past. And yet why Ys? Why not The Milk-Eyed Mender, which is just as potent and got there first? Except potency isn't the only dimension by which we measure greatness. The Milk-Eyed Mender is perhaps a stronger drink of Newsom's sound but some artists and their work improve with refinement. I think that's the beauty of Ys — it's still potent but also more refined. The addition of full orchestral arrangements by Van Dyke Parks plays an obvious role and the mix by Jim O'Rourke enhances the artistry of both. Will her voice and approach in using it put off about half of those who hear it? Definitely. I used to mock it myself. Is a 12-minute opening track a bold choice bound to turn off others? Probably. I also think this record gets dissed on because it searches out a place that's earnest and a bit twee and that makes for an easy target. But put on headphones, leave the screens behind and sit down in a dark room and listen. It's achingly beautiful. And maybe this is one of the things about this record: what is most interesting and engaging is stuff that's going to pass you by if you have it on as background or you're busy doing other things. And what is potentially most grating are the things on the surface: her singing (if you don't like it) and the lyrics (depending on your expectations). And yet, and yet, it is easily one of the best albums of its release year. And I'll go further: this album is among the most important and impactful of the 2000s. Released by an artist with a vision of her work that moves from the messier psych-folk of The Milk-Eyed Mender to something grander, it easily surpasses several other 1001 choices from this era. It's a 4 star record, but I'm rounding up because it is singular in a way that should be rewarded.

I had a weird-ass dream last night and this album would have been the perfect soundtrack for it.

Interesting for a while ...

This is an album of poetry over often seemingly unrelated music. No actual song structure, it just goes on and on... She seems to have something to say and it all feels artistically interesting, but as a music record it demands a lot from the listener, too much for me.

Medieval bjørk - no thanks

I adore this album. It’s wild the leap she took from her first album to this one. Her debut is great, but this is a masterpiece.

With a haunting and beautiful voice (and her harp) Joanna Newsom transported me back to medieval times for an hour. Absolutely stunning album that I never would have predicted would hit that hard.

Can appreciate it, but it’s not for me.

good but slightly too chewy

Borderline unlistenable

Disney but weird

Makes me feel like a weary medieval king who has summoned their singing jester. But I tire of this. Actually, I wrote a much more scathing review. But once I started reading the lyrics, I backtracked. This isn't an album to have on in the background while at work. It takes your full attention. I think I will come back to this one. (love the cover too)

2.9

I can't ever tell if Joanna Newsom aged well or poorly. It for sure sounds like avant garde indie singer songwriter of the 2000s. It feels like something that everyone would be obsessed with and that you would shunned for not "getting." But objectively, she is unique and rare and her music is really freaking cool. The harp, the concepts, the weird vocals and lyrics. Its beautiful. It reminds me of a more beautiful stripped down version of Neutral Milk Hotel. Special shoutout to her cameo in Inherent Vice, the lowest rated and strangest of all PTA films. But still one that I enjoy.

Joanna Newsom - Ys (2006) Pretty sure I have this on Cd somewhere. I’ve probably listened to it about 3 times. I like it but it is defiantly strange. Her vocal squeaks grate a little sometimes but it’s never less than interesting. 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ei löydy spotify

Emily 3.2 Monkey & Bear 3 Sawdust & Diamonds 2.3 Only Skin 3 Cosmia 2.6 Score: 2.82

All lyrics, no musicality, and an off-putting voice. No thanks.

I may understand the hype, but I really don't get the music

4/10

Not on spotify

These are jams for listening to on your way to the Ren Faire. You'll know if that appeals to you or not.

They should get this lady to do the music for some medieval fantasy games. She’s got the vibe right, and it definitely sounds like a modern interpretation of middle age music, with harps and other twee instruments. Another reviewer said that she’s doing a diabolical Amy Winehouse impression, and I definitely agree, but it’s more schizophrenic than that. The voice changes 2-3 times throughout the songs, possibly to represent different characters. The whole album is just stream of consciousness with very little meter or rhyme (she rhymes meteor with meteor three times in the first song) which adds to the twee vibe. It’s creative, and I didn’t hate it as much as I expected to but there’s no way I could listen to an hour of this straight. ⭐️⭐️

Cursive singing from the opening line? This was always going to be a struggle. Never again.

i love you truly or i love no-one

I have no idea what I listened to but honestly I enjoyed it more than the rating indicates. I was so confused because it was definitely the most unique album on here. The story was hard to follow and the fact that every song was 7+ minutes was strange to me. I'll never listen to this again and don't really want to but I'm not upset I did.

Ren faire Björk doesn't exis- Seriously though, what's up with this cold streak lately? Been like 2 weeks without a 4 or 5. Damn. The composition is impressive and, at times, nice. That's it.

This was certainly different. Liked the music far more than the singing. Shame I had to go over to YouTube to listen to it though.

“You might also like Bjork or Kate Bush.” I wonder what goes through a singer’s head when they make the deliberate choice to sound like an 8 eight year alternating between glee and a sharp pain.

It's actually not bad, not bad at all. But I kept thinking this was some less experimental Björk.

This one is not on Spotify. Which may be a good thing. GPT's description of it was questionable. lol I do want to check out a couple on YouTube though. Hm. The first impression I got was a little bit of Regina Spektor vibes. Hmmm It's alright, it reminded me of Bjork a little too. But still only 2 stars.

Neutral rating. Seems like there's lots of talent here but I can't handle the twee vocals. Reminds me of the Crish Vine: "wēlcøme tū møī keetchen"

A struggle. DNF.

⭐⭐⭐⭐+ Folkig orkestermusik. Tycker mycket bättre om albumet andra gången jag lyssnar på det när jag är beredd på vad det innehåller. I grunden låter det som jag föreställer mig medeltida visor men med maffiga arrangemang med drag från klassisk filmmusik som ackompanjerar Joannas lite säregna berättande sång vilken påminner lite om Björks. Sången känns intim och nära medan orkestreringen gör helheten stor. Väldigt unikt album, jag tycker det är vackert och ger det en stark 4a. Bäst är Emily, Sawdust & Diamonds, Only skin

the meadowlark the chim-choo-ree and the sparrrrroooow 💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥💪💪💪💥💥💥

Joanna Newsom I used to have this album but I haven’t listen to it in years. The harp is so cool. Really different singer and songwriter. I think I have to give it a 5 just because she was able to have a unique sound that brings out a different emotion. I don’t think I have the attention span anymore to follow the lyrics through the long songs so I don’t really know what it’s about but I know she’s feeling it. Favorite song was Sawdust and Diamonds - really liked that one!

I gotta give this a 5 because its one of the more captivating records i think weve had. Not a huge fan of the singing style, and it was kind of hard for me to get past. But every other aspect of this record i thought was really unique and interesting. sawdust and diamonds was my fav, really reminds me of bon iver. Cool that lee sklar plays bass on it. Its a shame this ones not on spotify, the ads between all the songs ruin the experience on this record more than they would on some others.

this album felt exactly like the cover art, being a noble woman in the medieval times. I could feel myself being transported there even tho I was only half paying attention to the songs. I also liked her voice quite a bit and bill callahan did backing vocals which is definitely a big plus. I also loved the use of harp and the orchestration of the songs. I will say some of the lyrics felt a bit rambley like she was just saying what came to mind at some points but i overall liked the lyrics and the stories she was telling. I would 100% listen again, 4.891/5

It was a chore to listen to this

This would have hit so hard in 2011. I liked it more than I expected, because it was like The Decemberists found a way to be even more twee. And I like them! I can't tell if I like or hate her voice. Ultimately not for me, sorry.

I have never heard an album like this and will not seek it out again, but I recognize the creativity that went into it. I must confess I felt like I was listening to something really theatrical that needed visuals and / or listening to minstrels in a Monty Python movie dancing along side the guys making fake horse trotting sounds. The storytelling and lyrics were deep, but too long for me for single tracks.

7.2/10. I don't have much experience with folk, but this album fit it, and it felt like poetry rather than pure music. It was much more about the storytelling than the music, and it was well written. The har made it feel close, while the orchestra made it feel grand. I liked it, but I don't know how much I'm dying to listen to 10-minute harp songs again.

At the beginning of the album, I thought I could picture someone that enjoyed this, but it just wasn’t going to be me. As it just kept going and going, that hypothetical enjoyer got harder and harder to imagine. Ys didn’t make me actively angry like a few of the albums in the project, but that’s as positive as I could frame my reaction. I made it all the way through, but never want to hear this again.

This was horrible and I turned it off after not too long

Harpy. Don't mean the instrument. She sounds like she's caught her foot in a bear trap. Turned it off. Out of 606 albums, this ranks at 606th.

It's not the type of music you listen to with friends. Its the album you drink alone to.

Like bad ren faire music

100

labeled folk but meh

I’m on the second song…more than twenty minutes in! This is one of the worst things I’ve voluntarily subjected my ears to. If you ever wondered what it would sound like if Björk were attacked by a gaggle of Canada geese while at a renaissance festival while both she and the geese were on frankly dangerous doses of psychedelic drugs, this seems like a reasonable approximation. I find NOTHING redeeming about this album. The singing, the lyrics, the music, it’s exasperating all the way around. There seem to be too many albums on this list that got the nod simply because: “it doesn’t sound like anything else!” Well, maybe there’s a reason for that. I try to find positive qualities in most things, I can’t do that here. Far be it from me to dissuade you from giving it a listen, but christ, find anything else to spend 56 minutes on. Upon further reading the fact that Van Dyke Parks, Steve Albini and Jim O’Rourke had a hand in this makes it all the more baffling. And she’s from Cali-fucking-fornia?!? What is that affected accent? I can deal with bad songs, but the length of them all is excruciating. The number of five star reviews honestly puzzles me. I’m on the last song and I’m not anticipating a saving grace. It’s fucking BAD, not because it’s odd, not because she’s a woman, just because it’s bad.

I really enjoyed this. Cool orchestration, cool voice. Reminded me of a lot of things but was still very much its own.

Niet op spotify

I got half way through and then I felt the need to go to the park and shoot small dogs with an air rifle, so I stopped listening.

Pretty ok, but annoying that it’s not on Spotify. 3.5 rounded down

Fav: Emily, Only Skin, Cosmia L: Sawdust and Diamonds 5 Now this is music. First listen I enjoyed it a decent amount but I didn't appreciate Joanna's voice which to be fair sounds sort of like the nerd kid on The Simpsons. Second listen it really came together. This sort of scratches the same itch I get for contemporary opera. Really amazing, this is what makes this quest worth it. Cover: 3 Alright but I don't think it really captures the album Name: 5 Now that's a title Minecraft Parody: Redstone and Diamonds, Default Skin

Typically the singer/songwriter genre is a miss for me. If you don’t like the story being told, you’re not going to like the album. This one is different. Whether you like the story or not, the music and the delivery is beautiful enough to hold your attention.

I don't get all of the hate. but I didn't really like it either.

No offense… it’s great… but similar to 500 folk singers on sound cloud. 2.5 (and I had to listen on YouTube… so minus .3 -> 2.2

Eh. It was fine. Not for me. 4/10 Acceptable

Yes. Ys.

This reminds me a bit of Björk, if you ask me :-) Not bad, but not particularly good either. Three stars...

I wanted to like this more than I did. Just not really my kind of tunes.

Her voice and delivery reminds me of Björk, but not nearly as good Björk. Sort of feels like she’s trying to be Björk vocally… especially on Sawdust and Diamonds. It’s interesting and weird if nothing else. Some of the music is very pretty. The lyrics are bizarre and seem to be weird for sake of being weird. I saw someone comment about Ren Fair. I can hear that! I don’t know if this a 2 or 3 for me. If it didn’t feel like she was trying so hard, I’d go 3, but I don’t know how genuine this is.

I shouldn't read these silly reviews before any album to avoid any prejudices, also this is super highly rated on RYM so also probably shouldn't be aware of this. Now this is quite interesting, maybe not exactly my cup of tea, but there is really something here I'm sure. One of those albums which might take some time to get used to, however just from hearing almost half of it I would say between 2 and 3 stars. Not sure if my terminology is correct here but I found polyrhytmic qualities in songs really quite interesting and haven't focused on lyrics that much at all so far, will probably have to revisit after work before the final judgement

She reminds me a lot of Bjork, her vocal style is not traditional and her presentation and lyrics are wonderfully askew. I'm also reminded of Tiny Tim, in a complimentary way, with the lilting voice. Very interesting, or perhaps a better word is bewitching, for I feel as though I have had an encounter with the fey world.

This is some twee bullshit

The music without the singing would rate a lot higher. But her voice is torture. I'm going to have nightmares tonight

Nope.

I liked the folk music aspect of this album. The lyrics were great and the whole concept were good but I'm not crazy about her voice or the delivery.

Triple blind here. WOW it’s amazing how much this isn’t for me. I think it distilled down in my mind as meaningless harp with some bad vocals. Lyrics were meandering. Who is this for?

I joined this project to expand my musical horizons, and I love when artists take big swings, so I think it absolutely belongs on this list. That said, I hated this album. Couldn’t wait for it to be over. Reminded me a bit of Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors, but much more meandering and the vocals made me itchy.

Very unusual, not one for me.

Yup fuck off

I was not sure what to expect going into this and I ended up enjoying it a lot. It’s a very ethereal and earthy folk vibe and the musical arrangements were lovely. The first few seconds of her voice surprised me and I thought I would hate it but it immediately fit so well with the music that it just works.

The fundamental premise of this is an interesting one, with harp-led melodies, and the ostensible influence of old baroque music. It's never short of interesting and the classical instruments imbue an effortless elegance in many of the tracks. It's a meandering album and the tracks do amble on and unexpectedly move around such that you can't catch typical verse/chorus - but to accept that is to enjoy a pleasant melodic journey, even if at times it feels neverending and self-indulgent. 'Sawdust & Diamonds' is particularly beguiling. The main issue now is the vocal - she has one of those made for Christmas-commercials, affected vocals. Back of the throat baby-voice; trying to sing like Billie Holiday but sounding like Betty Boop. Then there times that the strings are overdone and move things away from retro-baroque to Disney. 'Only Skin' and 'Monkey and Bear' are like bonkers Disney themes, with flutes, trumpets, lyrics of blackbirds and tippy-tappy passages mimicking the light-footed steps of a Disney princess. One can cite Björk and Kate Bush, but much of this defies comparison. The strings are too saccharine at times and it's difficult to get past that grating voice which counterbalances the uniqueness on display.

Carol Kane and Björk had a Star Trek transporter accident baby and taught her how to play harp?

joanna gruesome > joanna newsom

It must’ve been shit because it never made it on to Spotify

Only real ones like me bought this on iTunes in 2006 and listened to it on our iPods. Girlypop loves Bjork and Andy Samberg so she’s a good one in my book.

Sorry, but I find her voice irritating. This is not the kind of folk music I can listen to. I did listen to the entire album but I can't recommend it.

Beautiful album. Such a shame its not on streaming. It's criminally low rated on here. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we need more RYM users on here to help boost its score. The everyman just doesn't get it.

Like being trapped in a room with someone reciting their bizarre dreams. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - NO SPOTIFY

I wanted to like it but the songs were too long and her voice was too weird

Her biggest crime is being tangentially related to Gavin Newsom. 2nd is not having this on Spotify. I like it a lot. The orchestra is really nice. Her voice is unique and suits the music so well. Making a harp the focal point is a real power move.

Yikes. Only listened to a portion of a couple songs but this was not good. Nope.

Not on Spotify. Listened on YouTube but I find her voice a bit grating.

Odd…. We’ll leave it there.

This lady is doing unpseakable violence to those poor vowels. 17-minute long "progressive" "folk" songs with the harp heavily emphasized? What have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this?

Is this a Bjork alias?

Interesting harp playing. The voice and the long winding songs are really not my thing though.

This is one of the more unique albums I've listened to. I loved it so much, it was so beautiful and enchanting and amazing. I had goosebumps almost the whole time I was listening to it. I suppose it would be considered a kind of folk music, but it's hard to describe otherwise. The songs are long and few, but they're sweeping and go high and low, both in dark places and in light places. Each song was able to go in so many different directions.The stories Newsom tells through the songs are rich, detailed, and emotional, and though her voice cracks many times, it shows how human she is. The first song, "Emily", was probably my favorite and hooked me immediately, but "Cosmia" was just as wonderful. The reviews for this aren't the best, unfortunately. But this album is worth listening to because it's so unique and it tests boundaries, and that's one of the amazing things about this project at the end of the day. I used to think I only liked heavier rock music, but that's not actually true. I love discovering gems like this that change my mindset.