Ys

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.

Ei ollut Spotifyssä. Mielenkiintoinen ja tunnelmallinen folk levy, aika keskiaikainen tunnelma harpusta. Laulutyyli hyvin Björk. Oli kyllä ihan siisti ja mielenkiintoinen. Parhaat: Emily, Sawdust and Diamonds

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

Musically interesting, and maybe it’s lyrically interesting but I kind of can’t get past the singer’s voice. Ends up being a miss for me. Giving a 2 just because I think it’s musically good.

Good

Quite tragically awful.

Did this have some beautiful and thought-provoking lyrics? Yes. Did every song drag on for too long while the singer experimented with how "quirky" they could get with their voice? Also yes.

Not my style….way too folk and twee

Loved the sound of this from the bio, but just absolute whittling

Pretty but so, so, so boring and repetitive. Felt like she was rambling most of the time, very disorganized. Lowkey felt like a walmart bjork

уносит тебя в далекие страны

I had a hard time with this one... I dont speak english and I dont understand half the thing she says. Thing is, you are basically forced to listen to the lyrics. The music is prety but not really engaging to me, theirs few vocal melody (I mean good ones), its really unconvientional in its song structure and the songs all sounds the same. So musically, its mininalistic. I cant imagine trying to listen to this whithout the lyrics (migth explain the low user score). The lyrics are probably really good and the little bit I understood were great, but holly shit im not pulling google translate every 2 seconds just to listen to this onr album. Its also whort noting that she sounds like a chipmunk (not good, annoying). Probably will give it a 4 in the future... or not/5

It has been too long since I heard Joanna Newsom's Ys, and now that I have such a more strong appreciation for Folk music as a whole I believe this time I will be able to appreciate this album to an even higher degree than before. Some of y'all may not like to hear this but every time I have heard this project I always thought this was Medieval Björk, especially with Joanna's very interesting vocal performance here. It isn't every day you hear a harp so prominently featured on a project, but the one here on Ys is so beautifully composed in each of the tracks that it feels almost like a secondary vocalist along with Joanna Newsom. This album never overstays its' welcome despite almost all the tracks here being roughly 10 minutes in total length. It uses the long runtimes to weave these intricute and dense Folk soundscapes to the listening that I honestly never thought I'd hear in such a mainstream release. It is very easy to be in awe by the compositions of this album as I'd argue they are the strongest parts here, but also let it not be forgotten that the songwriting here is also very top notch and filled with emotion and expression that can easily be overlooked by some of the other incredible parts here. This album is a lot of very dense gears working together to make this beauty of a machine that is Ys and while I do adore it I also feel that it isn't quite at my "classics" level just yet. Maybe on additional listening it will finally come to me, but for now I just see this as being a damn good project well worth the admission of finding it on Youtube because my stubborn ass uses Spotify.

Harfenspielerin die auch singt Nicht unbedingt meine Musik Nicht auf Spotify

I can appreciate the lyrics and musicianship, but man do I have no desire to listen to that ever again.

Glittering and literate. I haven’t heard an album of such complete and assured vision since that one by Neutral Milk Hotel. The songs feel like glass worlds which Newsom must keep from shattering on the sharp edges of her voice. The erratic time signatures and undulating emotional registers make for a challenging, thrilling listen.

2.5

this is such an odd yet appealing album - if Bjork has never named Joanna Newsom as an inspiration, then it's a missed opportunity. How often do you get a harpist who has such a unique and disconcerting voice? It's a beautiful album - I think i'm a huge fan.

I don't know about this. I think Ys would take a few listens to grow on me. I don't hate it, but it kind of fades into the background.

could not play on spotify

Kind of a cool change of pace, but extremely one-note.

tried to listen, but could not get into it at all. first time sticking an album since starting this journey.

There’s some great imagery and some great lines, but overall I can’t take the meandering structure and the voice for this long.

Oh god! I have multiple projects going. I got this album very recently. I HATED it. Admittedly, I was in a very bad mood the day I listened to it. I gave it a 1. I KNEW it DESERVED better. But I HATED listening to it. So in my saltiness, it got a 1. I’m going to try some breathing exercises before I listen this time. I mean some people REALLY LOVE this album. Really really. I believe three (3) individuals to have made it ALL the way through this project- a commitment of years- put THIS (Ys) as THEIR FAVORITE ALBUM of the ENTIRE 1089 album list! This fact blows my mind. So I listened AGAIN. All the way through. And while I can say it wasn’t as painful this time, I was in no way impressed. I do appreciate Bill Callahan popping in there for a moment. But… yeah. I am giving it the 2 it actually deserves, for being unlistenable art, imo. It IS art. I will admit that. And Joanna is definitely dancing to her own drum, or lack there of. So let her float on away… 2 Boolean: alright, true - ok? Whatever

Really interesting to hear a singer-songwriter with harp as the main instrument. I liked this lyrically as well. Not my particular genre, but a really strong album that doesn't conform to convention.

I really tried. If only I liked the album as much as its cover.

Not for me thanks

Niet voor mij

I respect the vision here and I'm happy for Joanna Newsom that she was able to find creative fulfillment in making this album but I am unable to kill the part of me that cringes thoroughly enough to enjoy it really at all. Wow. I did not need a Wikipedia page to tell me that this woman went to a Waldorf school growing up. I DID need a Wikipedia page to tell me that she is indeed related to Gavin Newsom which is kind of wild I guess

This is a tough one. Her voice is weird AF, and she sounds almost like if Björk were a bad singer. But she really goes for it, even if she can't actually sing what she wants to. The songs are rambling and stream of consciousness, but played well.

Yeah the songs are long and yeah the cover looks like an ad for a ren faire but I still like the songs and I don’t care that it looks like a renfaire. I think that’s impressive.

An interesting change from the recent albums. Nothing I would normally listen to. Sounds to me like a orchestral version of Björk with the vocals sometimes on the edge to annoying. In total not really my jam. 1,5

Yk if you put some 808s and like a madlib beat behind this shed out rap like 3/4ths of mainstream rap. Skrait fuckin bars off the headtop

Knew she had taste when I found out she was married to Andy Samberg

Musically beautiful. Gorgeous harp playing. And yes, I’m going to say it: a lovely vocal performance. She sounds like a childlike cross between Björk’s strange phrasing, elastic melodies and unapologetically unusual vocal tone, and Kate Bush’s theatrical, eccentric storytelling. It’s an album I can appreciate, even though I’m not going to add it to my go-to list. Joanna Newsom sounds as though she has emerged from an enchanted manuscript carrying a harp.

I can both appreciate and not care for something. Newsom could probably do some really interesting soundtracks but Ys is a little artsy for me.

Чушня

I still remember when I first heard this album and was absolutely in awe - sounds like no other music of this time.

Parfois elle lâche des petits cris qui sont trop bizarres, ça me fait penser à Nico. Genre vraiment c'est de la musique faite par une bobo

There is a lot to admire in Newsom’s discography and I do still enjoy parts of Milk-Eyed Mender, but beyond that I’ve found she requires too much patience on the part of an audience for material that is very idiosyncratic. Alas, while I do find Emily moving and not at all wandering or whatever one of the reviews here calls it, Ys is pitched in an emotional and melodic register that is just outside my wheelhouse. Maybe one day!

One of those things you hear that clearly has a lot of artistry and skill behind it but oh god, her voice hurts. That's disappointing. This album looks like it would be right up my alley - on paper. Unfortunately in practice she sounds like a juvenile Bjork who is intentionally trying to cause me pain with her high note voice cracks and squeaking. Why would someone sing like this? Are you trying to sound like a 7 year old with a mouth full of cotton balls? Like one of those old timey, dimpled child stars with the curly pigtails? Like a vengeful Kewpie doll come to life? Why? Points for creativity but this can go in the dust bin with Wainwright. If your music physically hurts me with no payoff, sorry but no thanks.

This is certainly unique and unlike any other album I've listened to. I remember it being critically acclaimed when it came out but I never sought it out given it's not on Spotify Not sure it's my kind of thing though. The songs don't really feel like they go anywhere.. the orchestral arrangements are very nice and it's pleasant, but to me it sounded like Bjork rambling endlessly over strings and I couldn't get into it

Nope. Already know I’m not looking forward to this. Oh, and it’s not on Spotify. Well. Power to Joanna. But that doesn’t help. God. This really gives chamber pop a bad name. I’d rather listen to Einstürzende Neubauten. On repeat. At top volume. I made it all the way through this horrible… experience. The fact that she sounds like some strange Bjork let loose with a plucked bed spring and full orchestra only adds to the effect. I feel I ought to give it a 2 because she obviously went to music school or some such, but I feel angry about losing the hour and I’m in a terrible mood. 1 Boolean: FALSE

Interesting. Love her voice!

Not feeling this. I come back to Milk-Eyed Mender a lot. But this one sounded meandering to me. I couldn’t latch onto anything.

For as sprawling and complex as some of these sounds are, they get stuck in my head like crazy.

For me it exists on a different plane from other music. I had a small spiritual moment returning to it today. I'm also feeling the fact that this album is twenty years old this year

Instrumentally this was pretty and thematically it was very interesting, but overall I felt the songs all sounded too similar to each other which made not many things stand out. I also think it went on too long. What also didn’t help is that I had to listen to this album on YouTube since it isn’t on Spotify, and it was interrupted by unskippable ads every 10 minutes or so. I had to get used to her vocals at the start of the album but eventually I got used to them and could enjoy them. Favourite song: Only Skin

I can’t express how much I did not care for this. Like I think musically it’s interesting and well done. I think lyrically there is probably a lot going for it. That being said combined it just made for an unpleasant listening experience.

Could not get with it. Did not enjoy her vocals and found a lot of it meandering and boring. A few of the more orchestral moments shone through like rays of sunshine on a rainy day. Some people love rainy days, but I do not.

It kinda sucks that this record isn’t available on Spotify at this point. I looked it up on YouTube and I like the bits I’m hearing. Never could find the album in its entirety, but I think I heard enough of it to keep trying to get a hold of it later. 8/10, but more for future reference.

Listened a couple of times and it did start to grow on me but I think I need to hear a bit more before I come off the fence. Nicely produced. Not sure about the lyrics yet. Her vocals are an acquired taste. This is probably where further listens will tip the balance as to whether this grows more or irritates me.

Very weird.... It might be very good but I might need the lyrics beside the songs to understand it. The singing style was unique but not necessarily off putting

If I was in Guantanamo Bay and they started playing this I would spill my guts before the end of track 1. Make it stop.

Hard one to rate. I appreciate the scope and intent of the art and at times this is a very beautiful album and at times her vocal performances are very good. In saying that these songs are super long and they also feel long too. They go all over the place and don’t feel cohesive, the songs themselves feel like mini albums with all the style changes within them, also back to the vocals, while for long times they are really nice and relaxing, some of the vocal infections are really jarring whether that be the squeaking going up in pitch or just ending phrases as spoken word similar to Bob Dylan, again all over the place. I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people are saying because I do genuinely enjoy some of the moments but a very weird album nonetheless.

#990!! It’s about time! Forgive my earnestness here. I’ve written and rewritten this review, but I can’t adequately express the feeling of falling in love with this album, or describe how precious this music has become to me since I first heard it over a decade ago. Inasmuch as any review of art can approach objectivity, in this case, I know that won’t be possible. There is music that seeps into you and settles into your bones so deeply that it becomes an inextricable part of you, a worry-stone you carry in your heart and turn over and over like a koan. It plays unconsciously in the quiet, idle moments of your life. I think probably everyone has a work of art like that. For me, it’s this album. In my very first encounter with Joanna Newsom’s music, assaulted by the opening lines of “Only Skin,” I couldn’t have possibly imagined how dear it would become to me. I didn’t fall in love immediately; I knew it was something special when the song ended, but I filed it away to come back to later, couldn’t have told you exactly what I thought of it. It was something strange. But I came back to it sooner than expected, then again, and again, and again. Like whiskey, it burns at first, and then you crave it. My first encounter with “Only Skin” - something that happened by pure chance, an anonymous recommendation - was part of my inspiration for participating in this project. I’ve been trying to recapture that magical feeling of being completely unmoored by something so beautiful and wholly unique. It hasn’t happened yet - and with nearly 1000 albums behind me, I don’t expect it ever will, not to the same extent - but I hope that some of the people introduced to this album through this project will have a similar experience. It may sting at first, but maybe you won’t be able to forget it. Maybe you’ll come back (and again, and again).

Björk maakt elfjesmuziek, daar lijkt het op. Behalve dan dat deze mevrouw een stuk minder interessante stem heeft, die een stuk sneller op de zenuwen gaat werken. Heel lange nummers, die allerlei kanten op zweven, met harpgetokkel en vioolgesnor. Het is weer eens wat anders, maar ook niet bepaald goed. En veel te lang. M'n cijfer is nog mild.

Hoe noem ik deze zangafwijking eigenlijk? Het is een soort geknauw, maar niet dat ingestudeerde Amerikaanse geknauw. De zang is verder ook wel weer 'Kunst, omdat het moet'. Maar binnen die categorie hebben we wel erger op ons bordje gekregen. De muziek tingelt soms me wat te gek, maar an sich past een harp wel bij het geheel. Het geeft een wat nostalgisch sfeertje. Het had allemaal wel even gekund. Maar het duurt me veel te lang.

Oei, dit ademt vooraf al in grote kapitalen: SNOBkeuze. Maar zoals jullie van mij gewend zijn, sta ik hiervoor natuurlijk heel erg open, want zo ben ik. Qua muziek valt gelijk het ietwat aanstellerige gezang van mevrouw Newsom op. De arrangementen zijn veelal folky, als in terug naar de middeleeuwen. Met heel veel orkestwerk erbij, alsof je naar een tekenfilm/musical aan het luisteren/kijken bent. Het zijn lange verhalen op muziek en ik kan niet ontkennen dat het op een bepaalde manier sfeervol overkomt. Het blijft natuurlijk wel een aparte ervaring en niet iets waar je op elk moment van de dag voor open staat. Het is meer iets voor een zondagochtend, in ieder geval voor een moment dat je alle tijd hebt om rustig te luisteren ipv als je aan het werk bent. En dat ben ik nu, al probeer ik me te verplaatsen naar die andere mindset. Al met al is dit niet iets wat ik uit mezelf ooit nog eens op ga zetten. En ik ben bang voor Joanna dat ik het zeer snel vergeten zal zijn. Het is meer kennis nemen van. En door. Omdat het wel enige kwaliteit en muzikaliteit bevat geef ik het 2 sterren.

Never heard of this before. She sounds a bit like Bjork. But these songs are not interesting enough to be so long! It just comes off as rambling forever.

Unconventional ehh. but is it genuinely innovative or just pain different. If you hear this and think it’s innovative good for you, me I must just be mainstream and straightforward. It’s baroque folk, trad story based folk with orchestration. Here harp based with dynamic swells of orchestration and over that some Bjork like vocals that do the more trad folk ie read ballad like poetry rather than standard verse chorus etc pop structure, well great, unconventional. There’s better baroque folk out there but guess not as cool and trendy as this appears to be. I will be part of the closed- minded because I did not enjoy this after the 1st few minutes, it was a chore to listen to, the voice is to my ears extremely unpleasant and grating. So a mainstream 1 Star.

Mittelaltermarkt core. Die Produktion ist echt gut mit erfrischenden Elementen. Der Gesang ist speziell... Sie kann singen aber manchmal sehr merkwürdig. Das große Problem ist für mich dass alle lieder um die 10 Minuten gehen, sehr kräftezährend 3/5

Interesting acoustic album. Songs are too long. Would not listen again

Too artsy for me. Couldn't make it through the first song

Gear: INAWAKEN Twilight-DS Artwork: ️🐦‍⬛🪻🪑 Production: 👂🩺🧈 Music: 🎻🪉⏳ Rating: 🦋🦋(🦋)/5

This project has crystallised my opinion of prog folk and baroque folk or whatever this is called. As with other prog, I think it's more interested in being showily clever than in having good tunes or being enjoyable to listen to. I somehow find it more irritating with the folky stuff, perhaps because it's so close to music styles that I love, and it frustrates me. The music on this was often beautiful but also meandering and over complex. But I found her voice grated on me.

Fuck this bitch! I was in a good mood before hearing Ys! An hour (feels like 4) of her insanely annoying voice (is her trying to sound like a toddler on LSD supposed to be endearing?) and precious lyrics (when you can make them out) was an hour too long. One of the worst albums I have heard doing this sometimes vastly unrewarding project.

not my thing 1/5

This one really caught me out. I thought based on the opening bars that I'd find it interminable but, surprisingly...it drew me in. Took me on a bit of a mystical journey; the soundscape was lovely, the unexpected variations meant it never got samey despite the length of each song. I'm not sure I'd always be in the mood for this. I'm sure it would annoy me under certain circumstances. But, I'm glad I had the opportunity to listen, and perhaps I'll come back some time.

My wife called it pretentious and boring - and in a different mood maybe I'd have felt the same way. I didn't though - her weird vocals, the harp, everything all just pulled me in. It's definitely something you need to listen to and not just hear, if that makes sense.

Literally bard music.

Lidt musset stemme ala Kate Bush. Glad for at det ikke var "Yes", men bare Ys.

Okay det overraskede. Sikke en interessant vokal. Den er intens og absolut ikke noget der kan betegnes som skønsang. Men trækker mig ind og giver mig lyst til at lytte. Instrumenteringen fylder ikke meget i lydbilledet, men særligt over de meget lange tracks, udvikler den sig.

Too much harp.

I couldn't finish it. Her voice was either really good or really irritating at some points, which makes it hard to get pass when every song is an average of 10 minutes. The fairy tale/Renaissance instrumentals were so beautiful though, I wish I can just get an album of that. In short, this album isn't terrible, but it is not my cup of tea, so much so I'm not gonna bother drinking the rest of the cup.

Absolutely loathsome indie girl vocals. Could not get past the first 10 seconds of this album.

What I heard was good very Bjork like.

That's why I started this journey. The weird but artistic. I came here to listen to albums like this, not the 90th samey bluesrock album from the 60s and 70s. My only gripe is that it was kind of samey from beginning to end, with no memorable standout tracks. I liked the vibe and listening to the album was a memorable experience.

Temu Björk might have the most unappealing singing voice in this entire project, which is really saying something. Coupled with such a boring melodic structure that would put anyone to sleep (until the singing jerks you awake with its shrillness) and this album is borderline unlistenable

I liked this less than I thought I would, and less than I hoped. It's still an interesting album with pretty good songwriting and lyrics, but its indulgent flourishes and sound make it a frustrating listen.

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.

This was a bit strange. Voice like Bjork which is kind of ok I guess. Musical arrangements seemed good. Lyrics were a lot. Like a lot of words.

Was interesting for a second then it just kind of got boring and I wished it was over and all the stuff started sounding the same. I don’t know I don’t know. I just don’t know.

Wow. I'm not entirely sure how the "1001 Albums" editors dug this odd relic out of the hinterlands of American singer-songwriter land, but I'm supremely impressed that they somehow found an American analogue to the weird orchestral Icelandic music we've been subjected to (mainly Bjork, but also Sigur Rós). I'm not sure I'd seek out Joanna Newsom after having heard this (or for that matter Van Dyke Parks, although his work with the Beach Boys is inescapable), but after an initial recoil from the creepy album cover, ye olde tyme opening strings, and her distinctive and not particularly appealing warble, I ended up finding this album far more palatable than I expected. I'm not sure if this would have been even better if she was *actually* singing about legends and times of yore, but I suspect that the contrast between the courtly sounds and old-fashioned lyrics and what seem to be more modern content is what makes it more interesting than not. (To be honest, though, it's not that all that interesting to me.) Either way, I was very impressed to read that she played all the harp content, and I'm also glad to finally find out via Wikipedia where the name "Ys" comes from--a legendary Breton city that I'd only encountered before as the name of a series of really fun Japanese action-based RPG games (which might have had the legend in them but I never picked up on it).

No, no, no, no, though it is kind of hilarious in a Phoebe-from-Friends kind of way.

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.

Sweet holy Jesus this sucks. It's not a good start when the artist keeps herself unavailable on Spotify as a protest. I'm guessing it plays really well with music critics though, the kinds of people who demand you spend $400 on over ear headphones because earbuds, while more functional, distort the intent of the artist. Only a rich white woman married to a rich white comedian could be such an asshole, easy to protest everyone else's working conditions when you have more money than you'll ever need through your husband. This is like if Regina Spektor and Tori Amos had a baby with Bjork and Are Brun and was terrible. Her weird vocals are beyond me, she's from California...why is she affecting Bjork's accent? Five songs on a 55 minute album is unconscionable. I guess getting another terrible album out of the way is a plus. I guess Andy Samberg's goofiness balances her self-important pretentiousness. This isn't in the 10,001 albums you need to hear before you die, every one of the ladies I mentioned above are better than this. Monkey & Bear is better than Emily I guess. Every song on this album sounds identical.

I’ve been dreading this one. Joanna Newsom is one of those vocalists like Tom Waits that is absolute nails on a chalkboard to me. This is basically what you would get if someone was trained by a skilled harpist but who was only familiar with singing as a concept. I like weird stuff, as my ratings here will attest, but sometimes outsider art should stay outsider art. I’ll boost it by one star because the unconventional songwriting is at least interesting, but personally I’m never listening to this ever again. Now for those 3 Waits albums… 😬

If the art movement of Rococo could be distilled down into an hour long album it would be this. Very ornate, painfully so at times, but good writing.

In the vein of Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Bjork, Fiona Apple... Melodic and crazy, evocative and eclectic. Easily a 4 but could see it becoming a 5 over time for me.

A strange experience of an album. It is truly a work that breaks down the stereotype that folk music is musically simple and minimalistic through its chamber composition. Joanna has a truly unique voice that might not conventionally be the most pleasing, but it truly shines with her story telling in this album. Another beautiful detail in this album is her harp playing as it definitely aids in creating that medieval-folk ambience.

i refuse to listen to singers who can't hit the notes.

Overall Rating - 2.50/5 (5.00/10). Great instrumentals. Excellent lyrics. Mediocre vocals. I don't know what this album is about, but it's an experience. I truly have no idea how to rate this album, so I'm just going straight down the middle.

Love her harp playing (hence the two stars). A voice only a mother could love and too twee by half lyrics.

I like to recognize eccentricity.

Well....First thoughts were 'what the heck?' but the background music drew me in as it was so lovely and then I started really listening to the lyrics . I did find the higher pitched screechy parts a bit difficult but I think this could be one of those albums that you just need to sit really quietly and immerse yourself in . Could only find it on Youtube where she clearly has some very committed fans . Not far into a 3 but a 3 nevertheless.

That was weird. At times I was thinking it was kinda good but in the end it wasn’t.

Super unique, I love the concept and this album is truly different from anything else I have heard so far. I wish the vocals were cleaner and the songs were more structured as I think they were all ballads that were quite long.

Like a medieval Tori Amos who can't sing and who throws occasian dolphin noises in form good measure

When I listened to it the first time I had to stop what I was doing and start over. It really demands your attention, especially since songs are long, dynamic, and generally don't repeat. Sometimes it's also hard to follow rhythmically, maybe because of the way she sings and I think there's also some weird polyrhythms in a few places. That said I really enjoyed it. Each song is it's own self-contained abstract epic. The instrumentation is really impressive, especially considering this was released when she was like 25. Emily and Sawdust and Diamonds are my favorites.

feature-length fairycore sad girl indie acoustics. so fuckin structurally weird, its just kind of five long verses. the vocals are weird, the instrumentation is weird. but i do really like all of it. i know this is a shaky review metric but it feels like everything they intended to do they executed perfectly--i can't think of anything i wished they did more or differently. i think my favorite is Sawdust & Diamonds but every song has some electricity to it that does something for me in a big way

Oh no I really like it. The vocals are totally just "drunken master" controlled erratic chaos, and the harp just feels like "oh shit let me get in on that". The whole sound is just really addicting to me and I just want to listen to more and more of it. The tiny moments that random instruments hop in for like 3 seconds at a time and never show up again FOR THE REST OF THE ALBUM are also so weird and fun. I wanted to list my favorite songs but there's like five of them and they're 20 minutes long so let's say I like Monkey & Bear, and the last bit of Only Skin with the male backing vocals was also lit 7.6/10

Terrible

Ich will das wirklich mögen, weil das Cover so cool ist. Aber ich kann der Musik teilweise echt schwer folgen. Singen kann sie, instrumentieren wohl auch, aber ich komm dann teilweise nicht so mit. "New Weird America" passt hier als Szene auf jeden Fall auch.

Sehr schwer zu bewerten. Am Ende hat mich die ellenlange, leichte Monotonie gestört.

Ich besitze dieses Album, habe aber bis heute keinen Zugang zu ihm gefunden. Ich bestaune Joanna Newsom, aber bin noch nicht "abgeholt". Nehme das aber mal zum Anlass, es mit anderen ihrer Alben zu versuchen.

No es mi estilo ni mi gusto. Definitivamente. Lo intenté pero apenas pude terminarlo. 2/10

Extremely folky/ren-faire-esque, the reviewers on this are low IQ

Bjork-alike, not bad but the Bjork folksy voice takes me out a little too much for this to be listenable for me.

This one doesn't exist on Spotify so I'm just giving it a neutral rating of 3 since I can't even listen to it

I feel like what she does with her voice is what a lot of indie girls were trying to emulate in the 2010s, but here it actually sounds fairy-like and ethereal, helped by the beautiful instrumentation. It felt like a renaissance era poet storyteller transporting you somewhere else... So beautiful. really liked it

i really enjoyed how complex all of these compositions are. i think unfortunately it’s hard for me not to hear the “cursive writing” of it all because of her vocal style, which i realize is super reductive and not fair to her at all, because it’s not her fault that so many people since have tried and failed at making this kind of music and vocal style. but i still really like it and feel like there’s a lot of overlap here with the elements of fiona apple’s discography that i like. i wish it was on spotify! but good for her for it not being there.

I’m rating this pretty high because this is definitely a masterpiece, but it’s not for me. I really appreciate the instrumentation and lyrics, but this style of vocals is abrasive to me. Regardless, I think this deserves every bit of praise it gets.

Relistening to this on a hot summer day is absolutely the vibe. I remember discovering this album in 2015/2016, as I was starting my undergraduate. It was so transformative of what contemporary folk could sound like to me. Joanna Newsom is an icon to me just for this album.

Not on Spotify - didn't review

I used to love this one but not so much today. Rounding up to 4 because I love her voice and the uniqueness of it.

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

It grew on me

(100/100)

Better than I thought and surprised by how many haters this album has

This sounded like music I'd hear at a club spa in the Shrek universe.

Ys? Yes

Couldn’t make it through the first song

I don’t love her singing-voice bit i will give other of her albums a try.

this album isn't even on spotify. i tried to listen to it on youtube and after 6 minutes i was like ''am i still on the same song??'' i was indeed still on the same song. it's 12 minutes. another song on the album is 16. there were no rises, no build up. i feel like the singing pace doesn't match the harps and the instruments very well either. very dull but rushed at the same time. it's very indie folk. yes her voice could be considered ethereal but the album was very boring for me. couldn't finish it. i like the cover tho.

I imagine this is what fairies listen to. Favourite Track(s): Emily Least Favourite Track(s): Sawdust & Diamonds

Couldn't listen

Lots I could say but am short of time so I'll settle for "interesting"!

Ok - this is beautifully bonkers. Baroque Bjork is the best summary I can come up with. I think I like it. Bought it 20 years ago, but have to say it’s not been in heavy rotation since. Revisiting now, it’s still a unique listen. Still end up confused by it! 3

Beautiful voice, super mellow tracks... but why do they have to be so loooooooooooooong? Man, it’s impossible to listen to and fully enjoy this—after a few minutes, you just fall asleep. No, it’s not essential to listen to this, just as it’s not essential to include it on a list like this. But, I repeat, nice voice, very much in the style of Björk, except… nah, I can’t bring myself to give it more than a 2 :-(

Sick!! Die harp en accordeon op een gegeven moment in Only Skin hooooly peak

Indie folk is really hit or miss for me, but I quite enjoyed this one

waarom zingt ze.. zo. zitten verder best leuke stukjes tussen dus toch maar 2 sterren

mja het deed me niet zoveel. wel goeie albumhoes!

Not for me

A tough listen. I can understand why this would be on the list, but not really something I would want to listen to.

Bjork vibes. Was alright.

All for creativity. Things are allowed to be different. I am also allowed not to enjoy 10 minute droning songs with rambling vocals in 2006 indie girl voice.

This definitely sounds a bit more twee than it did when I first listened to it in 2006--when it just sounded weird but super-interesting--but I'll still defend Joanna Newsom and her drunk baby voice and her harp to the death.

A strikingly unique work. I really admire the creative vision here... but admittedly, I wish I enjoyed listening to it more than I think I actually do (I've got a similar kind of relationship with Bowie's Blackstar).

Not for me

Kind of like an American version of Bjork. Album felt like a long run on sentence for a while, which was equally impressive and a little exasperating. She is definitely talented, even if this isn't my cup of tea. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

El peor de todos hasta ahora.

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

I liked the music on this. Particularly the string arrangements. However, it was hard to get past Joanna's voice. It reminded me of Devendra Banhart with a similar annoying vibrato quality. I think the music allowed me to enjoy Ys a lot more than Rejoicing in the Hands and, perhaps with more listens I could grow to like this album. As it stands though, I can't give it more than a three.

I love her music but this album had no thread. It was trying too hard to be artistic or something.

No esta en Spotify

Would be a 4 but the rating on here is criminally low!

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

Omg !

Excruciating. Pretentious for the sake of being pretentious.

More fascinating than enjoyable to listen to. I don’t understand her voice and how she sings that way.

I can acknowledge that she has a great voice and the music is very unique but it was aggressively not for me.

1.25 - I would say that I don't know how people like this, but I have friends that love Björk...

Peculiar. Vou ser sincero, eu quase desisti do álbum ainda na primeira faixa. Mas perseverei, e que bom que o fiz. É um disco legal, apesar de ser “desafiador”. Os vocais são o maior obstáculo para o aproveitamento de Ys. Newsom canta de maneira extravagante, com pronúncias estranhas e passagens esquisitas. Me lembra Kate Bush, mas ainda menos acessível, impressionantemente. Além disso, temos uns arranjos bem fantasiosos, para casar bem com as letras igualmente imaginativas. O resultado final remete à livros que excitam a imaginação infantil que ainda temos enterrada lá no fundo do inconsciente. Deste modo, achei essa uma escuta gostosa. Realisticamente, eu nunca irei ouvir esse disco por conta própria. E eu nunca teria ouvido por minha própria admissão. Mas a lista fez seu trabalho muito bem, e eu gostei de ter ouvido. É um desses casos. 4/5

Interesting sounds, instruments, and the lyrics are poetry

Interesting and creative. She sounds like Cyndi Lauper singing at a Ren Faire. Which is to say, she has a great voice & is singing about animals & moon-rises and not following any of the conventions of pop music (fine by me). The voice and orchestration stand out, but I’m not sure the songs are that memorable or meaningful. Provisionally a 3, though I’d like to listen to it again.

Music is quite enjoyable but I'm not sure I like her voice. It's quite scratchy at times.

Newsom’s voice won’t win many fans on its own but her unique style and great lyricism were enough to charm me

El álbum no está en Spotify pero lo escuche de YouTube

This was particularly grating on the nerves. I do not enjoy her voice.

It's not a bad album, however her voice is certainly an acquired taste, which is why I'm docking it one star.

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.

3.5/10

This album was a real chore to get through. I get that she's trying to be all artsy and stuff, but it just comes across as super self-indulgent. The songs are way too long, five tracks shouldn't take an hour! They keep going and going, just adding on extra minutes of boring filler. It's like an endurance test, not a listening experience. And the vocals? They're really not for me. They're super high-pitched and grating, like some kind of squeaky caricature. It reminds me of a Renaissance Faire or a cheap Björk/Regina Spektor knock-off.

Well that took me a good 4-5 sittings to get through. I wouldn't say it's bad, it's certainly unique but I feel disadvantaged in recognizing its uniqueness- playing Dungeons and Dragons with a Bard player in the party somehow feels the same as listening to this album. To describe it better, it's that mix of idealized medieval folklore and fantasy themes with 21st century convictions. The purpose of the album feels like it's trying to introduce and welcome you to this weirdness, which might work for someone not used to this kind of music but it falls a bit flat for people that are already nerdy weirdos. Me belonging to the latter camp this is a bit of a skip album for me. PS. Nothing from Joanna Newsom is available on Spotify so this album made me finally make the move to another streaming service. I chose Tidal, but seriously if you care about music at all, get off Spotify.

All over the place, not my cup of tea.

This is really unique! I just wish there were a tad more structure and a whole lot less “cursive” singing. It adds artifice to something that otherwise feels genuine.

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 felt like this was trying to do something different but it didn’t pay off really. It was interesting but not really my thing. I felt it was quite repetitive and slightly boring

I appreciate the attempt to do something different here, but it’s not my thing. I didn’t enjoy the singing or the instrumentation here, but I’m glad I now know this exists. Weirdly timeless.

Why, indeed.

An album that sounds like no other. Arguably maximum twee. I understand if you love it or hate it but for me it's neither. It's interesting enough to be in the list and parts of it draw you in, but it all gets a bit cloying. If I'm honest with myself, it's really not for me. However, it should, without a doubt, be in the book. Best Tracks: Emily; Monkey & Bear; Sawdust & Diamonds

Here's the thing... Joanna Newsom's music isn't available on Spotify, and I just didn't feel like putting in the extra effort of a few more keystrokes to listen on another platform (with ads, cuz I don't have YouTube Premium.) Instead, I heard Joanna Gruesome's 2013 album, "Weird Sister." It was great. Five stars. You should probably listen to it before you die.

Rate: 8.5/10 Medieval diría yo? Idk.

I know it's universally loved....but not by me

This is unlistenable

I’ve seen a lot of critics proper slagging off her vocals, but to be fair, that wasn't really an issue for me at all. I actually quite like her voice—it's unique. My issue is just that I didn't find the songs particularly interesting. The whole thing just felt a bit repetitive after a while, and I found myself getting a bit bored to be honest. The standout for me was definitely "Sawdust and Diamonds." This album is definitely not as bad as some of the brutal comments you see online, but it’s not something I particularly enjoyed too much or will be rushing to play again either. Neat ideas, just a bit of a slog to get through.

tough. all over. voices. sounds.

somebody wrote "omg she never shuts up".

Björk but different

Ik zit blijkbaar in de Joan hoek, met gisteren Joan en vandaag Joanna. Grappig dat ik gisteren geweldig vond omdat het folk was, maar er ook gewoon fantastische instrumentale muziek was die dansbaar was en afwisselend was. Na 10 minuten:Dit daarentegen? Dit is folk zoals ik ken en niet perse vet vind. Wel iets meer variatie dan "Man of vrouw met akoestische gitaar" maar nog steeds niet helemaal mijn ding. Wel heel erg middeleeuwse vibes wat dat betreft, misschien ook wel vanwege de albumcover. Na 20 minuten: De zang... Ja de zang, ik ben echt geen fan van haar manier van zingen. Dit doet me zo erg denken aan musicals en ik hou gewoon niet van musicals. Het is overdreven qua intonatie, geen woord word normaal gezongen. Ik geloof meteen dat als dit je ding is, dat dit album een top 3 album allertijden is. Het is gewoon heel erg niet mijn ding. ^Bovenstaande schreef ik na een minuut of 20. Dit album duurt 55 minuten. Na 30 minuten: Dit is echt veel en veeeeeeeel te lang voor hoe matig de zang is. Ik las ergens dat ze doet denken aan Tones and I, van Dance monkey 'fame' en ik snap die wel. 40 minuten. Laat het stoppen. Ik wil deze vrouw nooit meer horen zingen. Ik irriteer me helemaal kapot aan dat album en specifiek aan de zang. Dit is denk ik mijn Guantanamo Bay marteltechniek. 55 minuten. Eindelijk. Het einde. Ik hoop echt nooit meer een album van deze vrouw te hoeven luisteren. Mensen die minder last hebben van de zang vinden het helemaal geweldig. Ik kon me gewoon niet focussen op teksten of instrumenten, de gehele tijd hoorde ik alleen maar de verschikkelijke zang van Joanna. Snel vergeten en door hiermee. Is dit 1 ster? Ik vind het helemaal niets, maar kan me wel voorstellen dat als je wat meer tegen haar stem kan dat dit een geweldig album is. Ook haalt voor mij de instrumentale muziek het nog wel iets omhoog. 2 sterren, maar echt net aan. FAVO: Staat niet op Spotify, Youtube was gewoon het volledige album en eerlijk? Het album kon me niet genoeg boeien om de extra moeite te doen om te kijken of ik er een favoriet nummer uit kan halen...

Picture it: Whiterun. 201st year of the 4th Era. A man walks into The Bannered Mare. A young female bard is gently plucking at a harp preparing for her performance. She begins to sing. An Oblivion Gate opens - releasing murderous Daedra upon the unexpecting spectators! Screams! The turning over of tables and chairs! The ensuing smell of blood and smoke is overwhelming! The man is utterly aghast by what can only be described as pure, wanton carnage! The bard's screechy warbling just won't stop! Oh, and the massacre perpetrated by the Daedra is pretty awful, too.

I knew from the cover I was going to hate this woman. This was insufferable.

The weirdest and one of the less pleasant ones that I’ve listened to. Some of the songs would have been good if they weren’t 40 hours long 🥱😴. Overall, I’d give it a 2.4/5! 🫡🫠

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

me costo al principio, es musica muy lirica and you guys know how much i struggle with that la segunda cancion me gusto mucho tho 3.5 que bajo a 3, porque tbh veo dificil volver a escucharlo pronto but im glad i did

Can't handle the vocals

Not currently on Spotify if I find a fisicly copy I will listen

3.4 2x very nice voice and pleasant to listen to.

Jesus Christ this was bad. Just boring as fuck.

I hate her voice so much.

4/29 To paraphrase a quote from Harlan Ellison, "She has the voice of a seagull getting an enema." Shit album

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?

A desert-island album. Magical, fully captivating, and as original as it comes. I also can’t listen to this album without ~20 years of nostalgia influencing my view. Seeing Joanna after this album was released at the Black Cat in DC, standing room only, with a packed room of people who were deeply captivated is one of my favorite concert memories. 🧚 🪉 ♥️

Joanna is new to me, and Ys is fantastic. Exceptional worldbuilding between music and lyrics; I was transported

Lots to appreciate here.

Is this heaven?

I didn’t quite have the patience for this when it came out but listening now, it’s really a beauty

Felt like I was in a medieval tavern listening to the worst traveling bard in the land. Weird and boring

I couldn't get through this. Reading the Wikipedia article I had high hopes, Van Dyke Parks, Steve Albino and Jim O'Rourke involved. The music isn't bad but her vocals are horrid to the point of being painful to listen to.

It is certainly unique...

Aujourd'hui, nous allons plonger dans Ys de Joanna Newsom, et on va essayer de comprendre pourquoi ce truc est à la fois une merveille absolue et un test d'endurance pour n'importe quel mélomane normalement constitué. Parce qu'on ne va pas se mentir, cet album, c'est une sorte d'ovni baroque qui a atterri au milieu des années 2000 pour nous rappeler que la musique pouvait encore être un labyrinthe dans lequel on accepte de se perdre volontairement, sans boussole et sans filet de sécurité. On attaque direct par le gros morceau, celui qui fait que les gens s'entretuent sur les forums ou se regardent en chiens de faïence dans les dîners en ville : la voix de Joanna Newsom. Je le dis haut et fort, sans trembler : c'est certainement l'une des plus belles voix que j'aie pu entendre, mais c'est aussi une arme de destruction massive pour les oreilles non préparées. On est à des années-lumière de la technique parfaite et lisse des divas de la pop. Ici, on a une voix qui semble venir d'un autre siècle, ou d'une autre dimension. Elle est perchée, elle est craquante, elle a des inflexions de gamine capricieuse et des accents de vieille sorcière qui connaît tous les secrets de la terre. C'est une voix qui n'essaie pas de plaire, elle essaie d'exister. Elle se tord, elle s'étire, elle frôle la fausseté pour mieux retomber sur ses pattes avec une grâce que je trouve absolument bouleversante. C'est un instrument organique, plein de mucus et de souffle, qui vient se loger directement dans le canal auriculaire pour ne plus en sortir. On aime ou on déteste, il n'y a pas de milieu, mais si on accepte de se laisser apprivoiser, c'est une expérience d'une intensité rare. Ensuite, il y a la harpe. Ce n'est pas juste un instrument d'accompagnement pour faire joli ou pour donner un côté "médiéval-chic" à l'ensemble. La harpe de Joanna, c'est la charpente, les murs et le toit de l'édifice. Elle en joue avec une virtuosité qui frise l'insolence, alternant entre des cascades de notes cristallines et des rythmiques presque percutantes qui donnent une dynamique incroyable aux morceaux. On sent que chaque corde pincée est une décision, chaque résonance est maîtrisée. C'est d'une complexité folle, mais ça reste toujours mélodique, même quand les structures s'évaporent pour laisser place à des improvisations apparentes. La harpe devient un orchestre à elle seule, capable de porter des récits qui durent plus de dix minutes sans jamais lasser, pour peu qu'on ait la patience de suivre le fil d'Ariane qu'elle nous tend. C'est un travail d'orfèvre, une démonstration de force tranquille qui remet pas mal de guitaristes de salon à leur place. Et que dire de la production ? C'est là que le disque devient vraiment fascinant d'un point de vue technique. On a d'un côté Steve Albini, le pape de l'enregistrement brut et sans fioritures, celui qui sait capter le son d'une pièce comme personne. Il a enregistré la voix et la harpe, et ça s'entend. Le son est d'une proximité presque gênante, on entend les doigts glisser sur les cordes, les respirations, les petits bruits de bouche qui font que le disque respire, qu'il est vivant. C'est sec, c'est honnête, c'est du Albini pur jus. Mais par-dessus ce squelette aride, on a les orchestrations de Van Dyke Parks. Et là, on change totalement de décor. On passe du studio minimaliste à la fresque hollywoodienne, aux envolées de cordes et de cuivres qui viennent draper les chansons d'une majesté baroque. Le mélange entre la sécheresse d'Albini et le luxe de Parks est une idée de génie. C'est le mariage de la terre et du ciel, du brut et du sophistiqué. Ça donne à l'album une profondeur sonore qui ne cesse de se dévoiler au fil des écoutes. Le format de l'album est lui aussi une provocation en soi. Cinq morceaux pour presque une heure de musique. On est loin du formatage commercial. Chaque titre est un monde en soi, une sorte d'ue symphonique où les thèmes se croisent, disparaissent et reviennent sous une autre forme. On ne peut pas écouter Ys distraitement. C'est un disque qui exige qu'on s'assoie, qu'on éteigne la lumière et qu'on lise peut-être les paroles en même temps, parce que le texte est tout aussi labyrinthique que la musique. Joanna Newsom nous raconte des fables sur des météorites, des ours, des singes et des relations humaines complexes, le tout enrobé dans un vocabulaire d'une richesse incroyable. C'est de la poésie pure, parfois impénétrable, mais toujours évocatrice. On est plongé dans un univers onirique où la frontière entre le réel et le merveilleux est totalement floue. C'est touffu, c'est dense, c'est parfois épuisant, mais c'est d'une ambition qu'on ne croise plus très souvent. Malgré tout ce génie, je reste sur une note de 4 sur 5. Pourquoi pas le carton plein ? Parce que justement, cette densité peut devenir un obstacle. Parfois, l'album est tellement "trop" qu'il en devient étouffant. Il y a des moments où l'on aimerait que Joanna se taise juste un instant pour laisser la musique respirer, ou que Van Dyke Parks calme ses violons pour qu'on puisse retrouver la simplicité de la harpe. C'est un disque qui manque parfois de silences, de respiration. Il est d'une telle perfection technique et d'une telle richesse narrative qu'il peut finir par paraître un peu froid, un peu intimidant. C'est un chef-d'œuvre, c'est indéniable, mais c'est un chef-d'œuvre devant lequel on reste parfois en admiration au lieu d'être totalement emporté par l'émotion pure. Mais bon, je chipote. Un 4/5, c'est déjà énorme dans mon échelle de valeur. C'est reconnaître que cet album est indispensable pour quiconque s'intéresse un tant soit peu à ce que la musique peut produire de plus singulier. C'est un disque qui a une âme, une personnalité écrasante. On n'écoute pas Ys tous les jours, c'est un disque de moments choisis, un disque de solitude lumineuse. C'est une expérience qui vous transforme, qui vous oblige à revoir vos critères de ce qu'est une "belle" chanson ou une "belle" voix. Joanna Newsom a réussi un tour de force : rendre la harpe et le chant baroque soudainement pertinents, voire essentiels, en plein milieu d'une décennie dominée par d'autres sons. C'est un acte de résistance artistique d'une force incroyable, une bulle de beauté étrange dans un monde souvent trop uniforme. En fin de compte, ce qui reste après l'écoute, c'est cette sensation d'avoir traversé un paysage inconnu. On en ressort un peu étourdi, avec des mélodies qui reviennent nous hanter sans qu'on sache trop pourquoi. C'est la marque des grands disques : ils ne vous lâchent pas. Ils s'installent dans un coin de votre tête et ils attendent leur heure pour ressortir. Ys est de cette trempe-là. C'est beau, c'est dur, c'est magnifique et c'est profondément original. Rien que pour ça, Joanna Newsom mérite tout le respect du monde. On a hâte de voir ce que la suite de cette liste nous réserve, mais le niveau est mis très haut avec cette pépite californienne. Un 4 solide, mérité, pour un album qui n'a pas fini de faire parler de lui.

This was...different. It's an acquired taste of an album but I found that it grew on me over time. I like her voice, it's quirky. I suspect that this is one of those albums that you either love or hate, there's no in between.

That was a lot. But I did like it, small dosage.

Νομίζω πως μπορώ να δω την όραση, και σε μερικά σημεία είναι πολύ μαγευτικά τα κομμάτια αλλά υποφέρουν απο τεράστια διάρκεια, περίεργα φωνιτικά και έντονη προσπάθεια του να δείξουν ότι είναι ξεχωριστα Sawdust & Diamonds

6/10 What a unique surprise. These songs are like puzzles, with each successive listen uncovering more and more until a story or a theme materialises. I've never heard music like this. I'm also not sure if I'm intelligent enough to distinguish between profundity and incoherence, but there's definitely a level of lyricism in here that I haven't come across before. It was hard to rate this one. It's so unlike anything I've heard and I'm not really sure I could say I enjoyed it. These are not songs you can get stuck in your head, but there is a level of intrigue that tempts you to try to uncover hidden meanings and decipher the complex metaphor sprinkled throughout. Best track: Sawdust & Diamonds Will I revisit?: Not sure - possibly?

Getting this album the day after Bjork's "Debut" feels....intentional. Doesn't look like this is on Spotify, so it'll have to wait until I have YouTube time. Edit: kinda hell yeah? This sounds like Fiona Apple and Anna Marie Tendler had a baby in the 1400s and were like "forsooth, make sure she haveth the harpe lessones." I can see why it's not for everyone, but I dug it.

It's taken a bit of work, but luckily I've had almost 20 years to work on this. A unique album.

The main thing I enjoy about this album is how it feels like a storybook every song creates this sprawling landscape which kept my attention as I listened to the very long tracks. At it's best the orchestra, vocals, and lyrics all blend into this melting pot of pure sound that I could not help but smile at. At its worse it can feel a little drawn out and I find my self blinking in and out of the world it creates. I do really enjoy it and I am happy I got to experience Ms. Newsom's wonderful artistic expression.

I like experimental stuff but her voice was just.. grating.

Doesn’t appear on spotify

I could’ve gone my whole life without listening to this. Couldn’t make it all the way through

An ambitious and original bit of folk opera that reminds me mostly of the pastoral psych-folk of the late 60s/early 70s in the UK but reinvented for millenial California. It conjures a medieval fantasy world with the arrangements (lots of strings, harps, flutes) and inhabits it with witchy croaking vocals and story telling poem-lyrics. Lots to admire conceptually, but I don't really like listenting to it at all - even once I get used to the voice.

Tom & Jerry music set in Middle Earth, as delivered by Tara Strong??? Way overstays it's welcome. It's a bit much man.

Joanna Newsom is clearly very, very talented. But I struggle to get past her voice which I often find excruciating. But then I saw a live video of her playing the harp and singing and found it to be pretty good, with her performance helping to give some context to this album. I still don’t fully connect with it, but the arrangements, songwriting and sheer ambition of ‘Ys’ make it hard not to admire.

I like Björk but come on, she can't make these instrumentals feel not boring

I am sad I will never be able to fully understand this. I hope I can someday let someone else be able to

This album is a good example of the ambitious indie-folk albums of the mid-2000s, along with Sufjan Stevens and even Fleet Foxes. The music and orchestration is interesting, but somewhat blends together - this probably demands revisiting to apprecaite the details, but I don't find myself compelled to return.

Avant garde, sort of prog folk rambling on like a mad woman for songs that are longer than anyone can comprehend, a stream of consciousness in the form of words over music and no real song structures, all whilst sounding like Björk…and yet rather interesting - musically, very much so! I almost gave this 4 stars but ‘Only Skin’ let it down and that’s significant on an album with 5 tracks. It does seem to be an album that demands attention though, and it had mine for the most part.

*2006. *This isn't available on Spotify, so I spent a minute listening on YouTube and then listened to a bunch of covers on Spotify. *I really enjoyed the covers. Complicated, interesting songs. *But her actual voice is a lot - very generic brand Bjork. A little goes a long way. *Probably being a little generous, since I didn't listen to the actual album. RATING - 7/10

Bjork for the mainstream? I did like it, enough to grant it 4 stars, but I don't want to add it to the replay list.

Bjork if she made medieval music Fav Song: 7.7/10

don't really like it

Let's start with the fact that Joanna Newsom's discography isn't available on Spotify, as she considers the platform "cynical and musician-hating." And for once, I can envy those who use Spotify, since God has spared them from this pretentious bleating over a cacophonous medley of classical instruments. You think you can't ruin a harp and a harpsichord? You can! The artist talks, squeals, creaks, and chirps here, but it's hard to call it singing, and that's the first reason I want to turn the album off. The second is the length of the songs — there are only five, but each one averages ten minutes (it gets tough by the third). Joanna Newsom is that artsy classmate who tries to write poetry, yet is convinced that it should be interesting to everyone, and whose voice you can't shut up about out of politeness.

Renaissance Fair meets Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds. Not my jam.

Un petit côté Kate Bush

Too breaky vocals, couldn't get through it.

I thought I’d like the instrumentation but this voice is completely inpallatable to me I’m so sorry joanna I couldn’t handle your bananies or avocadies

Funky Demands that you really lock in to get the most out of it. Really difficult to listen to casually but in general I was a big fan

I want to like this. I think the songs and arrangements themselves contain beauty. I think that Newsom explores new territory. There are two monumental problems this record has though: first, the tracks don’t need to be that long; second, the vocals. The length issue is easy to explain, a little editing would have gone a long way. My issue with the vocals is where I’m at a little bit of a loss. She squeaks occasionally, and when she does it pierces through the whole mix. I found myself messing with eq so that the squeak in her voice wasn’t so irritating. I couldn’t fix it. This album’s a 2 verging on a 3. Good idea but half baked and needs tweaking in the vocals department.

nop

Ok, just not my scene

Almost unlistenable. Had to turn it off.

Interesting and extra points for whimsy but couldn’t really engage with it to be honest.

I like her voice. The album was nice to listen to, but I never need to hear it again.

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.

An album that really rewards repeated listens and in that regard something that I have a bias towards just by virtue of the number of times I’ve heard it. Complex and symphonic in its approach, this eschews a lot of the expected musical arrangements of the genre in favour of something that goes on a musical journey around the stories told. The string arrangements are discordant on places, but builds tension later released when harmonising with Newsom’s vocals or harp. Some lovely lyrics pepper it (“Darling, there’s a place for us; can we go, before I turn to dust?”) in a pastoral style but unique in approach. Doesn’t quite scrape a 5 just because of how dense it can be, and demands an active ear at all times.

I'm not entirely sure where to place this album, or even how to capture what it did to me while I was listening to it. I'll admit that when I first pressed play, I wasn't the biggest fan of her voice. It's unlike any other I've heard before, and the music follows strange, unconventional progressions, combinations that almost feel as though they shouldn't work. Those moments are then followed by passages of breathtaking beauty, and you can hear that every second of this album was composed with the utmost care. I can't describe it as anything other than ambitious and utterly unique. You'll inevitably try to compare it to something else, but nothing quite fits. I've seen people mention Björk, but I don't think that's a particularly good comparison. The closest album that came to mind for me was PJ Harvey's I Inside the Old Year Dying, with its use of dialect and its similarly ethereal, almost earthbound spirituality. But even that record ultimately is quite different in tone. Although I wasn't entirely convinced by the opening track, the second song had me completely entranced. At that point, I figured this would probably end up being a four-star album. Then the final two tracks came along, and I found myself captivated in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. I can't give this album anything less than five stars: for its originality, its undeniable musicality, and its willingness to create something that feels entirely its own. Wish it was put on Spotify though...

Wow never got around to listening to any of her albums because they're not on spotify (lazy I know). There's a mystique around her and her music, somewhat of an 'artist's artist', a far reaching amount of musicians with seemingly not much else in common sighting her as major influences. I feel like it feels quite medieval, at least instrumentally and I swear I'm not just saying that because of the album cover, I think she's maybe playing the harp on some of these as well, which feels quite medieval. Her vocal style I feel like is offputting for some people, but I like it, it just feels quite authentic and real, certainly very unique. I may have not been listening to the words properly, but I bet there's a whole extra element. Obviously the fact that the songs are long is great. I love the strings. which are used in a very different way that they are often used in non classical music. She squeaks a lot when she sings, not a criticism, just a comment. I love Bill Callahan on the second last song, I think their voice work well together. Favourite songs: all. Overall around 7/10

What a very strange voice. Like listening to a child sing. Pass.