Ys

Like bad ren faire music

100

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Que se pueda escuchar en Youtube solo le da algo. La portada de las mejores hasta ahora, la música me lleva a una choza en la edad media o algo así. No presté mucha atención a las letras, pero parecen profundas, a veces la voz se pone molesta, pero en general buenísimo. La anteultima canción la mejor.

1.4

I was young when this came out, and I loved it in a sort of contrarian way. Now I'm old and I still love it.

Unique sound but never rose above pleasant

Let me preface this with saying that I have no problem with an odd voice if it's used as somewhat of an instrument rather than as a focal point. I like Bjork, to use the obvious comparison, a lot even, because the way she sings is incorporated with the music and her songwriting covers so many genres that it becomes more about the work and less about the notion of a singer or vocalist. This I can't do. One song or two like this is fine, and cool even, but an hour of it is simply too much. The songwriting is actually really interesting, and the orchestration and traditional instruments are great, but Newsom's voice just cuts through everything like a dull scissor and she does not take a rest, at all. Maybe this album doesn't work with a traditional western female voice, but there are parts of it where she is exactly that and it sounds great. It's the vast majority of it where she sounds like Adam Sandler in an old Saturday Night Live skit that I can't manage to look past. I tried, I tried the whole length of the album. I absolutely can see the value in this album. It is a great concept, and the execution is really excellently done. I'd probably even be in to the lyrics if I could understand what she was saying. I really can't get beyond her voice though.

It's ok, just a bit too baroque.

nice harp, screeching voice sounds like I'm in hell already

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - I have heard of this album but have no clue what kind of thing it is. Emily opens on a strong note. I really like her voice. It reminds me almost of Billie Holiday in the way she scrunches up some of the words. The song leaps around with a nimble touch that has a theatrical side to it. Monkey & Bear has a similar feel with the long, meandering lyrics dancing around over gorgeous orchestral touches. Sawdust & Diamonds has a lovely lilting feel that feels incredibly light before the intensity comes in a little with some more minor chord. Only Skin has some more virtuosic vocal moments that offer something a little different. Cosmia ends things with probably the most catchy and accessible parts of the album. A fun listen that I will look into again.

I just couldn't keep listening.

I need to go to a Renaissance fair with this lady

me encanta que ese sonido tipo orchesta!!!!

A renaissance fair folk epic, it's poetic and a journey, and not hard to get lost in

*Ys* (pronounced "ees") is Joanna Newsom's second studio album, released in November 2006. It's a landmark of 2000s indie music that transformed her from a "freak folk" curiosity into a singular artistic force. The album is named after a mythical city in Brittany that was swallowed by the sea, a metaphor that runs through its five lengthy, intricate songs. ### 💡 Quick Facts | **Release Date** | November 14, 2006 | | :--- | :--- | | **Length** | 55:38 (five tracks, ranging from 7 to 17 minutes) | | **Key Personnel** | Joanna Newsom (vocals, harp), Van Dyke Parks (orchestral arrangements), Steve Albini (recording), Jim O'Rourke (mixing) | | **Label** | Drag City | ### 🎶 Music and Production The album's music is built around Newsom's virtuosic and idiosyncratic harp playing, which draws from Celtic, Appalachian, and African kora traditions rather than the instrument's typical glissando style. Her playing is the rhythmic and melodic core of every song. Crucially, *Ys* is defined by its orchestral arrangements by Van Dyke Parks (known for his work with Brian Wilson on *Smile*). Parks' arrangements are lush but "polite," never overwhelming the harp and voice. This creates a "cinematic" and "medieval" sound, full of tension and release, with soaring strings that support Newsom's intricate compositions. The album was recorded by the legendary Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio, giving the harp and vocals a visceral, immediate quality, and mixed by Jim O'Rourke. ### ✍️ Lyrics and Themes The lyrics are the album's most discussed and divisive element. They are dense, poetic, and novelistic, forming five lengthy narrative poems. Music critic Amanda Petrusich called *Ys* "the toughest album ever made about meteorites and papier-mâché doves". The songs are full of arcane references, fantastic allegories, and a pre-modern vocabulary that includes words like "thee" and "fain". However, this isn't mere escapism. Newsom has stated that these are true stories, using myth and fable to explore profound personal themes. The tracks cover a range of topics: - **"Emily"** is a tribute to her sister (who provides harmony vocals), weaving together personal memories with complex astronomical imagery ("The meteorite is the source of the light..."). - **"Monkey & Bear"** is a fable about a co-dependent and exploitative relationship, presented like a dark nursery rhyme. - **"Only Skin"** is a 17-minute epic that tackles modern womanhood, fear, and desire. - **"Cosmia"** is a heartbreaking meditation on loss and grief, its title referring to a genus of moth. The album's title and its recurring water imagery link these disparate stories into a cohesive whole, exploring themes of desire, love, and the potential for self-destruction in their pursuit. ### ✨ Influence and Legacy *Ys* was a career-defining album that transcended the "freak folk" scene Newsom was initially associated with. It proved that an album with 7-to-17-minute tracks built around a harp and dense poetry could achieve widespread critical acclaim, including being named one of the best albums of 2006 by Pitchfork. Its influence lies in its uncompromising artistic vision. It set Newsom on a path as one of the most respected songwriters of her generation, demonstrating that "outsider" music could be presented with "defiantly decorous" ambition. It remains a benchmark for modern progressive folk and chamber pop. ### 👍 Pros and Cons The album's polarizing nature is central to its identity. Here is a summary of its pros and cons: **Pros:** - **Boundary-Pushing Ambition:** Unmatched in its scope for a folk album of its time, combining complex poetry with orchestral arrangements. - **Exceptional Musicianship:** Features Newsom's virtuosic and unique harp playing, supported by beautiful and subtle orchestration from Van Dyke Parks. - **Lyrically Rewarding:** Offers "an endless wealth of substance" and "teeming, dense, well-mapped beauty" for listeners willing to engage with its complexity. - **Cohesive Artistic Statement:** The music, lyrics, and cover art work together to create a fully realized world inspired by myth and personal history. **Cons:** - **Highly Inaccessible:** The long track lengths, dense lyrics, and unconventional song structures are "free of the jolts and heads-up hooks we expect from pop music". - **Divisive Vocals:** Newsom's idiosyncratic, high-pitched voice is an "acquired taste" that some find charming and others find "hard to stomach". - **Can Feel Self-Indulgent:** Some critics argue the album's grandiosity crosses into "empty self-indulgence" or that its "taste for the antique is out of control". ### 💎 Summary *Ys* is a demanding but rewarding masterpiece. It is an album that "requires a shedding of all your musical instincts to prejudge", offering a unique, immersive experience for those who invest the time. Nearly two decades later, it remains a singular achievement, its "fresh" sound and artistic audacity undimmed by time. For anyone interested in the possibilities of modern songwriting, it is an essential, if challenging, listen.

This was not awesome. I liked nothing about it. And it was on you tube. Too long. Boring. They really reaching with some of these picks.

3,7 1. "Emily" 2. "Monkey & Bear" 3. "Cosmia"

Achei as canções bem bonitas e a gravação passa uma sensação física dos vocais e cordas. Moondrop May.

Mixed feelings here. Her harp playing is excellent and I like the lush, careful orchestrations. The songs are sprawling and strange; they have a kind of folk story energy to them. I really struggled with her voice, I’m sorry - there’s a lot of “bananees and avacadees” cursive singing going on and it just really bugs me. It sounds so forced and feels insincere, like there’s a bit going on. Like, that has to be an affectation. That is not just how you sing, right? Am I being mean? Is that really a natural singing cadence? Her technical singing voice is pretty good, too, it’s just her diction and how she emphasizes certain syllables. I feel bad because this is so ambitious and accomplished as an album, but I was so distracted by her delivery that I struggled to enjoy it. I can’t in good conscience give this less than a three, but I don’t plan on coming back to it and was relieved when it was over.

I’m annoyed by most of Kate bush - so this isn’t for me. Appreciate the instrumentation, can’t get her voice, not sure why she’s so worked up about monkey and bear. Meteorite part from Emily is stuck in my head not in a good way. Happy not to find something on Spotify for once

Cool

Kinda fun but not really my thing

Wonderful! Very original, full of life. Love it.

I don't think I recognize this artist, and am going into this blind. Nope, no thanks. This is just bizarre and not particularly enjoyable. I feel like she needs to try harder to make some more "normal" music. And all of these songs are so difficult to follow and overstay their welcome.

Très hâte d’écouter celui-ci, la cover m’a toujours intrigué Ça ressemble trop à Björk pour que j’adore C’est quand même original et intriguant qu’il n’y ait que 5 titres Quelle entre en matière, Le premier son nous incite parfaitement dans le délire Parfois c’est longuet et répétitif, mais finalement ça vaut toujours le coup. Only skin est exemplaire. 8/10

Now I'm no lyrical listener, but sometimes you can just tell an artist has the gift of the glib. Newsom is one such artist, easily up there with Dylan and Cohen, Mitchell, and Waters. But Newsom is different to the rest sonically: she carries extended melodies that go every which way and yet every note (until the final song, Cosmia) sounds pretty much spot-on. It feels like I'm listening to an hour of a bard's tales, tales of legend and magic and regret. Even (arguably) the simplest lyrics have something magical about them: "I dreamed you were skipping little stones across the surface of the water / Frowning at the angle where they were lost, and slipped under forever / In a mud-cloud, mica-spangled, like the sky'd been breathing on a mirror". My usual rule with track lengths is that anything over seven or eight minutes ought to carry a seriously convincing progressive spark under its belt. In my opinion, Newsom doesn't pull that off with any of the tracks, despite then all lasting between 7 and 15 minutes. I feel this would give me pause in reapproaching the album. But is Ys a must-listen? Yeah, I could see an argument for that. A fairly minimalist start to the opening song, Emily, with just Newsom's soft yet ridiculously expressive voice and a serenely plucked acoustic guitar (or harp?). We get a gradual build-up with various orchestral instruments, revealing a confusing barrage of chords and a similarly confusing song structure, plenty of tempo and metre changes (the ones just before the 6-minute mark and at around 9:30 are fantastic) yet everything throughout remains melodic, lush, alive. Monkey & Bear provides us a more consistent, easier-to-follow melody, and the mood is much more playful. (Makes sense: instead of concerning her sister, the lyrics tell an origin story of the constellation Ursa Major.) Still the same instrumental arrangement, so you can tell that while the orchestra punctuates Newsom's singing, she really wants you to take in the lyrics themselves. And so I did. Turns out this song, of the five, has my favourite lyrics. Sawdust and Diamonds gives us a fluttery, hurried guitar motif to work with. It's so, so simple, yet it works tremendously with the endlessly tumbling vocals... Really, I've never heard anything quite like this. Then track 4, Only Skin, loses me a little bit; maintaining focus for this many lengthy songs in a row is hard going. I do really like the "Being a woman, being a woman" part. The melody gets surprisingly intense and emotive around this point. I also really like the abrupt injections of backing vocals around 10 minutes in. As for the singing, which seems to be the object of the brunt of criticism on 1001albumsgenerator, I understand why many think it's bad. I think the point is to emulate that old, heavily enunciated, folksy style that was all the rage in the late Middle Ages (though take that thought with a grain of salt) and is first and foremost a vehicle for telling a story. And in that sense Newsom absolutely nailed it. But yeah, it can grate someone after a while. I can't help but notice that the vast majority of the 5-star reviews avoid mentioning her voice at all. And a fair few of the 1-star reviews cite a particular quirk that crops up in the last song, Cosmia. There, the harp and strings are arguably at their most pristine and beautiful – but the song is heavily marred by having to gird your loins in fear of the next time Newsom chooses to do her horrible screamed-start vocal. It leaves a bad taste in one's mouth after the solid 4-star performance elsewhere. 3/5 Key tracks: Emily, Monkey & Bear

Chaque son est une aventure

China a été agréablement surprise d'une réécoute de cet album.

Je l'ai laissé sur ma liste longtemps, je voulais trouver l'occasion pour l'écouter attentivement même s'il est pas sur Spotify. Et il était un peu trop proche de Bjork (une autre tite voix de marde comme Bjork) Bon, c'est bien, des grandes envolées lyriques qui font un peu penser à Joni (sans la voix), du dulcimer ou de la lyre ou de la harpe. Des excellents arrangement de Van Dyke Parks Mais j'hésite vraiment ici à donner 5, c'est un peu redondant et plastique à mon goût.

please someone take the mic away from her

this sounded like a medieval bjork and i am not here for it

At first, I thought I was going to hate this but it grew on me. It's original without being too weird. Hearing this album is one of the motivators for me to continue to listen as we can discover gems like this.

If you don't like early Jewel, there is no way you should even consider listening to this. If you do like early Jewel, I recommend that you have someone tie you up and force you to listen to it. When I put it on, I first thought that I was listening to a pair of racoons fighting behind the house. I almost turned it off, but decided that I should listen to the whole thing. After a couple of minutes, I heard a fragment which surely formed inspiration for Jewel. And then my ear acclimated and I decided that Jewel was actually a popularized version of this (and I am guessing that this was a big influence on her). By the end, it seemed that this was the high brow/elitist musician version of something that ends up sounding like Jewel or Tori Amos when all the sharp edges are smoothed down. I will not be recommending it to most people and I would not subject anyone around me to it, but I will definitely be listening to it again when I am alone.

She has a very unique voice and vocal tone. Her denunciation of lyrics is somewhat unusual. But her voice reminds me of Ana's Mitchell's and her tone and phrasing reminds me of Bjork. Her lyrics are very good her subject matter fantastic. I have never heard of her until this album listen. Her songs are interestingly composed. However I am not enthralled by her music but do find it somewhat pkeasing

406/1089 people seem torn on this but i think i’ll probably like it tbh her voice *does* have a bit of Dance Monkey in it lol okay one track down and i was right, i do quite like this. i like the long stream of conciousness style with the strings, and the outro was beautiful. will def need some more listens to properly grasp the lyrics though i think monkey & bear was a little more quirky and the beginning put me off it tiny bit but it quickly grew on me sawdust & diamonds was quite nice and a well-placed tonal shift. kinda of monsters and men vibes Only Skin was good, it peaked just before the halfway point and then again for the final 3.5-4mins Cosmia was a lovely send off i really enjoyed this album, the sort of rambling chamber folk pop just hits right with me. just wish it were on Spotify :( faves: Emily, Only Skin 84/100

Bjork, harp. Harp, bjork. Interesting, folky and poetic but needs a unique situation to listen.

This was interesting. Kind of Bjork takes on the Decemberists. Worth a listen but not a big draw.

It's stunning work - the vocals are impeccible, the use of the harp in modern music is unparalleled, and the structure of the sings is insane. Isn't going to be for everyone, but definitely a classic.

björk does it better

Can we pretend like this didnt happen

I was terrified of this album, having only known Joanna Newsom as a squeaky-voiced person who occasionally crops up in certain kinds of quiet indie-folk radio sets. But when I read in the wiki that it was recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Jim O'Rourke, I said wait, what?! So: surprise! This Joanna Newsom album isn't tedious at all. Maybe my negative opinion was based on songs from some different album? First of all, the shortest one of these songs is seven minutes long - the whole album consists of just five long, atmospheric tracks. This means that they flow back and forth interestingly, interacting with her harp and a great accompanying ensemble that sometimes matches the singing but then dissolves into marvelous dissonance. Her voice takes a little getting used to, but I discovered that when you pay attention, it really works with the material, particularly since her lyrics are so interesting and inventive. “Sawdust and Diamonds” made me realize that these songs are like old epic poems rather than something to have in the background while doing the dishes or chatting at a restaurant. I’m very surprised that I’m giving a Joanna Newsom album 5 stars, since if you’d asked me to guess my rating before hearing this I’d probably have said a 3, or even a 2. But after all, that’s what this project is for.

An honestly rather amazing album. The only real critique I can think of that keeps it from a 5 is the songs are really long and all sound very similar. Maybe I’m just not getting it completely and I’ll think this is a 5 after a few more listens.

The fact that so many people hear Newsom and can't stand the sound of her, her voice or her lyrical leanings has scant indentation on the fact that she is without any shadow of doubt an extra-extraordinary talent. The virtuosic displays of songwriting and performance here, especially in the vocal department, leave those who are not weak of heart in awe and wonder. Astounding, brilliant, deeply felt and voiced.

No thanks.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. It was alright but nothing really grabbed me. Pretty happy when it ended.

Kind of a mashup of Leonard Cohen, Bjork, Waxahatchee and a harp. Mostly enjoyed it, get why many won’t… but as with a lot of the less popular albums I’m just relieved to hear something that sounds different.

This was my introduction to this artist and I truly can’t picture a 26 year old performing this. It’s as if she channeled a 65 year old medieval court performer. Her vocals were compelling and captivating. Not sure I’ll revisit this, but I appreciated hearing it.

Very complex and interesting and moving. I want to come back to it.

Boy did it take me multiple tries to get into Joanna, but once it finally clicked it ended up being one of the most rewarding efforts in my music listening life. Once you’re okay with her storybook witch voice, everything else opens up in a BIG way and becomes so beautiful. I wish her and Steve the Cunt nothing but the best forever and ever.

Very interesting and tough to rate! I can definitely understand why some people don't gel with the vocals, I didn't at times. But overall, I enjoyed the music and vibes enough to make up for it most of the time. With songs this long though, I would enjoy parts and then it'd slide into something I didn't enjoy as much. Kinda just all over the place. Enjoyed "Monkey & Bear" and "Sawdust and Diamonds" the most, and some parts of "Only Skin" and "Cosmia"

Interminably long and meandering songs. Hard to sit through. Don’t actually hate the sound, just a chore after a while.

Alright which one of you jagoffs gave Björk a harp?

Nope

The team on this reads like a who's who of music recording: Steve Albini, Van Dyke Parks and Leland Skar. It's an amazing juxtaposition: intimate yet grandiose, minimal yet recorded with elaborate orchestration, Newsom's singing never fails to surprise, launching from one note to another far away in the register (people might not appreciate how difficult it is to do that on any instrument, let alone a voice). I definitely feel richer having listened to it.

we're really switching up the sound today! this is ys (pronounced ees), the second album released by songwriter and harpist joanne newsom. compared to her first album, newsom ended up wanting to incorporate some orchestral sounds into her work, adding an extra layer of strings, winds and the like as she plays her harp and talks about the deepest, most personal aspects of her life. a very unique one compared to a lot of albums i've listened to lately... joanne's singing qualities are very peculiar and fit in line with other female avant-garde singers i've heard in the past. she almost squeaks like a mouse when she starts her sentences. her distinct way of singing and lyric-writing paired with her harp playing... it's quite spellbinding. it was honestly a real debate in my head trying to figure out a good spot to rank it... i found it enjoyable, but it's another "it's not for everybody" albums, so that alone puts it at a four-star rating. i have a friend of mine who might really enjoy this album...

this is a cool idea but the singer’s voice is just horrible to listen to.

Not usually a fan of baroque pop, this one straddles a fine line between being hipster/quirky at a medieval fayr and being original. And succeeds to fall on the former side for my personal taste.

Wants to be more than it is - a badly created copy of Bjork, Jewel, Fiona Apple amongst others. TL:DR what happens when corporate gets an idea to present their own female singer / songwriter.

Pre Listen: Never heard of her, the album cover looks more like a book cover to me. Measured expectations, as with any album I encounter post-2000. Notable Tracks: N/A Post Listen: This album sounds like it was made for Disney Adults. Yet more millennial babble. This album is rough because individually each musician involved is clearly talented. The omnipresent harp player plays it well, the vocalist (while I grew to absolutely hate her squeaky squawky voice and lyrical noodling) can sing well enough. The backing violins and other miscellaneous instruments are all well played additions, but absolutely none of it goes together well. It felt like the vocals were recorded first, then the harp was backed over it, then everything else was backed over the rest. It's the musical equivalent of a wall that's been painted over 4 or 5 times through years; each layer may look good on it's own, but it covers the rest below it, doesn't cover the cracks and holes, and ultimately is still just a wall. Not to mention the length of each song, and how it all blended together completely and utterly. This album was the musical equivalent of a toddler telling a grand tale, babbling out a run-on sentence, connected by "And then- And then-" over and over. 2/5

Not for me in any way. Good harp work but that voice is just way too grating.

So glad to see this here !! Unlike any other record in my collection. You have to let it wash over you and the moments of genius are well worth the wait. It's a journey, no chorus all verse upon verse of alternating tempo and I love it. 'And the meteorite....' the parts of the first song that makes the journey so worthwhile. Maybe that's the chorus? Who knows? I don't care, I just know I'll love it forever. Timeless. Easy 5 stars. If the album is too much, just listen to Emily 3-4 times at various points of the day and the magic will start to happen.

Можливо тут дуже хороша лірика, а можливо і ні. Я не вникав в неї, бо музика супер нудна. Спочатку йде музика. Потім йде лірика. Не навпаки. Оцінка: висока 2/низька 3