Ys

Omg !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. 🧚 🪉 ♥️

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.

Not available on Spotify

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

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

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

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

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

This feels like Björk if she performed excusively at Renaissance Festivals. I fucking love it. Shame Joanna's husband, Andy Samberg, never made an appearance in this list, as I feel Incredibad by The Lonely Island would be a good companion piece to this 😂

Da Goooooat

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

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

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

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

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

Giving it 5 just to make up for all the haters and losers

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

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

9/10

A murderer’s row of talent on a perfect freaking album.

It's very deep and it sounds poetic and amazing 18/1/26

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

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

Me gusto

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

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

Love this weirdo. Some people just know how to have fun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m given 5 points of bardic inspiration from listening to this, so i provide 5 stars. I get why so many people hate on this album, it’s really not easy to get through to the meaning of these lyrics, and the groove is sometimes best described as medieval. But by the meadowlarks and monkeys and stuff, there isn’t anything else like this music. The melodies are haunting and happy and sad and exciting throughout. I have no clue how Joanna can perform any of these epic poems live and remember all the lyrics and stories and interwoven metaphors. It’s dense, it’s unusual, but it’s 110% worth sticking with and giving a chance.

A wonderful surprise. I vaguely knew Newsom as a parodied, warbly hippy type, and was expecting some sub-Joni Mitchell guff, but this is an astonishing puece of work. Her voice is unique, and the song structures are more sound poems than obvious verse/chorus/verse, but its incredibly evocative, the orchestration is lush, the songs switch between cute, gritty, playful, powerful and heartfelt like a leaf blowing in the breeze. An unusual combination of something that hits you immediately but also makes it clear there are depths to be uncovered on multiple listens. Instant 5.

One of my all time favorites! I saw her perform it live following the release at the 400 bar.

What an amazing voice, the only other singer I could see a comparison with would be Bjork. I enjoyed the musical through lines of the music in all the songs like it was chapters in a book but with the same characters.

Très cool, entre The Do et Regina Spektor, 2 ambiances que j'adore, vraiment bonne découverte je pense que je vais creuser cette artiste

Entre Agnès Obel et Kate Bush vocalement, j’ai trouvé ça vraiment top ! J’adore ce genre de voix féminine À ne pas écouter dans n’importe quel contexte je trouve, car c’est pas très joyeux. J’irai regarder ce que fait l’artiste

the doomsday have finally descended upon me. it is the doomsday known as the unleash of "rate your music core" albums, or "rymcore" albums. but anyway why is this album so fucking whimsical i am fucking crying i mean it i am a mature sixteen years old person a mature person who navigates the real world like an adult i shouldn't consider this as one of the best albums of all time because of how childish it is... but i love it. and no matter how strongly i deny the feeling it will just become stronger and the just slightly audiable accordion in many songs are so good... every song is longer than 5 minutes but it don't seems to drag on for a second. in general i love this. 5/5

Very interesting and ambitious album. It's essentially five very long, harp-driven, reflections on important people in Newsom's life. The lyrics are written in a deliberately flowery and, at times, archaic parlance, but Newsom doesn't struggle to eke out some genuinely touching phrases despite that. She also shows admirable restraint in not sacrificing the emotional essence of the songs in an attempt to impress with her command of language. Newsom's squeaky high notes are, unsurprisingly, a point of contention among listeners, but the imperfections in her voice don't distract from the earnestness and creativity on display here. Probably more of a 4.5/5, but I'm happy to round it up for it's uniqueness.

Whoa ! This is something else, not your usual hits and radio friendly music. If you are a close minded person don't even give it a try . If you want background noise then skip it. It needs time to digest it, to get yourself familiar with her voice, arrangements and the wonderland where this album lives in. Once the initial shock pass one can discover the wonder of this fairy tale inform of music, only more complex, unusual and unique. "Monkey and Bear" is my favourite song of the album.

There's a lot of albums on here I'm deeply familiar with I give 5s to because they bring so much joy; on the other hand this is an album I'll give a 5 to because of how much it devastates me every time. I always love a lyrically dense songwriter and Joanna Newsom is maybe the most lyrically dense songwriter on this whole list, with words so allusion and symbol heavy you could write multiple disserations on "Monkey & Bear" and "Sawdust and Diamonds" alone. I could see the storytelling being grating....if it wasn't backed by moments of pop-level clarity: "But still, they have got to pay the bills, hadn’t they?” "Why the long face?" "And all those lonely nights down by the river..." I'll leave the interpretations up to you, but if you're not moved alone by incredible orchestral arrangements and/or use of treble-heavy harp motifs to their maximum effect here I'll be judging you a little bit. Or, maybe to put it more gently: If you can get through "Cosmia" without getting at least a little teary, you're a stronger person than I am. Ys is a late era folk revival album that's not-so-secretly some of the highest art we're going to get on this list, and if all you can hear is "wow Joanna Newsom sings kinda funny", well, that's on you.

Incredible album, can't believe it has less than a 3 average rating

Wow, this was amazing. It’s a shame it’s not on Spotify because it will never be in my rotation.

Whimsical banger.

I've listened to this album so many times. When I saw this pop up in my list, I was certain that most people would dislike her: the voice, the weird musical timing/wording and, honestly, spoken poetry. Understandably, not for everyone. I am one who has loved her music/songs for years and will continue to look forward to anything she's putting out. Today, I listened to this album 3 times, with an emotional response each time. But I do understand that many would not like her at all. I am just in the other camp: I love this. Give me more.....

Listening Notes: Ooh I think these vocals are super intriguing. And harps? How fun! Review: Not writing so much here, but this was dope. I enjoyed thoroughly and would relisten if it was on spotify.

Дуже неординарний альбом, який вміє дивувати. Джоанна Ньюсом створює тут певну казкову атмосферу, але при цьому ти розумієш що ця казка - доросла. Авант-поп, 5 довгих пісень, цікаве аранжування. Музика, яку цікаво досліджувати.

Que LINDO! Sem palavras, não conhecia nada! A harpa, a voz, as letras, tudo é perfeito!!!!

beautiful and inventive compositions and playing (especially the strings) a voice packed with emotion, some damn pathos! another album i had listened to in previous years and left unimpressed but revisiting it i agree wholeheartedly with all the praise it's received

astonishing album, otherworldly instrumentation and dramatic lyricism really creates a picture in my head, the medieval sounding harp makes it feel so good

I loved this one, don’t get the awful record here. It felt like symphonic poetry. I could easily either get lost in the eloquently written and delivered verses while picking apart the meaning or get swept away to a whimsical works of fantasy with the sweeping orchestral arrangements. Already listened to it twice through yesterday and foresee more to come.

Jokes on you 1001albumgenerator, not only have I heard this album in full before but it’s one of my very favorites. I became obsessed with the song sawdust and diamonds around 2018 and when I tell you I played it every single day I truly mean it. Joanna has no music on Spotify so I turned to my trusty YouTube album that I have bookmarked and favorited. It’s such a gorgeous album. Her haunting voice plus her prose like lyrics, means that I love this album in the same way I love albums by Joni Mitchell and Regina Spektor. If you love medieval music (because I listen to bardcore more often than I’d probably admit) you will absolutely adore this album. The fact that she’s playing the harp makes her singularly a bard or a fairy or an elf or some combination of the three. This album makes me feel like I’m being awoken from an ancient time. There’s so much that shouldn’t work but it does or that could become cheesy but it doesn’t! It’s perfect and glorious and I love it. Thanks for giving me another reason to listen to a favorite today :)

🐣💚

A propulsive, complex and beautiful record. One of my favs!

This is great, can't believe I've been sleeping on Joanna. Pretty much flawless. So lush, can't wait to dive back in and actually properly listen to the lyrical content too. Fave Tracks: Emily, Sawdust & Diamonds, Cosmia 4.9/5

Extremely unique compared to all the music I normally listen to, I enjoyed this immensely.

I know this is twee and niche but top marks: no one sounds like her. (Her next album is better though as she experiments with more of a band.) (42 known/88 new)

имба. напомнило бьорк и группу мельница) жаль что нет на спотике(

Ys may sound like child’s play rubbish on first listen but it is actually a masterpiece of the highest caliber. Joanna Newsom is one of the most original voices from the 00’s. Squeaky, random, yet not, intelligent poetry, and with the contribution of Van Dyke Parks, orchestration that takes her harp based songs to an ethereal universe full of intrigue, magic and wonder. I’ve lived so deeply inside this album that at some point it might have healed my cold dead heart. These songs are parables and stories full of love for her sister (Emily), betrayal, manipulation and suicide (Monkey & Bear) and complex emotions (Sawdust and Diamonds) that only an adult with life experience can understand.

Spotify didn’t have the song but it did have the muppets song which was a 10/10

One of the best of the 00s. Great lyrics, great music, original, much better singing than the Milk-eyed Mender.

One of the best albums of all time (thankfully we have it on vinyl)

Better than Coldplay

Criminally low rating on this site, the album is MAGICAL and PERFECT

Уникальная музыка, которая заслуживает сильно большего, нежели вот эту поебень с единицами. GET REAL. Лучшая песня - Emily.

"We could stand for a century, staring, with our heads cocked in the broad daylight, at this thing, joy, landlocked in bodies that don't keep, dumbstruck with the sweetness of being." (I asked for this cd for Christmas the year it came out. I was wearing a Joanna Newsom shirt at the hospital the day my child was born. This album contains so much meaning and it means a lot to me. I know every word and just belted out "Only Skin" in the car like I was in a stadium.)

I checked out. Can’t do it. She’s obviously talented but these songs go nowhere. No rhythm or real melody, just medieval troubadour singing and wacky lyrics. Strong pass.

I absolutely love Joanna Newsom's whole thing. I am more familiar with Milk Eyed Mender, but I have heard this before, and I think this album is spellbinding. Firstly, and most controversially, I love her voice. I can see it being grating, but it just works for making the music seem like its in its own self contained world. This is the Ys' strongest factor to me, it is like Newsom builds this fey kingdom and invites the listener in. This is further achieved with the instrumental palette, all harp and violin and accordion, to name a few. Not to mention the detailed, lengthy compositions and vivid lyricism. I have no complaints about Ys, and I absolutely love it.

wild ride lyrically and unique voice. What renaissance fair maidens want to be.

andy samberg, what a catch

Couldn't find it on spotify, but went to YouTube and was delighted to hear this woman's sound

This is a meandering, idiosyncratic album (which already endears it to me), but it also has some real emotional weight behind it. Newsom's voice really complements the fanciful lyrics. This is one I will come back to, for sure. Favorite track: "Cosmia"

Альбом неожиданно попал мне в самое сердечко. Круто!

So sublime I can’t possibly do it justice in a single review or a collection of tomes. Ys is exquisite epic poetry for our day and the greatest musical contribution of any Californian, living or dead. These tunes flowed throughout the Sierra Nevada for millennia before Joanna captured them in her harp. No songwriter has ever captured familial love, memory, independence, partnership, and awe with such tenderness or reverence. I’m still “dumbstruck with the sweetness of being” ten years after hearing this for the first time on Nic’s audiotechnica. It is a flawless album, and my favorite record of all time.

Like Kate Bush with a harp singing cryptic fairy tales. Unlike anything else I've listened to, great stuff

4.5

Beautiful instrumentation, extremely unique voice. Felt like it belonged to a medieval times. Not perfect, but its not possible to give something 4.5 Stars so it gets 5 from me

Really cool

This album is truly unique and unusual. Maybe because of this or maybe in spite of this, it is one of my favourite albums. It needs time because it is a challenging listen but once it gets under your skin you appreciate all the layers which make up each song and there is something new there to hear on every listen. I came across the album by chance one late Saturday evening. Bob Harris played a track from the album on his late night BBC 2 programme. I was laid in bed totally captivated by whichever track he played. I had missed the introduction and start and when the track ended I didn’t quite hear Bob’s announcement of the artist and album name. I was in the dark so could only mentally make a note of this but the next day I began searching for an album called Yes by Jo Newsholme. With this wrong information and because in 2006 streaming sites and Google searching were not as they are now it took a while to identify the album. But so determined and captivated by the music I eventually did unite with the album and there began the journey to unwrap its delights which is still continuing to this day. Musically and lyrically a true one off and difficult to pigeonhole. There should be a genre just called Joanna Newsom. 5/5 5/3/25

Phenomenal

Never connected with a song so quickly as I did with Emily. Emily is an astrophysicist, Emily is a sister, she is depicted reverently, lovingly, even as she is at the center of the singer’s conflict. She is central, also, to the resolution.

Finally got around to listening on YT as it wasn't on Spotify, but I won't hold that against her...looked this one up and the list of genres suggested didn't really prepare me for it. The striking, almost childlike vocals have a fairy-like quality, backed by romantic strings and harp. In the absence of any traditional percussion, it's like listening to a music box. I fall under its spell as Emily unfolds. It's hard to choose between any of the lengthy pieces but Sawdust & Diamonds is even more mesmerizing, an urgency now from the delicately picked, quicker melodies. Cosmia is the shortest track at 7 minutes, darker at times and still thoroughly magical, building to a final peak. I get folk elements, post-rock (the vocals make me think of Múm), ambient, orchestral, soundtrack, whatever...but I think nothing really sounds quite like it. Bravo.

spooky folky medieval absolutely awesome

bittersweet, something i'll listen to again

Wow, this is one of those albums that has such a timeless sound that I was shocked to learn it was released in 2006. Joanna Newsom’s vocal style is haunting, entrancing, and really quite beautiful. It’s also the only part of this album that’s almost as strange and puzzling as the lyrics. Musically this one is stellar, there’s such a vast array of orchestration throughout. Everything feels composed in such a natural way, and the production is truly top tier. Every individual instrument, of which their are numerous, comes through in the mix beautifully, while never overshadowing or crowding the vocals. It’s really a masterclass in orchestral audio engineering. All these elements come together to make a really fun experience, one akin to wandering through an enchanted forest. 4.5*

Hell yeah. I love Joanna Newsom, her music is so weird and pretty, it's like a fantasy novel for your ears. This is her first album that feels like a fully realized form of her style of music, and it's just remarkable in scope, in ambition, in quality. The lyrics to each song stand alone perfectly well as poems. One would have to pore over them studiously, thoroughly, and thoughtfully to get a grasp on their meaning. My favorite of them is "Emily", probably in no small part because it's the one I feel I understand best. It is so tender and vivid and sweet. To listen to this album is to travel to another universe. Beautiful and mysterious. 10/10

Sometimes when using this list or website, you may come across an album that you listen to but find it hard to articulate your thoughts about it. After a second or third listen, you might even click 'didn't listen' because you feel you need to revisit the album later. This was one of them. Initially, I was quite skeptical about it. While "The Milk-Eyed Mender" was undeniably beautiful, I worried that the addition of orchestration would cause Joanna's music to devolve into annoying bombast. Fortunately, that concern turned out to be unfounded. The orchestration is not only subtle but also very powerful. It adds significant value to the album, which I had nearly dismissed as a possibility beforehand. Joanna has clearly evolved, and with this album, she successfully steps outside the 'freak-folk' genre. The entire album is filled with beautiful music, and many of the compositions seem almost perfect. And this is normally completely not my style. But I loved it

this shit is just so beautiful that’s all i have to say about it

This album has eluded me for almost two decades now. I have "meant" to listen to it for years and years and just never have for whatever reason. Holy shit I've been missing out, this blew me away. I have been on the brink of switching from Spotify to Apple Music for a few months now, and my desire to have easy access to this album might be the catalyst to finally get me to switch. Might go ahead and grab this on vinyl as well. What an incredibly unique aural adventure. I can't wait to listen again and am stoked to check out her other albums.

Newsom earned her place as one of the tentpoles of the aughts folky indie movement. This album is everything you'd want out of something like this. It's epic, but also intimate and personal. Emotive, but also intricate and technical.

Unbelievably whimsical and beautiful, Newsom manages to tell a story on every single song, this is the album you would get if a bard from the forgotten realms was transported to modern day earth. People were complaining about the length but ITS BECAUSE SHE’S TELLING A STORY! THE SONG ONLY ENDS WHEN THE STORY IS DONE!! Plus it’s not like it’s just the same verse chorus verse, she puts a lot of effort in making the music follow the story. Maybe it’s just cause I’m a nerd, but this is a ten out of ten

Insanely good for some strange reason.

Beautiful.

4.75

Wow. Had never heard of Joanna Newsom before this, but I loved it instantly. I love how the songs just kind of meander through different melodies, the tempo ebbs and flows, and accompaniment varies from just punctuation and countermelody from her harp to a full Elfman-inspired orchestra and the occasional jaw harp or guitar, all vibrato'd out. It's like a fey fever-dream, and even though the songs are 11 minutes long on average, I never got tired of listening.

Absolutely love this album, although I admit it did take me quite a few listens to come around to it. Her voice is definitely an acquired taste, but her harp playing is fantastic and the lyrics are so detailed and meaningful. I think I first heard it around 2014/2015, then got really into it when her new album Divers came out, which I also love. If I could make every boomer who thinks all modern music is terrible listen to this 3 times, I would. Honestly much better than at least 50% of the folk rock in this book so far.

The album cover made me worried that I was in for a bad time but this album surprised me! Once I was got over the slightly odd singing style, I really enjoyed it! The orchestration with the harp made it sound interesting and fresh. A bit of Regina Spector but with harp instead of piano. I was really hooked from the start with the beautiful melody of "Emelie", and it kept my interest the whole way through. The lyrics are interesting and they paint very vivid stories. It was a long time since I liked an album this much the first listen. Too bad that it isn't on Spotify which shouldn't be as much of a problem as it is. 5 surprised stars!

This fucking rules. It's so maudlin that a lesser artist would have made this feel like it ventures into Disney girl territory but it's so fucking perfect that it never manages to toe that line. Real weird girl hours who the fuck is up

This is my third-favorite album by her, but it’s the one most beloved by critics and the fanbase. I think she’s the best lyricist working today. Emily: a chorus? Weird. M&B: Monkey’s speech reminds me of Donald Trump. His love for his followers is just and earnest. They just need to unlearn their allegiance to this life of service and follow him. And as long as they keep their fancy clothes on for a little while longer and dance appropriately, the reward of the bountiful hills will be theirs. S&D: The idea of a lost baby (miscarriage? abortion?) waiting for you in the afterlife is heartbreaking. The “I wasn’t born of a thistle” part, so good. “Enough of this terror, we deserve to know light.” Only Skin: I know it’s not the point of the song, I know it’s not a love song (or at least not an unambiguous love song like we’re used to in pop music), but “I’m starving and freezing in my measly old bed / I’ll crawl cross the salt flats to stroke your sweet head” is a lovely phrase. Actually the whole part with Bill Callahan is amazing. Cosmia: the one I’ve spent the least time with, this just means it’ll be my favorite five years from now. An album that rewards repeat listens. Instrumentation and lyrics on point. Some people don’t like her voice but they are wrong.

I loved it. So odd and so sublime.

Incredible album, felt fully immersed in the world the music wove together

I cannot express how much I adore this album: every moment of every track means so much.

I heard this when it came out and liked it, and I left her set at Latitude 2005 halfway through because I had to go and start the absolute worst job I’ve ever had in my life, but apart from that I wasn’t very familiar. Listened to it repeatedly since it came up on here, it’s amazing, one of the best albums made.

Beautiful album, wish it was on Spotify. I struggle to describe it.

Joanna squeaks and yips out some of the most majestic indie folks tunes of the aughts.

Kan godt se den er polariserende men jeg er kæmpe fan, selv hvis jeg ikke var ville jeg stadig synes den skulle på listen bare for at være så unik. 5 stjerner for arrangementerne alene Nu vil jeg håbe for Claus’ skyld at vi slipper for Regina Spektor på listen

Tidsløst. Emily er nok en top 10 sang of all time.

This feels like if Bjork made a folk album, and I love that.

Beautiful

If Jeff mangum was a midevil peasant woman

Love Joanna Newsom . Wish it was on Spotify

Absolutely deligtful, eclectic, baroque.

THIS. I. LOVE! it's so complex, is got depth that cuts your bones, it's magical and transformative. Never tire of her a-muse-ing-ness

I did really like this album, but because all her stuff isn't on any streaming service and the move away from any physical music in my house I don't hear it very often. Can't even stream the files on my phone to my Sonos anymore, it's mental. So considering I spent half the time listening to this on headphones dicking around trying to actually put it to my (non-bluetooth Sonos) speakers, and still enjoyed it thoroughly, has to be top marks. Absolutely gorgeous. I would listen to her stuff much much more if it wasn't such a ball-ache. I do find it hilarious how much Van-Dyke Parks appears to love that boingy boingy effect. It's all over Smile and it pops up here incongruously multiple times as well.

Solid

This the problem I've always had with rating your music by the number of tracks. Ys - 55 minutes, 5 songs, I've listened to it at least 15 times so 75 plays Milk Eyed Mender, 50 minutes, 12 songs, I've listed to this at least 25 times so 300 plays. Oh yeah btw, I love this album.

I’ve seen Joanna Newsome live a couple of times and love her dearly. At one point at one of the shows her thumb split open and she just calmly took a minute or two to superglue it closed and then carried on. So metal! 🤘 I get that her voice can be divisive, and the reviews here didn't disappoint! 😆 Fave track - "Monkey & Bear", but really the whole album is tip top!

a starkly beautiful album. i suspect people will not be able to get past her voice, but i think it's quite interesting and love the timbre in contrast with the harp and orchestrated instrumentals. very fun, playful music. calming. really great!

Well that was just lovely. Joanna Newsom writes great epics, Van Dyke Parks arranges beautiful strings, and Steve Albini was always a far better producer than just the 'difficult analogue noise' guy. A meeting of three brilliant minds, brilliant in itself.

WOW! This is one of those albums that is such a breath of fresh air and so so different from anything I would come across on my own. It's so peaceful and yet engaging at the same time. Joanna Newsom's vocals go along perfectly with the absolutely beautiful orchestration found throughout this album. This one will definitely be going into my rotation and I am very much looking forward to listening again.

Gorgeous and unique, the kind of album that you just follow as it unfolds, without really knowing (or caring) where it's been or where it's going. You just go with the flow, and the flow is magical.

There are these albums that aren't supposed to exist... Well, this is one of them. A mainstream progressive/avant folk album in 2006? Featuring Van Dyke Parks as a musician and conductor? Steve Albini as an engineer and Jim O'Rourke at the mix? How can this be possible? Totally outcast. Well, here we are, and it's exquisite stuff, really.

OK, this is actually incredible. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

*Listening Note* While not available on Spotify, it is available on youtube. What a beautiful album with harp and accompaniment. I appreciated the appearance of Bill Callahan, even if it seemed brief.

she rhymes "monkey" with "spelunking". nobody is doing it like her. this type of complex orchestral music often has this air of taking itself very seriously, but there's so much playfulness and whimsy in this album. it feels like a child staring in wonder at a rabbit crossing a field, or gazing up at the night sky. some of the lyricism has a certain feel to it that i only see recaptured in, weirdly enough, rappers like MF DOOM. there's something similar in the complex internal rhyme schemes and cryptic, nonsensical on-the-surface but internally consistent lyrics. the orchestration ebbs and flows with her storytelling and it's just beautiful, especially the harp and the strings. "C'mon, will you dance, my darling? Darling, there’s a place for us; Can we go, before I turn to dust?"

Don't have a lot of time on my hands today, and of course, of all the albums this list could have churned out, this is the one that comes out. Impossible for me to pen a proper review explaining why this record is great. Because *Ys* is a masterpiece, enough said. Not as directly effective as *The Milk-Eyed Mender*, which admittedly harbors its share of more easily-digestible gems. And yet as rewarding as Newsome's debut once you spent a few listens learning how to navigate inside its melodic digressions and many intricacies. At first, you need to apprehend this one just as you apprehend reading a poetry book in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. You sit with it, read and listen to the lyrics at the same time (sometimes cryptic musings, sometimes delightful "narratives"), and gape at every little detail inside. Then, after a few listen, you can equally return to this record in this mode, or conversely, you can play it as a soothing yet often lively soundtrack in the background. I've just spoken of "every little detail" in this admirable record, but it's not as if it was overflowing with so many layers either--the bulk of it, recorded by Steve Albini (but it could have been anyone else, basically) is pretty raw: it's Joanna's precise and enchanting harp, along with her high-pitched, frail-yet-fully-expressive voice, like a warble in your ears. Newsom feels very much like a Medieval or Renaissance bard telling us of her loves, losses, joys and sufferings through so many elegiac metaphors, or similes drawing from the world of animals and nature. Then, adding to this otherworldly atmosphere, you have Van Dyke Parks' elegant orchestral flourishes, underlining every event within the singer's yarns, and every inflexIon of her off-kilter voice. Plus a few other instruments here and there (banjo, guitar, accordion, marimba etc.). The songs are long, yes, but they need that time to properly develop their musical and narrative ideas, and they ALL build up to wonderful climaxes for each of their thrilling conclusions, that can have you sitting at the edge of your seats. Don't miss the latter in the longest cut, by the way, sung with Bill Callahan of Smog. Yes, "Only Skin" lasts for almost 17 minutes, but if you have leanings for experimental-yet-emotional "confessional" music, I can guarantee those 17 minutes just fly by. And the same can be said for each of the four other tracks in this record. 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list, rounded up to 5. Which translates to a 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5+4.5). 2006 is rather a "mid" year to be honest, filled with very few truly "essential" albums. It would heve been a shame not to have this one in the list. Number of albums left to review: 220 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 338 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 199 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 250

Bewitchingly beautiful, both musically and lyrically. I absolutely adored this album

Wild cosmic endeavor. Bjork meets Regina Spector meets Shara Nova. I can even hear some influence on Anais Mitchell and Hadestown. This album holds up. Hard to believe it’s 18 years old. The timelessness of the instrumentation, the otherworldly lyrics and the uniqueness of her voice help with that. Loved it!

The lyrics near on Shakespearean on this one. While the vocals may not be everyone's cup of tea, this blew me away. To write lyrics like that that go on that long, WITH a few orchestra?? Gorgeous.

Few things bring me more joy than the fact that Joanna Newsom and Andy "Jizz In My Pants" Samberg are a couple.

realmente increíble y los putos de spoti no lo tienen

One of my favourite finds from this list so far. I had never heard her before, and had to listen to this twice. Enchanting.

I adore this album. There are some quite exceptional moments and every track has magic. One to keep coming back to again and again.

Grandiose, vast, demands repeat listens to center in on the intricacies of the lyrics and arrangements. Demanding of your time and attention when an artist doesn't need Spotify to know their worth.

I think this will take another 20 listens to be sufficiently appreciated. First run through I couldn't help but think that while each and every part in isolation was sheer perfection (orchestral arrangement, voice, writing etc) it struggled to make sense to me when packaged up together. Second time it started making more sense and I think that incremental appreciation will continue as I listen more.

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

That was so interesting musically. The orchestral backing was fantastic and the overall vibe of the album sort of reminds me of some disney movies.

Love love love 💕

so good

Truly enchanting, in the deepest sense of the word. I was so transfixed that when my headphones died mid-album it was genuinely jarring and upsetting. This is easily one of the best records that this list has introduced to me.

Wow. Kind of a celtic Folk Kate Bush or Björk. I love it.

I'd forgotten just how good this album is. I was a fan of "Milk-Eyed Mender", but this is at another level entirely.

I really liked it! Never heard of such orchestral folk music before, also think her voice is super unique and cool. Hehhe the was a bread roll.

An astounding achievement in modern pop music: timeless, haunting, achingly beautiful, and evocatively poetic, Joanna Newsom is a force of nature. Like an angel with her harp, she sings of life and death and romance and the cosmos and the beauty and danger of the natural world, all the while surprising, delighting, and possibly even breaking the heart and piecing it back together again for the attentive, engaged listener. Like nothing I’ve ever heard, Newsom went for broke on this her second album and succeeds on ever level. An album to return to again and again, to marvel at, to bask in the glory of, and to dig through carefully to reveal its subtle secrets. 'When the bough breaks, what’ll you make for me? A little willow cabin to rest on your knee What’ll I do with a trinket such as this? Think of your woman, who’s gone to the west But I’m starving and freezing in my measly old bed! Then I’ll crawl across the salt flats, to stroke your sweet head Come across the desert with no shoes on! I love you truly Or I love no-one'

Kate Bush and Bjork via California, almost timeless in its themes and sound. The average score for this is way too low and most of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Very solid and unique.

Amazing!!!

Great chamber and orchestral pop masterpiece

I'd listened before and not cared for it so I was shocked at how much I absolutely adored this album this time through. Just such stirring rises and falls of beautfilly orchestrated music accompanying such vivid yet cryptic poetry is just awesome. I get it now lol

A stunning record - ambitious, enchanting and magical. Something from the past, something from the now. The scale, the imagination. In a lane of its own, Ys transports the listener. Read the room, Caroline Saint-Jacques Renard.

One of my favorites of all time

:(

Sounds SO much like Anais Mitchel. It's gorgeous. What wonderful sound.

This album is so awesome. I definitely think I'll listen to it again at some point, although I'm not sure what mood I'll be in that will drive me to it. It was the best kind of weird... Relatable but in a confusing way. Such strange music but as different as it was, it was all aesthetic and masterfully produced. Definitely a 5 out of 5.

moom

I have never listened to nor recall ever hearing of Joanna Newsom - although later after reading about her harp skills I vaguely recall some past exposure to her - but not enough to have any current recognition. This is fascinating. Hints of late medieval instrumentation, dashes of Blossom Dearie & Björk and a whole lot of interesting song construction, lush arrangements, dense lyrics and harp blended into something I would never have expected. Although this journey is over quite uneven terrain it’s remarkable how smooth and soothing it is to me. enchanting intriguing unique great!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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).

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

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

Rate: 8.5/10 Medieval diría yo? Idk.

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

Is this heaven?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Ich finds chillig cool, mal was anderes definitiv.

Recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Jim O'Rourke guves a lot of street cred right off the mark. Add that to an orchestra, harp, incredible lyrics and vocals and this is a joy; confounds expectations. 4 stars

Git mer Yaelokre und mengisch bitzli bc,nr. Het ich meh uf d Lyrics gloset, wär‘s vlt es 5i. Ich glaub das isch es Album, wo‘n i no 5/6 mal müsst lose zum voll apreciate aber nie dezueh cho wird.

Kind of surprised at my own rating here. Definitely has a renaissance fair vibe, but it works very well.

The Björk for Middle-Earth

28# whimsical fairytale medieval feeling. unfortunately, won't have time to dissolve the poetry she's spittin, but it sounds sweet and very descriptive. That timbre is nice. i wish i'd listened to his while playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It would've propelled even further the immersion in the medieval age.

Good folk, but not much else to say. Solid 4 Stars.

I liked this more than I expected, voice reminds me of Bjork, in a good way. The songs were long but interesting and varied, never dragged or overstayed there welcome.

Actually didn’t mind this. Very medieval baroque of course. I suspect Joanna Newsome would be better served by a greatest hits as there’s a narrow textural flavour here. But this is ok. 3.5

The third song was quite to my liking. I feel that long songs on an album are a kind of gamble; sometimes a style I don't like goes on endlessly, or the development isn't to my taste. On the other hand, it can be a wonderful journey. On this album, it was about half and half.

This album is certainly a "mood". A "vibe", if you will. I listened to it at an appropriate time (the pensive hours of a late winter morning) and I think that added to my overall enjoyment. It's very dense in the sense that it's filled with long sprawling tales backed by beautiful musical arrangements. I think what I appreciated the most is that each song has its own motif, but it isn't repeated and drilled into the listeners brain for 15 minutes. Newsom does a great job of painting us a lyrical picture, extrapolating on it and still giving us subtle reminders of what we are listening to so the listener doesn't get too lost on this baroque journey.

unique and beautiful, though it took me several listens to start unraveling it beyond the off-putting bjork vocals.

Not my thing but it was a beautiful album. Glad people are still making weird shit.

Not my favorite Joanna Newsom album, but an important, ambitious one. There’s a lot to listen to, a lot going on, but it’s also a really long lovely album. It’s dreamlike, something that you can get lost in easily.

Favorite tracks: Stardust and Diamonds, Only Skin, Cosmia This took a bit to sink into, but once I did, I had a nice time. I've become quite sensitive to cursive-y singing now that we're finally out of the indie era, but her delivery is passionate enough that I can chalk it up to being moved by the music vs being weird for weirdness's sake. Parts of this sounded like they were from a musical, which I like!

The lyrics are confounding! Setting aside the narrative, the songs are lovely and complex and unexpected. Appalachian-meet-avant-garde per Apple Music is the best descriptor I’ve read. I loved sawdust & diamonds

An album I enjoyed. I (unlike most people here apparently) really dig her voice. The dynamics in this album are nice. Perhaps a bit long, and hard to pinpoint a favorite song, the album itself feels like one big song. But not bad, 3.75/5

8/10 Favorite: Only Skin

Det här lät riktigt bra och säreget, med sång, melodier och oväntade ljud som höll mitt intresse uppe rakt igenom.

Hon var trevligt att lyssn apå

i didn’t get the niche hype before, but wow! she’s like the witch sister of bjork. not sure if i would listen to her music all of the time, but it hits a symphonic and beautiful spot in my lady heart that im sure ill be back for more

Good

Not even much of a Joanna Newsom fan but this is superb!

Unique. I applaud the originality and boldness of going with the harp. It’s a beautiful instrument, but doesn’t pop up too often. Her voice is also unique … beautiful, but unique. But also familiar. It sounds like someone…Bjork! It’s Bjork. Her voice is Bjork-y. All in all, it’s a good album, but I’m not sure it’s my thing. Glad I heard it, but probably won’t listen again anytime soon.

Piękne to. Takie w stylu Reginy Spektor. Wolałabym więcej krótszych utworów, ale nadal zachwycam się tekstami, muzyką i wokalem. 8/10

I missed out on the Joanna Newsom trend for like 20 years and just knew the name and that she made weird folksy music but I finally listened to this yesterday and I actually really enjoyed it! Like a medieval Bjork! Good vibe music.

pleasant

Favorite Song: Only Skin Least Favorite Song: Monkey & Bear This is a grand story, and a piece of art. I can’t possibly give it a lower score than this.

A beautifully unconventional concept album. The instrumentation creates a unique and intriguing texture, and perfectly captures the renaissance aesthetic they seem to be going for. Held up further by poetic, illustrative lyrics. The singer's voice is impressive, though her enunciation can be distracting and at times it feels like she's doing too much — after a while it starts to feel harsh on the ears, and I find myself waiting for a pause or a switch to a softer tone.

Pleasant, and a toucb weird. Good overall though!

Pleasant.

I don't think I necessarily love this, but I really appreciate it. Her voice is a bit too squeaky, but the instrumentation is varied and her lyrics are interesting. There is so much similar rock on this list that I do appreciate a big swing. I don't think I'll listen to this album all the time, but I'll definitely give it another try later, which is better than I can say about a lot of albums. Favorite Songs: Monkey and Bears, Cosmia

So this is why I'm here. No idea why I missed this in 2006 but it's a gem. Properly groundbreaking music (at least as far as my musical knowledge is concerned) in its combination of roots and classical influences. I can absolutely see why it makes the 1001. And the music provides a perfect platform for the fascinating lyrics. Which connect you more deeply with the music. Which makes you listen more carefully to the lyrics. Maybe it just caught me in the right mood, and maybe I won't want to listen to it again, but I've played it several times and enjoyed each listening more than the last one. Feels like a slow-burner to me. Outstanding. But slightly too weird for a perfect score.

Coeur de Pirate doing Bjork covers? I am interested by this but I also think I like it.

Quite unique. Bjork, Kate Bush, Jorane rolled into one. The album sounds almost timeless. A bit of repetition, but this is real artistry that sounds like nothing else. 3.9

Newsom is a true original. Nobody else does what she does. Quirky. Fun. Unusual. Beautiful. More of this please.

the orchestrations are beyond good. whimsy if i've ever heard it! i love her squeaks. quobuz: "epic, restless, and demanding." very theatrical - these songs could almost be in a musical this is the kind of album where you will notice something new with each listen. there is a lot to uncover. bone sharp china tea cup *the milk eyed-mender - joanna newsom's debut the album cover fucking rocks. its so medieval, but also bohemian, and royal? some fun facts about her: she is married to andy sandberg she is the second cousin twice removed of gavin newsom, governer of california she attended a waldorf school - where she learned to memorize and recite long poems two influences of her lyrics are ernest hemingway and vladimir nabokov she lives in moorcrest estate - formerly rented by charlie chaplin loved this and must relisten at some point - need to follow along to catch these lyrics. her music is not on spotify :(

Nepotism never sounded so good, I love this album.

What an interesting album.

I’m so conflicted on this one! Someone here said she sings like Wish.com Bjork and now I can't unsee/unhear it. After spending more time listening, I still hear Bjork, but also some Tori Amos, Jewel, Paula Cole and even Kate Bush influences. On the other hand, the instrumentation, especially the harp, and orchestration is ethereal and hauntingly beautiful. I didn’t know Progressive Folk was a genre, but as a fan of prog rock I am going to have to go deeper. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I started doing the 1001 albums listening project! Not at all a type of music or artist I would choose on my own, and challenges me on what I would consider “good,” but something about it just grabs me and makes me want to listen more… 4⭐️

Magical, Modern Minstrel

dramatic, singular, music far from the beaten track, with splendid orchestrations

Étonnement, cette voix atypique et les arrangement de harpe ça m’a convaincu alors que ça ne partait pas dans cette direction !

Wow, this was something...different. Her voice reminded me of Melanie and Björk, and the orchestration of the songs really stood out too**—how beautiful this is. It takes time to digest, and surely it's not a record I would play every day, but I can truly appreciate the fragility, tenderness,** and the uniqueness of this album, both lyrically and musically. Hard to rate this album, but I'm glad I came across it, since I'd never heard of her, and for all the haters I'll rate it even one star more. 4/5

Quite unlike anything I've heard. It feels influenced by bjork, kate bush, Fiona apple and so many more. Really interesting and unique

I really liked this - somehow I missed the hype around this growing up, even though it would have been on my radar. Really nice song writing, although at times maybe a little too quirky for my tastes now. 18 year old me would have loved this had I properly listened to it at the time.

There's a lot of pedigree to Joanna Newsom - singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, and harpist. She's apparently known for a very idiosyncratic sound that is often labelled "progressive folk". Though after listening to her breakthrough record Ys, I feel that the categorization doesn't quite do justice to her. This record consists of five sprawling, epic song compositions, rife with opulent orchestration and otherworldly poetic prose that feels inspired by English and Celtic fables. The instrumentation plays a key part in matching the dramatic swell of the writing, as Newsom sang in a manner that reminded me a bit of Björk with more warmth and roundness in her vocal timbre. It's wild that this was the material that got captured for this album, given the personnel Joanna had - noise rock veterans Steve Albini and Jim O'Rourke on the recording and mixing, and renowned producer Van Dyke Parks, who's worked with the likes of the Beach Boys, Randy Newman, and Harry Nilsson. I never thought these ornate, multi-phase arrangements would be in any of their wheelhouse. And yet... I don't know, for some reason, I can't help but feel like Ys isn't fully clicking for me. For sure, this is a pleasant record to listen to, with a near-cinematic presentation, as Joanna utilized fantastical imagery to illustrate the strife to overcome. "Monkey and Bear" tells the story of unburdening oneself from physical trauma endured from a partner. "Sawdust and Diamonds" deals with the loss of a child and how to process the grief from such a tragedy. For a good chunk of this album, the image of "the river" serves as the source of all negative emotions that can overwhelm those drawn to it, with the in-narrative characters trying to avoid its lure. There's some self-healing going on through this record that Joanna certainly takes to task with more strident tones. I feel like this sort of messaging could have come across more effectively if the lyrics weren't so meandering with overindulgence in the pastoral imagery. Still, I consider Ys to be a good record, showcasing Joanna Newsom as a rather creative force who can spin yarn into gold.

One of those records that everyone fawned over when it came out. I didn't get it at all. Then a couple years later I sat down and listened to it in a focused way to see if I could understand why, and yes, it is actually amazing. Probably not something you casually throw on to listen to, and I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again, but definitely a great album.

I liked it and yet when each song finished I let out a sigh of thank god that’s finished. Hard one to mark, it’s not a one but could definitely be anything from a 2 to a 5.

I almost didn't listen because this album wasn't on any of my convenient apps. I'm very glad I ended up looking for it. This is much more unique than 90% of the albums here and was really refreshing after the slog of britpop. This did come in right next to The Sugarcubes album and honestly, comparing this against Bjork does hurt it a little. Plus, she was doing it at least a decade prior. Although, I do take issue with the overall rating of this album. You're free to rate however you feel fit, but I think people just rate albums based on if it's their favorite or not. A lot of really unique and well constructed albums have low scores simply because people don't like the genre. I'd also be really curious to get demographics of the people on this site. If I had to guess I would say it's mostly middle class, middle aged, white men.

Joanne Newsom stands out as a highlight from this generation of folk musician. A worthy successor to Joan and Joni.

with all my bellies as fiery engines, repugnant skins twirling and tensing a rotten stitch, burns as its christening horns emerge bleeding, the conception of a sin making its way from me

Newsom's voice immediately stood out to me. While I'm not totally into the tone of her voice, her dynamics and melodies are amazing. I love the build-up parts where the orchestra swells, then dies down to reveal the acoustic guitar. I might look more into this side of folk. Favorite songs: Emily, Sawdust and Diamonds.

It was my first time listening to Joanna Newsom, and it won't be my last. Really fantastic and unique sounds, both in instrumentation and vocals. Ignoring the timeline of releases, I'll instead cite comparisons to music I was already familiar with. I immediately felt a connection with Newsom's musical style, feeling similarities in structure, not style, to the likes of Lisa O'Neill or Junior Brother. Yes, I'm aware that I'm picking artists known for their unique and distinct voice, but it's more about how they form fragmented, sometimes staccato and polyrhythmic melodies around their mad-sounding vocals. I also see similarities to Kate Bush and Fiona Apple. Strong lyricism and free-flowing melodies that again seem to form around the vocals, rather than driving them. The entire album structure is a huge gamble too. With only 5 songs, ranging in duration from 7 to 17 minutes, it sounds like it'll require effort to get through. But it doesn't. It's immensely easy to sit through, very enjoyable, and keeps me on my toes the entire way through. Newsom's voice juxtaposed with the beautiful harp and orchestration is a perfect blend. Deserves a 4.5 star rating.

Really good

I hated this at first but once you get used to her voice this album is pleasant and calming.

++: Emily, Monkey & Bear, Cosmia +: Sawdust & Diamonds, Only Skin 7,9/10

Thought this one was interesting! Very lyrical story telling. Wish we could give half stars but I’ll round up.

I liked this whimsical little album. Her vocal tone bordered on being too nasal for me, but it does fit the music really well so I can let it slide. I loved the instrumentation and especially the harp - so ethereal. This felt like a fairy tale. Bonus points because Joanna Newsom is married to Andy Samberg and I love that for them. 8/10.

big fan of the words she's saying, whatever they mean.

Weird but good

I think you just have to give into the music for this one. These tracks are long, beautiful, repetitive, lyrical, slightly frustrating etc. but on the other side I found myself having a positive experience, and I’m sure the lyrics are very poetical but I don’t think I’m going to do a deep dive tbh. Skin was a little too long even for this album but I enjoyed all the rest and Sawdust and Diamonds made me feel emotional so thats something as well. 4/5

One of the side effects of having to resort to YouTube to hear the day's album is happening upon a comments section made up of those who are listening of their own free will, rather than at the behest of an almighty album-generating overlord. The comments section for 'Ys' is full of people who *really* like it, often in a 'this record changed my life' kinda way. Listening to it for the first time, I think I get why it could be that sort of album for some people. It's kind of beguiling (in the way that harps and strings often can be, when used well), and its unwieldy scope and structure also help give it a sense of otherworldliness - of something new and different, maybe containing wisdom from beyond this realm? It's unique enough to certainly be a valid candidate for a list of must-hear albums, whether you enjoy the music or not. Me? This kind of stuff is often up my street, and there are times where I can definitely feel the magic. I wasn't entranced the whole time, but I didn't get bored either, despite the song lengths, which feels like a success. There's still a lot more to unpack, both musically and lyrically, and maybe at some point I'll dedicate the time to doing that. Frankly, I doubt I'll reach the same level of worship found in the YouTube comments section... but then again I might, so I want to hedge my bets, just in case.

Spotify did not have this one. I worked around it and listened to some of her other songs. I also listened to other artists’ renditions of her songs. What a great surprise!

So this album got selected the same day I was having a family party, so it was impossible for me to make time and listen to it. So I decided to listen to it the following day. The thing is, the next day, I had a 12 hour car trip, so I initially though it would be a geat opportunity to give this record all the time of the world and come with a review the same date. Unfortunately, this album is so quite, that I couldn't understand anything with how loud the car was. Had to postpone the review again... After 3 days, I finally had time to listen to the album and boy I was surprised. This album is beautfiful and weird, and it's all due to the singing style, which is the main trait of the whole project. Joanna Newsom vocals are very special. It reminded me a lot to Björk. Very striking and very satisfying to listen to, specially when she hits some of the chord progressions. Another thing about it is that her lyrics are worth reading, as they paint some wonderful scenes. But this this not only Joannas' voice and lyrics works. The orchestra that backs her up is also quite wonderful. In conclusion, this is a very interesting, wonderful and unique record, with its only problem being the how long the songs are. If it was bit shorter, it could be 5 stars, but for now, I have to leave it at 4.

“Am I hearing noise from the hull, Seven days out to sea”. I mean, c’mon, how can you not love that. This music is crazy and wonderful and annoying and transporting and challenging and refreshing (and other stuff too, I’m sure). Not sure if it’s the harp or the lyrics or the heavy consonants emphatically enunciated at the end of most of the rhymes or the imagery it conjures or her ‘not-at-all-perfect-but-good-enough-because-you’re-all-we-have-left-after-the-plague-ripped-through-town’ voice or the harp (it’s the harp!) but I feel like a dirty peasant, piling muck and ignoring my flea bites, rueing the coming day because the tax collector is going to be in town and I blew all my coins on mead last night and I can’t pile this muck fast enough to get enough coins before tomorrow so I may have to go off into the woods to hide for a few days but there’s been a wolf around so that’s not great and my wife has been eyeing up the stable boy and I’m getting old and sports cars haven’t been invented yet, so a mid-life (I’m 25!) crisis looks more like mead and tears in my (hay) pillow after everyone else is asleep and that’s not getting rid of this existential feeling of dread that I’m meant for lore than this ‘muck-and-mead’ life I’m living - that’s how this music feels to me. So, yeah, 4/5

Once again, Mike expressed it so much better than I ever could. On this one, we totally agree.

It was really different to everything else. It reminded me of Aurora. It was nice to listen to, next time I might pay closer attention to the lyrics

This album made me disoriented. I’m tempted to give it a 2 star almost as much as a 4 star. I should give it three stars I suppose, but that is too average a score for this. Screw it, it’s creative and weird. Bonus point.

30 seconds in, I thought "'Ys? How about Ns?" Honestly though, after the first 10min I was wondering if this was going to play like the Barbie movie: pretty entertaining for the first 15 minutes as a unique concept but terribly overdone thereafter. However, I really enjoyed the pace and structure of this album - segment the record with 5 10min cohesive segments. I can only imagine the amount of time it would take to write and record this. Gotta listen to the Muppet Show Theme Music later. 4/5

New age-y harp music was not something I was expecting to have cross my ears as part of this project, and yet, here we are. Surprisingly enjoyable, but it started from a low bar I will see. If I could, I'd give this a 3.5 stars, but it was good enough to justify rounding up.

I first heard Joanna Newsome from the movie The Strangers. As soon as I heard Sprout and the Bean I had to look her up. Then Peach, Plum, Pear became an ear worm for me for a long time. Anyway never listened to this one before. Something about her sound pings my brain. A history of listening to folk music, musicals of the 1940s and 50s, music of the Guzheng or the Gayageum. It all keeps me along for this ride. I checked to see if the track lengths bothered me. They didn't. Gave it two full listens. The poetic lyrics painted slide shows of pictures in my mind.

Siempre he querido tener este disco en formato físico y nunca he podido encontrarlo. Transmite magia ya desde la portada, pero si lo escuchas con atención parece transportarte a otro lugar con esos arreglos orquestales tan barrocos. Además, el harpa es un instrumento tan especial que apuesto a que nunca has escuchado nada igual. 4'5/5

i fuck with this... laulava nainen kuuluu erittäin selvään boxiin. laulutyyli voidaan kategorioida helposti: en uskalla avata suuta tarpeex koska en oikeaasti ole hyvä laulaja mutta olisi taiteen kannalta parempi olla rohkea kuin tämmöinen inisijä... kursiivilaulaminen on valtavirran käyttämä terminologiaa eikä edes sovi tähän tilanteeseen. tosiaan se on aika suuri heikkous tässä ettästotas harmillista koksa tykkään muuten ja en yleensä tällaisesta (pretentious) musiikista tykkää... asenteeni on ilmeisesti sopiva tällä hetkellä tähän oikukkaaseen tyttöpaskaan. wowowoowaowoaowaooawo emily

Beautiful trip through a fairytale. I’ve been meaning to listen to her for a while so glad this was thrown in my path. Very hard to digest after a listen. I feel like I could say that after 5 listens. This is definitely one to listen to as a whole rather than throwing on a song every now and then. Rating: 4.5

As Andrew said, "I was waiting to get bored but never did." Each one of Joanna Newsom's songs on Ys go through a fantasy-esque quest, weaving intricate harp and orchestral lines with vivid and substantial lyrics.

Modernized Disney princess music with dense lyrics Highlights: Emily, Only Skin

Bjork goes to the Renaissance Faire. Only partially kidding. I honestly became distracted with the style of music (no chorus, no repeating lines, pure poetry to music) and the abstract orchestral backing. That is until I felt an urge to see what she was doing live… I visited the video below and saw her sitting solo with her harp and belting her unusual lyrics. It became clear that she is dripping with talent, she manages the harp expertly and creates some really impressive music, while belting out lyrics in strange, yet beautiful fashion. I was sucked into the whole thing. And then the crowd roars at the end and makes me realize that people saw something truly special there. This is not my type of music, but I am deeply appreciative of it. https://youtu.be/RS3Z_hU4GL4

I am very familiar with Joanna Newsom's work and didn't mind this album but would have to say l prefer ( and recommend) her album The Milk Eyed Mender

Ys please

Bjork-esque, I really enjoyed this album. The vocal harmonies and string arrangements gave it an otherworldly. ethereal feeling.

Schöne Harfe

This album is so dense it's impossible to truly rate it with just one listen. However, just on pure instinct, I think I enjoyed it. The musicianship and singing is on a virtuosic level. I also read Joanna played harp on the record, which is really cool. She is obviously extremely talented and I can't wait to dive into it again in the near future.

Score: 8/10 | Favorite Track: “Monkey & Bear” Joanna Newsom’s Ys is a poetic and sprawling experience that asks a lot from the listener but often gives back even more. With just five tracks, she crafts an emotional and mythic journey full of harp flourishes, dense lyricism, and orchestral swells that make the album feel like a blend of ancient folklore and raw personal memory. “Emily” opens the album with an ambitious mix of astronomy, sisterhood, and grief, while “Sawdust & Diamonds” strips everything down to harp and voice for one of the most intimate and emotionally exposed moments on the record. The closer “Cosmia” floats somewhere between sorrow and acceptance, giving the album a sense of closure without tying it up too neatly. My personal highlight is “Monkey & Bear,” which blends theatrical storytelling with eerie metaphors in a way that feels both whimsical and deeply unsettling. It captures so much of what makes Newsom special: the ability to make fables feel emotional and strange but still human at the core. If there’s a weak spot for me, it’s “Only Skin,” which, despite some incredible lines and musical moments, occasionally loses focus under its massive runtime. Still, Ys is clearly one of those rare albums that you sit with, return to, and find new meaning in each time. It may not be an easy listen, but it is a memorable and rewarding one.

Lush orchestrations and a interesting voice. Some moments were a little sleepy but overall this was a memorable album. 3.7/5 -> 4/5

I levitated

So mystical, I love the way the instruments are used and the cretive shape it have

It wasnt on Spotify. But luckily I heard it when it came out. Good one even if I like her first album better.

On a rainy Thursday in June, I was in exactly the right mood to listen to a mystical harp-playing fairy. Joanna Newsom writes beautiful poetry, dense with allusion and evocative imagery. Sometimes her lyrics are painfully poignant. It’s not on this album, but I think of her song Sadie, about the death of her childhood dog. On Ys she touches on some intense pain and it was kind of overwhelming. I focused on the lovely medieval-sounding folk music and it was a very nice soundtrack to a sleepy work from home day.

Peculiar and gorgeous. I'm not sure if I'm smart enough to truly get into it but I do like what I hear

Too verbose but cosmia is great

Dang. This one's different. In more ways than one I guess. Like of course she herself is very unique. But more so I feel this one's different in that I reeeally wasn't into it haha, like her voice is like nails on a chalkboard, but at the same time, damn, this is an incredible album. She's good-weird like Kate Bush, but further, like zero regard for being marketable or the least bit poppy. Which I really admire. She's wholly singular. The music is so beautiful. God how I wish someone else was singing 😂. I'm not really sure how to rate this. She locked mad respect immediately but I never want to listen to this album again lol. Goin 4

I really like this album, but I still can't help but feel like it is missing something, something to break up the storytelling and novel's worth of words. I will revisit it and the rest of her work, but I have a hard time giving it a 5 right now, though I could maybe give it a 4.5 if that was possible.

The voice reminds of Björk. The orchestral production is close to unbeatable.

The reviews for this album on this site are insane - a 2.89 average? This album is stunning. I still really enjoy her debut album, but the songwriting and lyricism on Ys is such a step above. It’s a shame this is her only album on the list (if have put Have One On Me above Ys), but I’m glad people are getting a taste for one of the most brilliant artists of our generation. It still melts my head when I remember she’s married to Andy Samberg.

I feel like a lot people don't understand this album. This is the woman who wrote The Muppets soundtrack. The woman who's married to Andy Samberg. She's that woman. Do you see now?

really enjoyed this one

Незвичний формат, і в цілому цікавий альбом. Але я не прихильник подібної техніки виконання, тому 4

Я багато чув про цей класичний альбом раніше, але якось він завжди проскакував повз, і я чомусь ніколи не мав нагоди послухати його як слід. Це не той альбом який можна слухати фоном, або використовувати в якості акомпанементу до інших побутових активностей. Адже це, в першу чергу наративна робота, що розповідає нам «епічні» історії в дусі сюрреалістичних дитячих казок. Чому епічних? Ну по-перше, кожен трек тут триває щонайменше 9 хвилин, тож історія встигає «розкачатися» та вийти на свій «емоційний пік», немов гарний фільм, що триває близько 3 годин, або навіть більше. Між іншим, помічали, що дуже багато найкращих стрічок ever, тривають саме так довго? У випадку цього альбому це також працює, та перетворює його на «кінематографічний епік». А по друге, це ж звісно сама музика. Струнні та і загалом усі оркестрові аранжування на цьому альбомі є одними з найкращих, що я коли небуть чув. Вони виконані у своєрідній нео-бароковій стилістиці та підкреслюють настрій - часом підкреслюють тривожність, а часом навпаки дарують спокій. Проте до цього є одне зауваження - часом це відбувається доволі різко, і це трохи фруструє, бо я все ж є прихільником більш мʼяких та плавних переходів. Тим паче, враховуючи тривалість - часу для цього було вдосталь. Але не дивлячись на це - альбом дуже і дуже сподобався, а після прослуховування залишилось враження, ніби подивився «Початок» Нолана вперше. Це дійсно сучасна класика фолку, яку легко можна порівняти із кращими роботами Боба Ділана.

Maximum respect for keeping your work off Spotify Joanna, but nothing quite takes you out of the beauty of this album like countless YouTube adverts for some sort of accounting software (FAO the lads at YouTube, the day I need to engage in accounting software is the day that capitalism finally collapses in on itself). Anyhoo, I hadn't listened to this for ages, and I'm glad I did because it's absolutely lovely. Really fascinating instrumentation and choices of instruments, backed by JN's lovely vocals. It's got a real richness and depth to it, and I'd be keen to get this on record. If only to stop the software adverts.

I initially found this pretty off-putting the way that some Bjork and also some Joni Mitchell turns me off - rambly half-sensical poetry over rambly go-nowhere melodies, among some other hang ups... but this intrigued me in a weird way and I wanted to listen again. I felt sort of like "I didn't like that exactly, but I couldn't explain why so let me listen again" and by the end of the second listen I was kinda hooked. This is totally weird and whacky and quite unique, wonderful in its own weird whacky unique way. I would absolutely listen to this one again. This record was a big surprise for me both because I had never heard of it before and also because I was surprised at myself for liking it. .

Didn't know how to feel about this album at first, but it really grew on me as I listened. I'd never listened to Joanna Newsom before, and she's definitely not for everyone, but I came to really love this. There was something beautiful yet sad about it, which I adored. "Emily" and "Only Skin" were stunning, and "Cosmia" made a big impression on me as I recently lost my mom, and I could feel her loss and grief of her friend in the lyrics. Didn't care much for "Monkey & Bear," but even then there was a certain charm to not. I wouldn't be surprised if this album continued to grow on me the more time I spend with it. I find the albums from the 2000s to be very hit or miss on this list, but Ys definitely deserves its place here.

I listened to this is a dark room with headphones and it sucked me in. The detail in the scoring, the asynchronous rhythms and her ethereal voice all painted an incredible soundscape that i got lost in. Plus the strings, the brass and the lyrics were great. I want more of this please

Usually hate her voice, but think it fits here. Lovely orchestration! 4.5 stars

Great if you live Bjork, harps, Setters of Catan, and the lyrics of Yes

Целые эпические поэмы. Мне понравилось. И мяукающий голос и хитрые аранжировки. Обложка почти хороша, если бы сделать чуть менее мультяшной.

I remember when this came out and was getting rave reviews, and I just could not get into it or even understand the appeal at all. Revisiting now, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's complex but unfortunately not so listenable, and her voice can be really grating.

Amazing vocals and instrumental. Not sure what the overarching story was about...