Ys

Joni Mitchell but I feel nothing listening to it

2/10

The background instrumentation is nice, but the songs seem to carry on way past a good length; and her voice is too distracting to appreciate the rest of the album.

Es muy raro porque suena casi medieval. No estaba en spotify

Kind of repetitive but also I love the instrumentation. However, I do find Joanna's voice somewhat annoying and the length of the songs in this album do not help it at all. It's an album I'd like to enjoy, because on paper there's a lot of really good things in it, but experiencing it I was overwhelmed and tired by the end of it.

This didn’t do much for me. I can appreciate Joanna’s voice, her skill at and pianist and her harp playing. However that doesn’t mean I want to revisit this any time soon.

Vast, proggy, and unique. It’s a bit all over the place at times, but you can’t deny the ambition.

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

the hell

I don't know what this is but I'm giving it a 2. And I cannot explain it but feel if I listened to it 10 more times I'd give it a 5.

* Don't listen to this album on max volume, your ears will thank you. Jump scared by the screeches. * I do really like the harp, but this feels nonsensical- like an endless fever dream stream of consciousness. * I feel like I'm eating colored marshmallows? *** returning a few hours post-listen... This album altered my brain. What kind of chaotic demonic witchcraft is this?! -1 star ***

For this to be on the list is just taking the mick. Awful vocals. Like a baby doing a Bjork impression. And when the voice is such a focal point of the production, it’s a crime to recognise something this terrible.

Oh dear. Not everything Steve Albini touches turns to gold. With his attention to detail he made Newsom's sister sound like a childish version of Bjork. The adult version is annoying enough. The vocals were so bad. They took my attention away from the harp playing. I honestly could not tell you what that sounded like or if it was any good thanks to her sister's warblings. I'm not going to listen to it again to find out either.

Fing gut an aber ging mir dann doch nach 3-4min auf den Sack. Stimme zu quietschig und die Songs waren mir zu chaotisch.....

Interessant - auf gute und schlechte Weise

Ich finds chillig cool, mal was anderes definitiv.

The fuck is this?!

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

Not available on Spotify

Découverte de l'artiste. Un album cohérent et tournant autour d'un thème central. Les instrus orientées acoustique et médiéval ne sont pas de mon style mais j'apprécie tout de même la belle voix maîtrisée de Joanna.

I like the idea behind this album, but I'm not so fond of the sound. Decent, but far from great.

A year ago I was going through the top 500 albums on RYM (while skipping the ones that were on this list) and I got to the two hour long Joanna Newsom album and despised it. I can see that her work has value and there are some good moments, but MY GOD she needs to trim some of her work down. This just sounds very stream of conscious and every song is just 20 minutes of a pretty guitar loop that sporadically speeds up and slows down while she sings the first thing that comes to her mind. if each song was condensed to 3 or 4 minutes I would probably give this a 4, because there are some really good moments, but as is, the songs don't warrant a double digit runtime. The only enjoyment I really got out of this, is that she kinda sounds like Bjork at some moments. Low 3 (very generous; I can see why people like this, but it is NOT for me).

De hele tijd zat ik te denken: houd je mond, ik wil de muziek horen!

Ik ben er nog niet helemaal over uit, daarvoor moet ik het album eigenlijk nog vier keer luisteren. Het vergt wel wat inspanning dus vier keer is wel wat veel op één dag. Ja, haar stem is irritant, dit kan een directe no go voor veel luisteraars zijn waardoor je niks anders meer kan horen. Voor mij zit ze op de grens waar ze ook regelmatig overheen gaat. Mijn tolerantie voor deze stem zal ook wel per dag of moment van de dag verschillen. Qua stembeheersing vind ik het wel dynamisch en gecontroleerd. Een gepolijste stem zal misschien te weinig contrast geven met de muziek en dat dit contrast goed werkt voor veel mensen. Zang icm met harp en muziek(arrangementen) reageren sterk op elkaar woordoor het voelt als een interactie met veel dynamiek. Muzikaal is het best wel interessant, soort barok met folk. De teksten zijn erg poëtisch en worden ook door haar stemgeluid soort voorgedragen. Hierdoor komt het bij mij wat geforceerd en pretentieus over. Zou er meer in moeten duiken qua teksten. Ik voel de haters en de lovers.

Dit is tot nu toe het domste album dat ik uit de lijst heb gehoord. Het klinkt als een middeleeuws Disney-sprookje, en hoewel ik kan begrijpen dat sommige mensen die vibe waarderen, snap ik niet waarom ze ervoor kiest om het hele album zo’n kinderachtig, overdreven opgezet stemmetje te gebruiken. Ze zou gewoon normaal moeten zingen. En als ze dan zingt, houdt ze ook niet meer op. Het gaat maar door en door, het is verschrikkelijk. Dit album past goed bij de albums die ik moet luisteren nadat ik dood ben, dan mag ‘ t wat mij betreft op repeat.

I actually really enjoyed it. Weird, but pretty. Sounds like what Ents listen to

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.

Sounds like listening to a fairy tale. Very folky music, of course, coming from Joanna. Her voice can be a bit grating at times, but it's also magical in a way. The strum of the acoustic guitar behind her adds some beauty. The music is very calm and gentle. It's pretty good, but not something I'd revisit regularly.

Me sonó a Bjork, más folk. El problema es que no está en Spotify. No pasa nada, not my kind

7.5 / 10

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

When to listen: missing collegium, wanting to impress a date, to fulfill my passion for harpsichord music. This is a weird album. It's a conceptual album. I really liked the last piece, Cosmia. But not an easy listen and I understand the criticism, especially of her crunchy vocal style

It was ok but I am marking it down as it was struggle to find it

Interesting at first but it gets tedious real fast. And that has everything to do with her voice and vocal delivery because the composition and instrumentals are really gorgeous. Would definitely listen to this more often if it wasn’t for the singing. Very unfortunate

Ambitious record, but a tough listen for me. Obviously a great talent in harp and songwriting and composition. Her voice made the whole thing just too hard to listen to. I respect the effort and how unique this sound is, but it doesn’t work for me.

Sweet sort of Kate Bush-reminiscent songs that sometimes go on a touch too long

"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.

Sweet and Tragic. Orchestral type if music with incredible vocals. NOT ON SPOTIFY! Buuuu isssss fiiine. Enjoyed it.

I hate singers who sing strangely to stand out. Or perhaps there's something wrong with her?

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.

Min vater hett das früehner echt gern glost. Hans ehrlicherwiis nd nomal glost bin zu fuul gsi uf yt gah vo dem her isch mis rating nur erinnerig an wie ichs damals gfunde han

This artist has a unique sound. Quite folky and with lots of harp (she's a harpist). Her voice is not my favourite type of voice but I guess she uses it well to create a signature sound. The tracks blended together for me, all sounding very similar. Perhaps the lyrics are good but I was not listening closely enough to be honest. I like artists who can manage a distinctive sound in this day and age. I'll listen again.

To be honest, I couldn’t make heads or tails of this. I vaguely know the name Joanna Newsom, and seeing that Van Dyke Parks was involved in this project made me eager to try it. Parks wrote many Beach Boys lyrics; lines that lack concrete meaning but paint vivid pictures in the listener’s mind. “Over and over, the crow cries, uncover the cornfield” is one great example. These lyrics just didn’t have the same effect on me. The album felt unbelievably wordy, with the melodies taking a back seat to accommodate the dense writing. Maybe it will improve with repeated listens, or maybe I’ll eventually decide it’s dreadful. For now, it’s a confused three stars.

ех занадто шрсь ну нізна тіко початок а вже не дуже голос мееее

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 😂

The orchestration on this is absolutely gorgeous, but the vocal styles and song structures meandered a bit too recklessly for me.

Boring as hell. Maybe beautiful too, but too boring to see it

I would really give it a 3 1/2 voice isn’t beautiful i js think 20 min of the same thing idkkk

Not really a fan of this. Felt like someone had recorded their friend that wasn't very talented but then sold the cd on ebay as a way to convince them that they were good.

I can see its merit, and I understand why people would like it. It's just not really my thing.

This album was not available on spotify, so I listened to a critique of it and heard clips. Definitely not my style of music, but kudos for the enchanting lyrics and dreamlike music.

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

Yeah this is quite the concept. Renaissance/baroque pop. Wildly medevil. Did I hear a fucking lute? I won't disparage my fellow man for enjoying music like this. I used to LARP in the woods through my late teens. But thematically these songs are far too long, far too complicated and wordy to enjoy outright. And even in the right mindset this is a devious ablum to listen to before you die because it really tests you how much high pitched kermit the frog vocals you can handle. Melodies and instrumentations were cool. But beyond that I don't think this is as important as this list may make it out to be. IMO of course.

The Björk for Middle-Earth

If you ever wondered what Bjork and Tori Amos would sound like if they got in a head-on collision, this is the album for you.

I really wish I liked this. People rave about her lyrics, but I found her voice grating and it wasn’t easy to make out the words. Her melodies are often similar and there’s a lack of dynamic range. Sorry, Andy. Quaid army.

I listened to this as background music when I was reading and that was probably a good choice. Otherwise I didn't think I would have liked it at all.

Woah, like nothing I've ever heard before. She's clearly a genius. Didn't enjoy it all the way through but full marks for originality! Miles better than fucking Pink Floyd anyway.

Da Goooooat

This kind of just went on in the background for me, although it was totally fine and I appreciated all of it. I think. Seems like a remarkable achievement but someone other than me should probably give the remarks.

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.

OK.

Gives you a lot to unpack while also feeling like a project that just blurs right by. I think it’s best to treat this album as one long song. Newsom shows a penchant for writing great vocal melodies but often stuffs those melodies under instrumentation thats doing too much. She can’t beat the sounds like Björk allegations, but that was kinda just a style cropping up around this time so I’m not gonna fault her too much. The best parts of this record are the obvious ones - the baroque and medieval instrumentation that create a very specific set & setting. There are moments where Joanna Newsom matches the instrumentation with a whimsical vocal run, or a melancholy story. I just wish it all was a bit more refined, I wish for a few more cogent moments. I feel involved in the world of this album, but sometimes a little lost in it. This is wildly cool art though, and all the people bitching in the reviews for this one dont make sense to me. I’ll take “Sawdust and Diamonds” as my favorite song, 3/5

My first impressions were the "little girl who inhaled too much helium" vocals and the assault of words, too many rambling and random words. The harp was nice, but the music was barely there, mainly just plinks and plonks and the odd orchestral bit. I did warm to it a little by the end, once I gave up on trying to make any sense of the strange noises being sung. Three stars.

Interesting album. Would make for interesting background music.

This was an interesting one for sure. There were parts of it that I genuinely liked. The really strong orchestral parts were probably the best parts for me. But then there were long stretches that were just terrible. She has an interesting and unique voice that I thought was fitting, but overall this wasn’t great. There were parts I would give a high 3 to but there were too many 1 and 2 star parts.

I started to wonder if these five songs would have been more tolerable if each one was a quarter of the length that they currently are? …and then it hit me. What if the album started as one long song and THIS was the attempt to break them up?!?! 55 minutes of peacefully orchestrated music filled with flutes and a number of stringed instruments including a harp at the front and center of the arrangement. The vocals flow well with the slow soothing beats but by the 7 minute mark if any of these tunes, it grows extremely tiresome. I don’t know how someone can sing a 12+ minute song and I can’t fathom how someone can be expected to listen to one. The quality of the music was good, but this was just too much to digest based on the length of the songs.

Björk: I will write the most obscure, unlistenable songs and screech my way through them, singing off-key just enough to fool people into thinking it’s some sort of artistic choice and no one will be able to doubt I am the quirkiest, most annoying singer at work today. Joanna Newsom: Hold my kombucha.

This is an instance where you can indeed judge a book (record) by it's cover. I soon as I saw the cover I was pretty sure what was coming...and sure enough I got exactly what I expected. I tend to like quirky voices, and I did like Joanna's voice. Her voice lent a nice contrast to the orchestral music on the album. Gave it a bit of texture. Nice overall, but she gave us one song. She can pretend there are five tracks but it's one song. I'd be good with five minutes of this, nearly an hour was rough.

She's married to Andy Samberg?? Da heck? Pretty annoying voice and affectations. Some nice instrumentation. I'd rather listen to Dick in a Box. You know what, 10 minutes into this first track I must be getting a bit of Stockholm Syndrome. There's some cool shit going on, but jesus christ her voice grates

Surprising (or not I guess, I'm 700+ into this nonsense now) amount of hate here. Yes, I 100% agree that Bjork did this better, but it's hardly terrible. Did it change the face of music forever - well, no, it did not. Was it an interesting effort from a talented musician that was very different to anything else in the mid-00s? Yes it was.

I couldn't get into this at all. Found it rather grating. Will not return.

This is a swirling maelstrom of quirk, with elements of other 1,001 faves Björk, Kate Bush, and Tori Amos that I find both off-putting and weirdly entrancing. I suspect live is the best way to experience this (particularly the shows she did with full orchestras). Recorded, it struck me as gratingly quirky for most of it, but I grew more tolerant as it progressed. Maybe it was Stockholm Syndrome. I appreciate it as a singular artistic achievement—nothing else sounds like Ys, that's for sure—but I won't be coming back. Rounding up to 3 for artistic merit.

Not on Spotify so tricky to listen to

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

I couldn't stand more than a few minutes of her voice, not for me

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

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.

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

One of the great scenes in Ted is when he's singing karaoke to some dreadful 90's song and he makes the point that there was a certain style of male singing in the 90's and it was all the same. A few years ago, when my mind was set adrift on memories bliss of songs recorded in the great Alberts era, I had a thought that Stevie W, Bon and JPY all having a similar intonation, doubtless informed by George Young and Harry Vanda. An interesting pop music phenomena, la di da, la di da, la di do. So where am I going with this? Bjork. She has a lot to answer for. She set off a particular style of singing which is not only as resilient as a One Nation voter's racism, but as omnipotent as any number of so called sky pilots. I do like discovering new artists in this death cycle, and having never heard of Ms J. Newsom I was looking forward to a nice listen. Fuck me. I mean, that fucking voice, how many times do I have to hear that style of singing. Is it some kind of Synecdoche New York kind of project, where Bjork is endlessly releasing new female artists, trained to sing in that voice? This is just dreadful, dreadful, so dreadful I don't know what to say. The lyrics, whatever the music was supposed to be doing, fuck a duck awful. And yet...I snuck a peep into the Youtube comments...man am I out of touch with the Bjork led zeitgeist! Meeeeeah....oooeeee....ahhhnnn..meeah..

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

I can see why the album would be easy to pass on, but as I was able to get in to it there really are some excellent parts. And its definitely different, which is part of the point of this list.

Liian eksentrisesti esitettyä folkkia omaan makuun.

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.

I think her singing is a bit on the strange side. Sometimes she reminds me of Björk. I liked her harp playing more though. Cosmia is a great song!

I liked it but it was weird. Unlike anything I've ever listened to before.

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

Odd, twee, self-indulgent. But it’s refreshingly *different.* And absorbing, too.

Hey so what the fuck is this voice

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.

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.

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

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

Kys

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.

Intellectually interesting. It makes sense that Steve Albini recorded this. For me it’s just too wordy. I can’t consume that many words at once.

Not available on streaming.

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

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

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!

This one was weird. It’s very chaotic and has harps? Her high voice and her wild cadence remind me of Tori Amos or maybe Bjork. Her ear for rhyme and unconventional lyrics was a welcome surprise. Who talks about the difference among meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids in a song? Did I find it interesting? Yes, and I would go see her live. Did I enjoy it? I’m not sure, but I’m glad I was exposed to it.

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

Quite unique and interesting but not as good as strange. Her voice is hmmm, divisive.

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 get the concept and the instrumentals are beautiful but I don't like her timbre

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

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

9/10

8/10 Favorite: Only Skin

Somewhat tedious whisking. Didn’t enjoy

Giving Bjork amongst others

I absolutely hated this. Musically it’s ok... …but her voice is horrible. The way she pronounces and phrases things, (like a Temu Bjork) just reminded me of those reels mocking indie singers. That aside, this is pretentious and annoying. Absolutely unbearable. This is all about opinions, and this happily goes quickly and forcefully into the 1s.

Rätt coolt!

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

Skön stil.

Some moments were genuinely enjoyable as a casual listening experience, but I cannot tell you which tracks it was since this album is not on Spotify and I listened in one straight shot from a video on YouTube. The background harp and accompanying music is beautiful, but the Bjork vocals ranged from "tolerable" to "chuckle worthy".

Art harp music I guess? Random word generator spat out lyrics to haphazardly spray over chords

Has a nice sound, really enjoyed the slow build of only skin but the album is make up of a small amount of quite long songs so it can feel like it drags on a bit

I very much hated her voice at the beginning, then the music kind of grew on me around the middle, then sometimes I found myself enjoying her voice (but also still hating it at times). I don't think I'm going to start embracing NPR-core, but I guess I can say this was a pleasant surprise.

Must listen? Only for a masochist. 0 stars needs to be an option.

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

The harp is cool but not a fan of her voice at all.

Ok pleasant

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

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

Ys.

I know people who love this album but man is it ever not for me, maybe one of the most exhausting albums I've ever heard. All the songs seem to just go on forever and her voice is just nails on a chalkboard.

I really try to separate her atrocious, seemingly willfully abrasive voice from the music but I just cannot. Pure torture

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.

I *get* it, but I don’t like it. This was a tough listen. Someone else said Bjork from wish.com, which is apt. Give me Fleet Foxes instead. If that makes me an uncultured normie so be it. 2.

Clearly a Björk fan, beautiful arrangements 3 - deserves to be on this list

I really struggled with this one. Long meandering songs, and a ‘what if Bjork bough a harp?’ aesthetic.

A review on the Wikipedia article called this "meandering" and... Yeah. That's about right. Between the wailing vocals, the minimalist backing track, and the... Fanciful... songwriting, idk. Just isn't for me. Also this woman is Gavin Newsom's second cousin lol

Well. Yeah. So that happened. I don’t regret listening but I will not be returning. I felt like I was listening to a lilting minstrel as we traveled the back roads of medieval Kentucky. The orchestral additions were helpful because it added to the harp and her occasional vocal stretches beyond her range, but it also was distracting and felt over dramatic at times, like the phone book dropped into a disco song and returned only with the synthesized orchestra. I honestly didn’t realize that the first twelve minutes were the same song. Her harp work on Sawdust & Diamonds made up for her vocals, which wore on me by the end of the song. This is music for someone, just not me.

Random thoughts: * My old nemesis Joanna Newsom, we meet again. * I got this album based on a Paste Magazine recommendation as this was their best album of 2006. * I hated it then and I hate it still now. I only made it through because I was doing other things on my computer. * It did give me a chance to dig out "my baby"-my 80GB iPod Classic. Fun to get that out and dig through that archeological artifact. * However, I do think that the settings on it were for shuffle and repeat so Joanna Newsom just kept going on and on. I couldn't tell where anything began or ended. This might be a taste of what hell will be like for me. Me just continuing to listen to Joanna Newsom and me thinking this has to be over soon but it never ends.

Not for me again. I understand why people like this but I just can’t get past her voice. It is so dissonant from the ethereal and beautiful orchestration that it just doesn’t resonate with me. And she NEVER STOPS SINGING for more than five seconds so I can’t just vibe out to the music. I’d love to hear the orchestration alone to experience that.

I don't see a folk record ever being more intricate, whimsical, and epic than this one. Favorite track: Emily

utter shite, there's a reason it's not on Spotify.

Her voice really made me think of Bjork the whole time. The musical arrangements accompanying her singing were orchestral while also feeling like they belonged at a Ren Faire. Guess the album cover makes sense for that then.

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

schön, Stimme aber schwierig und hat seine Längen

Well, the album is not available on Spotify or Amazon music, but I was able to find a song by this lady. What it told me about her voice and style (and the folks she gets mixed with - e.g. Nick Drake) is that I would not like her party songs, no, no, I would not like them Sam I am.

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

This was interesting, but I can't say I really loved it. The first couple tracks were nice and melodic and very full-sounding with the strings and woodwinds and I found them pleasant to listen to. But by the time I got to the marathon tracks on the back half of the album, I was kind of tired of Newsom's voice (which reminded me quite a lot of Bjork), and the sparse quality of just like a guitar (or lute?) and vocals to the point where I was just ready for the album to be over long before it was. Overall there is a fair amount of musical merit here, but I just didn't find it very listenable. The way she squeaks when starting a word/syllable was kinda cool, but (I felt) overused and I grew tired of it. I'm hovering between two and three stars, but I think it's closer to three.

I was not into this one. I am sure others may see it differently

Jonie Mitchell vibes

The Joni Mitchell of the Renaissance Era.

Bleh. Daggers in my ears!

Not really my Jam, still ok.

Love the harp and vocals!

Was fine but wouldn’t race to listen to it again

Think I enjoyed the vibes although annoying to listen to on YouTube Emily my fave song

56 minutes. Fuck you.

Poetry set to renaissance tapestry. The first few minutes of each song are compelling but the repetition after minute 3 gets to be a burden. It’s certainly a creative and artistically styled album, but I wouldn’t call it good.

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.

Only got through 3 songs. Too much medieval harp for my taste.

Listening to this on YouTube with the ads between songs is the way she’d have wanted it experienced

It for me.

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.

J’apprécie l’effort, mais ça aurait très bien pu ne pas exister. Un music hall d’une wannabe Björk (encore elle?) des temps moyen-âgeux qui piaille une note trop haute sur la soundtrack des Sims 2, j’aurais TRÈS BIEN PU mourrir sans l’écouter au complet. Même mon telephone a compris, il est mort avant même d’entamer la deuxième chanson, sacrifice héroïque pour mon bien être mental.

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.

pleasant

was the woman on the cover forced to listen to this and is now about to slit her own throat with the scythe?

I struggle with this hippy hoopy harpy music

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.

Oh yay, today I get to listen to a new folk album from [checks notes] Andy Samberg's wife? Obviously not trying to reduce a talented musician down to who she's married to, but that fact was not something I expected to come across in my research today! People are probably being a bit too harsh on this one. It takes serious skill to write traditionally poetic music this long without being insanely repetitive and I think Joanna Newsom has a pretty good voice for this kind of folk music. I was impressed that a track like "Emily" was able to keep me engaged for as long as it did – it never felt like Newsom's tank was running out of gas. I can completely understand how a certain kind of listener would be completely enthralled by these 7-17 minute songs. At the same time, I think that length is a double-edged sword. If you're really feeling something, the party keeps going long after a typical pop (or folk) tune would have ended. If you're not, having to sit through it is going to be pretty excruciating. That said, the two I really latched on two were the first/last tracks ("Emily" and "Cosmia"). "Only Skin" had some movements I enjoyed as well, but I'd generally say the middle three weren't as effective on me. Can you see where I'm going with this? There's nothing inherently wrong with this album – Newsom's extensive song lengths, unique vocal style, classical instrumental palette and archaic lyrics are going to be just as much of a strength for a listener prone to enjoy this kind of folk as much as they are a weakness to someone who isn't. As an electronic music fan who has been slowly getting into acts like Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell and Pentangle thanks to this journey, Ys landed right in the middle for me. Three stars. Highlights: Emily, Cosmia

I don't know about this one. I'm all for singer songwriters, I like the harp sound I think she has an interesting voice. Something is keeping from getting into this one. It feels very one dimensional, the songs all blur. It meanders along with no real direction. Could it be because it's only 5 really long songs? Possibly. It's interesting I guess, but no, just no.

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.

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

Me gusto

If I wanted to torture someone, I would continuously play them this crap. How someone can listen to that “voice” is way beyond me

Album No. 0114 on my list. I’m afraid I don’t like this album unfortunately. I get why people like it: it’s folksy, indie-ish, avant Garde. I can appreciate it for these qualities. But unfortunately, this is not for me I guess. I don’t particularly like Joanna Newsom’s style of singing, the songs are too long and lack dynamic, and I sometimes music, singing and lyrics feel very out of touch. I’m sorry. I’ve tried hard to appreciate the avant Garde nature of this, but I failed I think. I even find it cool how prominent the harp is on this album m, which is really a rare thing. But that didn’t make up for the other drawbacks in my eyes. I tried really hard to like it because I’ve seen how much credit this has gotten, but it just didn’t work out. Hope others fare better than myself with this album. The album is not on Spotify, but I would have added “Emily” to my playlist. 1/5 stars.

Betty Boop does Bjork. She deserves more listenings, but I need to let the snark out first.

Mega ciekawy koncept, wyjątkowa muzyka. Still, nie jestem do końca pewien, co to tutaj robi. W sensie - to jest dobry krążek. Ale niektóre te albumy i wykonawcy to dla mnie kompletne no-name'y, a mam wrażenie, że jeśli wydali płyty za mojego życia i wskakują na taką listę, to przynajmniej powinienem był coś o nich słyszeć? Ktoś opisał jej głos jako niewyćwiczony i dziecinny (ale nie było w tym krytyki, było to użyte w dosyć naturalny, a nawet lekko pozytywny sposób) i jest w tym dużo prawdy. Cieszę się, że na to trafiłem, ale nie wiem, czy będę szczególnie wracał. Może kiedyś mnie najdzie na posłuchanie harfy.

Pleasant, and a toucb weird. Good overall though!

It was weird

It's interesting, but not really for me.

Pleasant.

Good skills from all involved but not really my thing

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

I struggled with her voice... I found that she was like a weird Bjork, Regina Spektor cross and it just wasn't for me... i also struggled with the length of some of the songs. I think if this album had been recorded by someone else I'd potentially have loved it...

The music was nice, but listening to the voice was one of the worst experiences I've ever had. Like nails on a chalkboard for 55 minutes straight. I can't put into words how annoyed I was listening to this. Really good musician but that voice gives the record an instant 1/5. I hope I never have to listen to her ever again. I'm so glad it's not on Spotify and doesn't touch my algorithm. Phew.

Tooo folky for me. If you have ten minute long songs there has to be interesting parts. This just sounded like her wailing for ten minutes.

Can't get past that voice.

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.

i assume this album must be an acquired taste, because the first two songs i found nearly unlistenable. I ended up acclimating to her vocals and coming around on the back half, but this was like listening to acoustic bjork to me, and the weird stumbling-down-the-stairs delivery rubs me the wrong way. Maybe the lyrics are particularly poetic? idk, I don't get it. 1.5

Many people in my life are regularly upset with me for not being able to get down with Joanna Newsom, but I cannot get past her voice. It makes me physically feel strained in the same way that spending much time with Joan Baez or Tori Amos does. This is worsened by my understanding that she intentionally leans into having this "unteachable" "self taught" sort of style. (FWIW, as a punk enjoyer, I also think it's silly for people to intentionally not learn about their instruments.) She's obviously a talented musician, but so much of this sounds to me like "probably nice on their own" strings with a vocal over the top that sounds like every take is doing vocal cord damage. Other people are presumably finding this all to be conveying an emotion, and I can believe that for them, but I'm going to continue leaving them to it. Maybe someday I'll successfully exit a conversation about it by saying "not for me, thanks!" without the other person telling me how rich her allegories and vocabulary are in a way that insists I'm not "getting" it rather than a difference of opinion...in this way, fans of Newsom I encounter are often surprisingly like fans of Tool, which is at least a bit funny. 1.5 rounding down since, as you can see, I'm cranky

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 sure someone finds this good. It's folksy and sounds like it's old school. In reality, it's terrible singing and songwriting paired with poor composition.

This can fuck off with a 17 minute song. Especially because the whole album is a snoozer.

I can appreciate the artistry. I had a copy of Milk-eyed Mender back when it was released, but hadn’t listened to this album yet. I’m no stranger to quirky singing, but this is one I’d need to come back to while in a specific mood to get the most from it.

#37 Budget tone-deaf Florence Welch from the 1700s

Honestly terrible. She can obviously sing but the songs just didn't flow and the lyrics were terrible.

Music for people who censor words like "drugs" and "suicide".

Weird art kid ass music

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.

Her voice almost sounds forced or fake. The instrumentation is great. I'm going with store brand Bjork.

At first, this one kind of pulled me in because it was so unique. I was getting a Battle of Evermore vibe, or like I accidentally put on an Elder Scrolls soundtrack. That novelty was cool for a minute, but it wore off pretty fast. I get the artistry, but I can also see why the harp peaked about 500 years ago. The syncopation between the vocals and the music felt off to me, and it made the whole thing harder to enjoy instead of more interesting.

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!

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

Maybe I'm not getting something here, but I can't see the appeal in this music at all.

What kind of horse shit is this anyway? The music was good, but was ruined by Joanna Newsom's terrible vocals.

The music underneath is fine. The childlike, erratic vocals are what make this album so shitty. It's really hard to take any of it seriously and I am upset I had to waste my time with it.

Interesting album. Sometimes the song didn't seem to fit the tempo of the music. Maybe I didn't get it.

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.

I couldn’t find this album in Spotify

I maybe liked one song, but I couldn't wait to listen to something else

It’s ok. I don’t like singers with that affectation in their voice. Other than that, it’s ok.

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

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.

Poetry set to music. One day is not nearly enough to really judge whether this is good or not. I’m certainly intrigued. The instrumentation is beautiful and there are some wonderful lines littered throughout. It’s heavy going. I feel the need to stop after each ‘song’. This has been on my listen list since it came out so it’s nice to finally give it a go, but it’s very demanding and I feel its secrets are still mostly locked away.

Heard of Joanna but it's my first time listening to her. Eh, I really don't really like her cursive singing, it's like nails on a chalkboard. She doesn't make Bjork level music to be singing like this. I'd enjoy the songs more with a different singer honestly 1/5

Yeah no lol just wasn't for me and I pretty much disliked everything about this album

I definitely see the talent here. I don't mind some slower paced music with a simple vocal line over some strings, but I wouldn't choose to listen to this again.

I actually quite enjoyed this. I don't find her voice to be bad. It's definitely interesting. Very repetitive. Lasts forever. But, honestly nothing bad about it. Not exactly my style of music, but worthy of a listen. Monkey & Bear was my favorite.

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

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

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.

Too theatrical for me

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⭐️

Interesting but not for me.

1/5

Sounds like Bjork trying to do a Joni album, and I mean that very unfavorably

Just a kerfuffle of sound. Did not enjoy.

Easy on the ears

Hard to find for me because I use Spotify most of the time. Album was good but then again not my type or music that I normally like to listen to.

Magical, Modern Minstrel

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

While the lyrics can be quite cleverly constructed, her voice tends to grate as the album progresses. Apart from the odd change in instrumentation, it all seems pretty much similar throughout and there's little respite from that squeaky voice of hers. Not an album I'd return to. Maybe her later albums remedy this one but I can't bring myself to bother searching for them.

Strange and a bit annoying voice. Lyrics are interesting.

It’s not that the music is bad, but it’s rather boring to listen to this unstructured medieval musical tale

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

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 didnt give a shit about this, it was like nothing.

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

305/1089 - Voice was very strange (in a bad way) and got worse throughout the songs. Quite a few squeaks, cracks and rasps which probably could have been rerecorded. Orchestra was alright with its focus on chamber instrumentation but every song sounded the same and dragged on and on (did Brahms write this?). I forgot to do several non-list recs so I'll do all of them now: For Newsom: The Campfire Headphase - Boards of Canada (2005) An interesting take on folktronica combining guitars with their signature strange tape machine sounds and beats. For Suede: Roman Candle - Elliott Smith (1994) Elliott Smith's debut. I honestly think he could've been a Beatle if he were born in Liverpool in the 40s For Sonic Youth: Ah Via Musicom - Eric Johnson (1990) Probably the best Eric Johnson album. He's a very unique virtuoso guitarist combining jazz and country rock (but that's not really sufficient to describe it) and this album has the signature "Cliff's of Dover." For Mudhoney: Wish - The Cure (1992) - The most solid Cure album in my opinion with the great "Friday I'm in Love" among many other solid alternative/goth rock songs.

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

Not my cup of tea. Reminded me of Yoko Ono, and not in a good way.

I was really not enjoying this album for the majority of it. It’s pretty in moments, but the lack of structure and high-pitched singing was getting on my nerves. But for some reason, the last song really came together to me. It still had some elements that were annoying me on earlier songs, but the harp riff at the beginning really drew me in, the lyrics were alluring, and I think I finally understood the appeal. I want to revisit this one later to see if it grows on me.

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.

I'd call it bucolic and whimsical, very nice, but not my jam on first listen

Meh

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.

Schon ganz nett, aber auch ziemlich eintönig. Mich würde interessieren, ob mir bei Spotify die Songwechsel aufgefallen wären, sie sind es bei YouTube jedenfalls nicht. Ein endlos langer immer gleicher Song.

Großes Potenzial zum Wachsen bei mehreren Durchgängen, nach 1x Hören erstmal eine starke 3.

Wurde ja schon einiges drüber geschrieben. Ich glaube, die Platte hat definitiv das Potential zu wachsen, wenn man sich mal an die Stimme sowie die doch recht ausufernden Songlängen gewöhnt hat. Bei ein paar Songs hatte ich auch mal kurz das Gefühl, den Vibe gerade zumindest etwas zu verstehen. Den Einfluss auf Artists wie Florence + the Machine ist auch definitiv nicht zu leugnen. Aber es bleibt insgesamt einfach nicht mein cup of tea.

Da bin ich raus.

Fand ich zum Start sehr interessant und cool, aber es zog sich sehr schnell sehr lang. Mit mehr Stilwechseln über die 5(?) Titel wärs bestimmt etwas hörbarer.

Wenn David Bowie eine 5 ist, ist das eine 2.

Es ist eigentlich gut, aber nach 10 Minuten schon auserzählt. Dann geht's aber noch 45 Minuten weiter und hat leider gar keine Abwechslung mehr drin.

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.

Beautiful music, shame about the “singing” which overlaid it and frankly got in the way.

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.

Didn’t have the immediate negative reaction like a lot of people seem to have. However I do think these songs have a kind of meandering quality that I found tiresome. Lyrically it was as if I were listening to a toddler telling a story: “and then… and then… and then… etc.” However, musically I loved it. So a mixed bag overall. 3/5

When this album first started I was intrigued. 15 minutes in I started to wane. 30 minutes I was annoyed. 40 minutes in and I finally gave up. Her singing just never stops sounding exactly the same. This album is for theater kids that spend too much time at the Ren Faire.

Very strange, but I kind of liked it. Her voice is very childlike, but the content is not.

bjork but married to Andy Samberg!

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.

A squeakier Macy Gray does medieval ballads. No discernable melodies, and a voice that is not pleasant to listen to. The one interesting bit was near the end of "Only Skin" where a deep bass voice joined in and their voices played together.

I was quite tired this morning so it took a while and some visits to “soundalike websites” to remind me who she sounded like: Tori Amos who I really like. Her voice is interesting and fitted the songs but at the end it was not her voice that I focused on but the lush orchestral production that I loved, which was by Van Dyke Parks. But. I don’t know if I would have fully appreciated the songs without that production. Another one for the half a point club and because I cannot give it 3.5 it will be 3 STARS.

Nem no spotify tem! Deve ser bom hein?!

It's different enough to be on the list, but I don't particularly like it. Like Bjork with a harp. Very long songs. Too long. Favorite song: Cosmia

Docked a point for making me listen on YouTube

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.

Painful atonal bullshit

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

I've never seen a record and got it with just looking at the cover art alone. Hut I sure knew exactly what I was getting into here. Its what people might think medieval or Renaissance music would sound like. Not really but to a modern audience of course this is what it was. I would like to commend this record for being headed almost fully by the harp. Don't see that every day. There are other instruments here and there but its mostly just a voice and a plucky harp. And the vocals is where it kinda looses me. It feels like the indie or alt vocals of the time trying to be olden timesy. It just doesnt line up that well. And it doesnt happen often maybe 2 or 3 times on the record she hits a note that to my ears sounds like my brain is going to explode. Its screechy and shrill beyond imagining. Like a throw the headphones off type shit. Not a fan of that at all. Maybe if I cared about lyrics this would be better but its just kinda fine. I dont know what its about and I also dont really care to. Thats a me problem but it still is what it is. I want to applaud the record for being what it is and picking a lane and living in it the whole way through. Its an album for sure. But not one im all that fond of really. Glad it took its shot but it doesnt hit for me

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.

This album sounds like someone Joanna made it. I mean that in the best way possible. I would call this Reni Fair(e) folk with excellent singing and more variety of sound than my description would entail.

Intriguing, poetic, lush instrumentation but so long and dense, it really tested my neurospicy limits. Still, I appreciate its Celtic flavour and her gentle vocal moments.

wasn't worth the trip to youtube

Not my cup of tea, but interesting and I know people who would love this.

Tones And I hat sich in das Jahr 2006 gebeamt. Sorry, da bluten mir die Ohren.

yikes

I was always curious what could be achieved by layering the screeches of a stepped-on cat with a harp and symphonic arrangements. Here we have it. Hauntingly terrible, play this one for the enemies in your life, who might believe you're just trying to be kind. But, you know better. You sinister bastard, you.

Yeah this was a strange one. Lyrically she’s great but my god does she drone on. Her voice is a unique one and I feel like it’s a you love or it hate it situation. For me, I definitely leant more to that hate it side.

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

J'apprécie l'originalité, la harpe est sympa, mais honnêtement je m'attendais à aimer davantage. Il m'a manqué un petit truc 3/5

Sadly, I had to listen to this on YT music instead of on Spotify, which meant I had ads every few songs. This could have rated way higher because the album definitely seems something I could vibe with but was ripped out of it every few songs.

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

Neverheard of her so I didn't know what to expect. Turns out to be contemporary folk music, all songs are self-penned. The songs themselves are interesting if sometimes overlong. Unusual to have a harp as the featured instrument. Vocals are not over strong but fit in well with the general feel of the album.

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.

Not totally terrible but not my taste either. Vocal and folk wankery which is just as if not more pretentious as prog. At least prog is self aware enough to admit it’s pretentious.

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

Sister Sufjan! Ys (no matter how you pronounce it) is an artists' album. And Joanna Newsom is a very talented artist with a clear jazzy voice. I am not at all sure what's going on with this album, but her lyrical and vocal playfulness keep you there through some dense and long tracks. Also, she plays the harp. It is nice to see such a unique instrumentalist make the list.

If you've just listened to this, you need to go find the clip from over the garden wall for Miss Langtrees Lament. Cause its spot on. And also a ridiculous cartoon. In any case, this album was like if bjork married a woodland fairy and the baby made music. Its an album for elves. It does kind of qualify as music to hear before you die though.