Ys

Oh boy. This was way too long. The vocals were way too "quirky" most of the time but there were some moments where I kind of liked her singing. The harp did sound pretty nice for the most part. Overall the vocals and sheer length of the songs really killed this album for me. Maybe more listens would make me appreciate it more? I'm just not sure I want another go around.

If I had known anything about this piece going, I probably would have expected to enjoy it a lot less than I did. A warbling voice like Björk, but it isn’t annoying. Songs that last for more than ten minutes, yet they don’t feel bloated, stretched, or unnecessary. There’s a lot here that just works to prove she got the formula right. It’s as if she had the one recipe I enjoy for a food I otherwise could not tolerate. Maybe I’m getting too deep. Album nice, but not sooooo nice, but definitely nice. 4/5

Bjork-light

Weird and interesting.

An interesting album, I didn't like all of the album but I did like Monkey and Bear and Only Skin.

Her voice is somewhere between ok and cheese grater to my ears. The way she says "darling" and plenty of other words really gets on my nerves. The harp music is ok though. 2/5

Different from what I expected.

Really musical and poetic, pleasant but not as enjoyable as I would want.

"She sounds like Lisa Simpson." I'm playing Milk Eyed Mender for my college roommate. Scratch that: I've hijacked a bedroom at the party to play Joanna Newsom for several nonplussed people circled on the carpet, including my roommate, who has eviscerated her by comparing her voice to Lisa Simpson's. This will always hang over my relationship with Joanna Newsom's music, and my total lack of surprise at the sub-3 average rating for this album (does anyone else consider 3 the turning point for average ratings here? Anything below feels like an insult, anything above feels like universal acceptance). I've gotten into it before, but I was heavily alienated by my college experience: mix up some culture clash with self-doubt and mix in the late-teens impatience to Become the adult I'm still working at being twenty years later, and you get one unhappy camper. I dove deep into music; while my socal peers were deep into dance-rock (your Bloc Party's, your The Faints, your Arctic Monkeys), I was falling headfirst into Freak Folk. Joanna Newsom was the woodsy poet who proudly kept some Yes and Gong records on the shelf. Lyrics were especially important to Young Me, and Joanna had lyrics for days. I carried Ys with me everywhere for the coming year: walking a California-winter college campus, flying back to Arizona for Thanksgiving and Christmas, temping for a loan company in rural Arizona for all of January, then zigzagging over Europe for four months as I studied abroad solely for an excuse to not be in California for that time, all of it culminating in my first long-term relationship with someone whose parents were mysteriously connected enough to obtain two tickets to Joanna's sold-out show at Walt Disney Concert hall in fall '07. This album is inextricable from my experiences. It's a bit of a shame none of her music is on Spotify; I'm sure more people could benefit from accessing it more easily. It's kept me away, as well; I don't have it on vinyl (I will rectify this soon) so my only copies live on my laptop and ipod. It's probably been a decade since I've listened to Ys. But from "the meadowlark" on, I'm tuned back into a complex yet completely familiar part of myself. The music has so many nooks and crannies, touches and flourishes which I can nestle into like the couch in my childhood home. I can't speak to this music from an objective place. But I sure hope that if I heard it for the first time today I'd take pause. That I'd come back to the person who used to sit for a moment as the final track ended, and then press play on track one once more.

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

Nothing about this is remotely interesting to me, but we’ll see how this goes…oh okay, we’ve got the theatre kid version of Janis Joplin here. I like the grating scratchy quality I’m hearing in her voice, but these songs are weird as fuck. This is not a world I want to get lost in. I’m assuming she’s heavily inspired by Nick Cave and is trying to do something very similar to his more theatrical and conceptual work. This was an odd one, but not the kind of odd I want.

This was…odd.

Sentimientos encontrados.

Medieval influenced Twee-pop. Less twee than her previous, but still too tonally sharp for me to enjoy.

I don't know what the hell I just listened to, but I didn't hate it.

I remember when every music magazine at the time was tripping over themselves to throw accolades on this record. Not my thing

The children of rich people need something to do with their lives also, you know. I was touched. \"Little tufts of finch-down\" A lot to unpack here, as they say. Glad to hear this highly unusual bit of poetry and harp come down the pipeline. Has an ancient feel, and I could listen to a good harpist all day, not being facetious. The words, though, overwhelm with power. Really well done. A surprise. Who knew?

No. Life is too short to finish listening to this. I gave it a good 25 minutes of my time. That's plenty.

Phew, glad this is over. It started alright... interesting voice, the courage to make long (about 10') songs anno 2024. But I got tired of it really quickly and it was a struggle to finish the album. If you have a very characteristic voice it helps to vary the actual songs, ore use your voice differently, but she doesn't. All songs are long and sound the same (actually, in that sense an album of fifty 1' songs would not have sounded much different). Folky, same singing style, same sprinkle of harp (it doesn't help I'm nor really into folk any more and don't like harp). I'll give it a 2 because it is not without merit. Bur definitely not a must-hear album for me.

An album that should be right up my alley, but one I can't get behind no matter how many times I give it a try. This one just doesn't work for me. 1.5/5

The first song is an ode to a friend. A love letter... At least that's my perception. It's easy to get lost in the story telling. And in the end, it didn't capture my imagination. The music, with it's harps and other strings, seems dated. Tough to carry this through.

Once past her quirky voice, the album is entirely fascinating. Dense lyrical storytelling which amazingly doesn't get too overwhelming because the music is well varied... at times, subtle, epic and magical. Her delivery also doesn't get trapped in a single boring approach, and you begin to soar when her and the music begins to soar. I can definitely see going to back to this multiple times to attempt to continue to unwrap a really interesting package.

Una voz demasiado aguda para mi gusto. El arpa es original pero el conjunto es ligeramente irritante pese a todo.

So, this was wierd. Not sure what to classify it as. Now I like long songs, but these just meander all over the place lyrically, and musically, just going on and on. 14 minutes for 1 song. I also didn't care for her vocals, lots of warbling all over the place. This wasn't for me

Honestly, I have heard her voice before so I expected to absolutely despise this album and find no positives to it however I thought the music was actually very lovely. Her voice to put it plainly was insufferable however getting past that it was folky and nice.

I know this one - I don't want to pile on about her voice.... but at the same time... yeah, you gotta get by it to be able to enjoy this. And I'm not sure how good I am at getting by it. This only works (perhaps ironically) when you listen to the album straight through - at that point her voice does start to become part of the overall sound (as opposed to the few times I've had to pause a song and come back 30 minutes later - getting that squeak-shock all over again). The music is potentially fascinating when you can channel into it - complex in composition and instrumentation - major points awarded. It's different as hell, and on the whole I'd always rather take my chances with "out there" albums over another shitty lo-fi Pavement-ish 3 chord gen-x slacker, but the Mickey Mouse at a Renaissance Fair impression is tough sledding at times. 6/10 3 stars.

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

Looks and sounds like an act at the Renn Faire that really loves her job. Her vocals are very weird and it’s a hard space to play in for around an hour

Nyt oli kovin erillainen 1000 muuhun verrattuna, joten tämän suhteen on helpompi hyväksyä paikka listalla. Ei tuottanut orgasmeja korvassa, mutta helposti kuunneltava ja "lämmin" tunnelma.

Erikoinen, mut ihan ok. Kakkosta enempää ei kuitenkaan pysty antaa

Unavailable on Spotify uk

That's not my taste in musik. But interesting.

I genuinely loved this at first but by 35-40 minutes in it was starting to drag.

Very endearing, sounds like what Bjork would do if she was a little less bonkers.

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!

Cannot tolerate that voice.

Spotify calls this an EP, so I thought cool, at least if it sucks it won’t be very long and then I had to sit THROUGH 55 MINUTES WTF LIKE WHY

'Ys' is one if those albums that's very ambitious and an stunning achievement for any artist. Yet I can't exactly say that I like it. Maybe it's more interesting to listen to from an artistry perspective but not something I'd really listen to for fun. I get people's comparisons to Bjork. I also get the people who add 'but Joanna Newsom is no Bjork'. Maybe I just need to be in the right mood but this strikes me as the kind of album that would just sit on the shelf for years hoping that one day I'm ready to listen to it. I used to own a lot of CDs like that. But life is too short not to just listen to what you really like. I'm giving it 3 stars, mainly on technical ability and the fact that I really want to like it more.

This was weird but nice. I’m not sure I liked it enough to listen to again though…

In theory this is the kinda bullshit I enjoy. On the other hand the songs are long and the voice isn't that amazing. So in the end, it's okay. Kinda annoying it isn't on Spotify.

mid og ikke på spotify

Best Song: Only Skin. As pretty as Newsom's vice is alone, it lingers so much in that wispy upper register that the introduced contrast of a deep male voice was a revelation. Worst Song: Cosmia. By this point, I think I had grown tired of the production here. Overall: Densely lyrical, with a sort of Joni Mitchell style production. The vocal delivery grew grating at times, and the lyrics were so dense that I really don't think that I could appreciate them on a single listen. Would like to return to this one. Nicely quiet and melancholy.

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!

not listened, not available

Artful album. Each song seemed to wander about without a clear path, but it worked. Perfect for medieval age nobility wanting a minstrel to sing and strum on the side for like an hour. Stand-out: Monkey & Bear

HL: “Only Skin”, “Monkey & Bear” If you need me, I have started a new life in the forest Until my phone dies

I hate to say it, but whoever Joanna Newsom created music for, it could not have been me. Ys could not have been further from my music tastes. Newsom narrowed in on a folk that's perfect for a Renaissance Faire while still giving a vibe that's both magical and light. Folk by itself isn't too interesting to me, but hers came across as more boring than usual. Not to mention, her squeaky and grating voice were too much for me. The amount of times she was out of tune was too much! Yikes.

I laughed when I saw one of the genres for this album on Wikipedia: "progressive folk". I guess that's one term for it. But it's also simultaneously the opposite of progressive, as it certainly seems to be a take on medieval-era folk. Other reviewers have touched on the idea that this album is almost interesting in places, but those things are outweighed by the utter dissonance, caterwauling, and lack of cohesion that dominates this album.

That was an interesting listen. I wish there was more on this last that were there because they were doing something others aren’t. I get that there will need to be those landmark albums that paved the way for music. However, I find these ones often times more interesting. I enjoyed the different style and approach.

Music is quite nice - the harp is lovely - but she sounds a bit like Melanie Saffka (a marmite voice). In some tracks it suits, but in others it can grate. In the end, I didn't want to listen to any more.

oof. swing and a miss.

To each their own but goddamn is this album fucking annoying.

Very different, kind of beautiful. I don’t know if I’d listen to it again and again but for this one day I enjoyed it.

very long songs with a dire vocal

Very sing-songy. Was this a musical? Or something more like an opera? Very beautiful voice. I don't need to listen to this again, but it was a pretty listen. 3.5

I’ve had this remarkable album for almost two decades and I still don’t know what to do with it. Too intense to stay in the background, over a close listen it demands a commitment to its convolutions that I’m unwilling to give. It’s loaded with imagery and analogy that I’m too knackered to decipher, and while it sounds gorgeous and close (requiscat, Albini) and its intricate movements are dynamic, for anything to linger I’d have to march through it… well, I haven’t marched through it enough times yet. I like this record, but “it’s complicated”.

Another 2000's darling gathering dust on my flash drive. I think I forced myself through it once when it came out, did not know Albini engineered it! Surprised me how enjoyable this was today, sharp and tuneful although undeniably flighty and precious. Decent result overall; kids hate it, of course, condemned as a deranged Disney soundtrack

I can certainly see the appeal and the reason that this album is on this list. However, I personally did not like this album at all. Listening feels like biting into a juicy, ripe fruit with a flavor that I just don’t like. The album meanders along like a butterfly flapping through a garden, jerking in the wind to whichever direction it feels, occasionally stopping on a bright and beautiful flower. And while this would be a sight to behold for some, I personally don’t belong in this metaphorical garden ogling at the beauty of nature (I’d be something like a caveman doing brute, monotonous tasks in the metaphorical Yeezus world). All things considered, it’s probably objectively a 4, personally a 2, and -1 for not being on Spotify, so giving it a 2

Not on Spotify.

After sitting on my Unrated list for well over a year I finally found out that this was on Amazon Music (which is a shite platform) and gave it a listen. This album is SO not for me. The lazy comparison would be that this feels like that one Icelandic megastar, but different. I get why, but I think this is better than that. Saying that I hate the vocals is probably a bit harsh, but they don't do much for me. The instrumentation is what makes this album shine. It probably helped that I listened to it whilst walking through the woods at golden hour, but there is a lot to like once you get past those, frankly quite jarring vocals. Hold off on judging this immediately, get through a few songs and look for what you do like rather than what you don't and I'm sure most people will find something positive.

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.

1/10, я не ценитель + на спотифае нет

It good. No reason to be on any top list

I am not the target audience. I feel I would appreciate this if I was watching live, but would not choose to listen to it outside of that. The playing is very cool, but I don’t care for the writing or singing.

Nice lyricism and instrumentalisation. The harp complements her voice very well, though I don't really like her voice which is, I think the weakness of this otherwise unique album.

Folk..Ei freak folk... meikän lemppareista ei.... Barokki poppi.. Björk tyylistä jälkiuninaa.....

That was a very interesting experience! Very nice music and lyricism. Only dislike is the timbre of her voice. 4/5

Surprised by the low ratings. This thing is a journey, a sublime masterpiece. Full marks

Muy original, entre balada y musica medieval. Una voz cálida que se vuelve aguda cuando es necesario. Me hace acordar un poco al estilo de entonar de Regina Spektor Gran descubrimiento

1. Meh/bra, 2. dårlig/meh, 3. dårlig/meh, 4. meh, 5. dårlig Overall: 5/10

While talented, the songs are all very long and lose some of their luster by minute 8.

Her VOICE 😍 reminds me of the Oh Hellos. Love it! I liked the experimental nature of the album with very varying song lengths.

This first song is so interesting to me. The storytelling is vivid. Art set to music. I don;t love her voice, but her artistry keeps me interested. I love the lyrics. Very poetry-esque.

I'm sorry Joanna I just cant

Not my favorite

The freakiest thing I've encountered on this list so far. Familiar with it from around the time it was released, but haven't listened to it since. Still got a soft spot for it, for some reason. RIP Steve Albini.

like a modern fairport convention. 4 stars.

Once saw a Joanna Newsom concert and was much impressed by the music, but could not get completely used to her voice and way of singing. Even more so for this record. Emily is a strong song and I also liked Bill Callahan's contribution to Only Skin. So mixed feelings.

She plays the harp quite well.

There is a certain beauty, however the music trudges along and the vocals are unpleasant.

Newsom has a really unique voice which at first I found quite irritating, but after I while I got into it and it become rather pleasant. Lyrically, it is ambitious and impressive; she definitely pulled it off. The unique style made it very memorable so I'm glad I gave it a chance. Then again, it could have been quite a bit shorter so overall it's definitely not something I can see myself listening to again.

I can’t imagine anybody spinning this record because they love it - Maybe her mom. It’s not terrible, it’s just not what anyone wants to listen to. Her voice isn’t bad, but I’d rather listen to just about anything else.

I appreciate the style of this album, very well made. Not going to be one of my go to's, a good listen though. Will I listen to again: 5%

I just finished the first track. That started strong but wore out it's welcome. There's interesting things going on, but hopefully it starts to mix things up more. It's as if every song is a more orchestral Silver Ships Of Andilar but twice as long. Probably the best album on this list that I never have to listen to again so far. I think this would benefit from shorter songs building on some of the themes from each song instead of having several ideas thrown into one massive long song together. 3.8?

Nice, but a bit much at once for me to listen to again and again. Might revisit in a few months/years. Fab arrangements and great performance.

oof

Blind album and artist. Harp was a nice touch but not enough to carry this album out. Unique in a lot of ways but I felt it was too slow and dragged, and I did not feel touched or impacted in anyway like I felt the album tried to do.

Though I am grateful that I had to listen to this album, I don't believe that I will be listening to it too many more times in the future. While I was listening to it, my daughter asked me if I was listening to Chinese Opera, which I thought was actually not too far off when you think about it. Did not get a chance to read the lyrics, though I understand that this is part of the magic of this album. Again, grateful it showed up on the list.... oh, and the first album that was not available to listen to on Spotify for me!

Wtf kinda medieval ass album is this. Music goes nowhere. WAY TOO LONG MIN LENGTH 7 MINS. NO.

Not quite my cup of tea. I suspect I just need to give it more time and really get into the lyrics. I’ve seen her music described as baroque folk, and much like baroque art, it’s just a tad too overwrought for me.

Haven't heard from her before. The album made me curious. Didn't find time to get into it. Will do in the future.

Reminds me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DmRiT13xcI ... in a good way

I read a review of this that sums up my feelings: „Original is one thing, worth doing another.“ Sure, ethereal pastoral orchestral harpy songs were new to me. But they weren’t exactly missing from my life either.

Never quite saw the appeal when this came out and everybody was raving about it, but I connected with the album a bit more this time around. Still a bit too meandering for my taste.

Sentimientos encontrados.

like a satire of the Millennial folk movement: instead of the gentle guitar arpeggios, bring out a giant harp. ramble along in an affected voice begging to have the lyrics described as 'literate'. I'd say it sounds exactly like the album cover, but it isn't Pentangle. not as bad as it could be. the chord progression and melody in a section of Emily are the same as some other song that'll be half-stuck in my head trying to remember. albums: hated. (⌐■_■)

To my tastes, anything that could be described as chamber pop, or baroque pop, is usually a non-starter. Ol’ Newsom here overcomes it. When these records were coming out I remember getting Milk Eyed Mender and liking it quite a lot. Never gave as much time to Ys, but enjoyed it when I heard it. Giving it a closer listen now, it holds up and is very weird and impressive and good. I hope there’s no more baroque pop on this list and I can go on thinking, “Hey I guess that stuff can be alright!”

Was this album removed from Spotify for some reason? I could find it in listener playlists, but not by itself.

I haven’t got the patience for Joanna. That is a me problem. It’s really quite lovely, but my ears just wander off. I like that she makes music that sounds like it should have been mastered on wax cylinders.

Not a fan

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.

Not at all what I was expecting. The vocals are affected, which usually bugs me, but in this case, it's kind of compelling, perhaps because she's actually often on pitch, and it's more of a sing song talky sort of voice. Reminiscent of Kate Bush, if Kate Bush was quirky, or channeling Björk. The instrumentation is very Renaissance Faire which complements the vocals.

I finished it in all its length without any skip. I actually liked it!!

Not available to stream.

kinda similar to Manassas. glad that this came to me, and that i was given the opportunity to listen. its a unique album for sure, and i don't think that i would have found this without doing this. the harp and instrumentals are super beautiful, but Joanna's voice gets a bit grating after a while. it was... fine. probably not something i go back to, but glad i had a chance to listen

i have a feeling it would’ve been a 2 or a 3 but maybe it would’ve been a 4 or a 5 but i’m giving it a 1 because it’s not on spotify and it’s not because i think so highly of spotify because i don’t

You don’t have to hate music to like this album but it helps.

No va

The oddity/dynamics of Fiona Apple meets the songwriting of Tom Waits meets the type of music you would hear at a pub in the Shire. All the bad and good stuff you would associate with each of those. The artist is a technically strong singer, but chooses to yodel/whine like a kid singing in the bathtub. The album has plenty of good moments, but it is very inaccessible. Especially the last song is an absolute banger, though. AND I MISS YOUR PRECIOUS HEART

Am I in a 1950s Disney movie? Am I walking through a Renaissance Fair? Is this the 21st Century version of Kate Bush? We may never know. I’m not gonna say all experimental music is bad, but I am gonna say there are more times than not that I’d rather not be a part of the experiment. The different instruments featured are a highlight, especially the harp sections. For the most part I find her singing voice pretty soothing, except for the shrieking here and there. This is probably the first album to truly benefit from the post-Kollaps listen, so it’s not a one, but I’d also honestly hear arguments about it being a three.

Not my cup of tea. This feels like a mash up of the worst aspects from the following: Lyrics by Bob Dylan look-a-like competition runner up Music by the local renaissance fair court jester Vocals by the theater kid who only ever wanted to do Shakespeare plays Cover Art by "Just tell me everything you want and I'll squeeze it in somewhere" Audience by "You just don't get it. This is genius."

Did y’all know she’s married to Andy Sandburg lol. The album was cool to listen to once, I feel like it all sounds the same after a while.

Named after kong's favorite RPG on the PS1! This is my first time REALLY giving her a chance. She sounds like gentrified Bjork - not as interesting but nice music, interesting lyrics (if not a little overbearing at times) - her music sounds like something I'd hear in a dream or in one of my medication/weed fueled brain dumps. I'm not a fan but I don't hate it - i MIGHT give her other albums a chance.

interesting sound, a bit disorganized, but liked the strings. Vocals remined me of Allison Krauss. I'd like to listen some more!

It’s like a good singer at a bad renaissance fair.

Linko no worko

Surprising that this is a mid 00's album and not an early 70's or late 60's album. It sounds like it would fit in much better with the psychedelia movement at that time. That said, it doesn't offer much of a new spin on that movement either, so I can't understand why this is even only the list. Perhaps it's noteworthy for reviving interest in a genre that was last popular before many listener were born. Musically, the album may be nuanced, but ultimately, it sounds pretty contrived. The swings in volume make Newsom's singing sound grating, occasional squeakiness in her voice really doesn't help either. The album would probably also have benefitted from fuller sounding instrumentation. All in all, a very unpleasant listening experience. I didn't finish it.

Ik heb twee dingen die ik kwijt wil: 1) Joanna Newsom is de vrouw van Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Fun fact. 2) Ik hou niet van Joanna Newsom Rating: 3/10 Highlights: Niks

Kende de naam, maar door de absentie op Spotify was ik verder nooit met haar in aanraking gekomen. Vrij zorgwekkend hoe één corporatie al je grenzen op het gebied van muziek bepaald. Allereerst moet ik zeggen dat ik nog nooit zo iets als dit heb gehoord, heel eigenzinnig. Als je het dan toch probeert in te kaderen, dan zou ik het bestempelen als een mix tussen Fairport Convention en Björk. Folksy, geworteld in vervlogen middeleeuwse tijden, gecombineerd met post-moderne elementen. Art folk als je het zo mag noemen. Boeiende stem heeft ze wel, al was het even wennen. En de lyrics zijn diep-poëtisch, Dylanesque bijna. Hoe vrijgeestig de songs zijn opgebouwd, en de manier hoe ze verhalen overbrengt, hebben ongetwijfeld gediend als inspiratiebron voor Big Thief en Black Country, New Road. Daar moest ik in ieder geval telkens aan denken. Die vrije opbouw, waar ze elk nummer bijna lijkt te improviseren, maakt het ook wel weer een uitdagende luisterbeurt. Het album gaat van hot naar her, zonder uiteindelijk echt ergens terecht te komen. Dan is zo'n climax als in het einde van de song 'Only Skin' wel echt even fijn. Dat gebeurt net iets te weinig. Het openingsnummer 'Emily' vond ik ook wel een folk pareltje. Maar die Efteling-achtige vibe begint na een minuut of 20 wel een beetje op de zenuwen te werken. Het is me iets te veel orkestrale poespas van Van Dyke Parks. In een uur tijd komen en gaan er prachtige fases, en elke keer als ze je net te pakken hebben dan sterven ze in schoonheid. Een lastige eerste luisterbeurt, maar intrigerend genoeg om het nog eens te proberen. Ooit. 6,5/10 Highlights: Emily Only Skin

Joanna Newsom doet me het meest denken aan Björk of Fiona Apple. Met name de stem. De begeleiding is soms ook orchestraal maar wordt niet zo groots. Dat is mooi, als is de muziek soms wel wat geplingel en lijkt het wat willekeurig. Er zit geen satisfying opbouw in de losse nummers met herkenbare refreinen. Dat maakt dit best een pittige eerste luistersessie, al houd ik wel van dit type folkmuziek. Op een gegeven moment ging de harp en het luisteren via YouTube (inclusief Optimel reclames) me aardig tegen staan en heb ik de plaat afgezet. 6,5/10

it was fine.very fine

Was initially interested that she was a harpist, thinking this would be some nice soothing music to put on and chill. Instead what I heard was shrill wailing that was like nails on a chalkboard. I saw one review say she is the “wish.com Bjork” and funnily enough it’s pretty accurate. Her music does grow on you a bit but there is almost no chance I’ll give it any more than the time already given to her. 1.5/5 as it’s not the absolute worst thing I’ve heard. Annoyed at first that this wasn’t on Spotify but found on YouTube. Now I’m glad it’s not on Spotify so I don’t have a song to add to my 1001 playlist.

It started off on the wrong foot by not even being available on Spotify in the USA currently. Then I read that it's five tracks in 55 minutes so no way too long. I attempted some of the songs, did not make it completely through any of them

Not for me. I never got into this type of music or style of singing. Pretty music, terrible singing.

5 temas y 55 minutos. Esto promete. No está en Spotify. Producido por Albini. Es una acústica, folk, con arpa, que suena bien musicalmente y la voz de la cantante a ratos un poco Björk también encaja a la perfección. Interesante. La última canción sin ser la más larga me ha parecido insufrible.

Tää ihan toimi! 3/5

Oikein jees, miellyttävä ja vakuuttava.

Olipa kiinnostava levy! hieno instrumentaatio ja sanat, joihin tekee mieli palata. 4/5

Way better than I thought it would be after reading the apple music review of it! I quite like the budget bjork vibes and the complexity

I've been putting off listening to this one for ages - the progressive folk label put me off. Well turns out I dig progressive folk. I prefer the vocal-heavy approach that keeps the story going through lyrics that prog rock often lacks. What a beautiful and unique voice Joanna Newsom has - sonically and lyrically. This album's a gorgeous treat meant for lazy, contemplative Sundays. Worth another 20 listens for me to absorb it all.

Opening the first track and playing the first 5 seconds... *extreme wince face*... Oh man, this is going to be an experience. Her singing voice is really bad. Like, really bad. And not just her voice, but the performance of it. It's like she's role-playing a crone from Macbeth at times, and other times as some kind of woodland nymph, caught up in a state of perpetual wonder at the natural world. The music around her is all dis-jointed and awkward. She occasionally juts in with this extreme shrill tone, and it would always make me jolt back in an alarmed manner. I might actually quite dig some of the music if it wasn't accompanied by such an awful performance. But let's be honest, most of it sounds like cringey, medieval minstrel music, with artsy-fartsy poetic lyrics that are WAY too earnest. I don't just dislike this, it makes me really annoyed. Awful.

It doesn’t connect with me on a personal level (though it might someday), but it held my attention and I enjoyed it, even when the shortest song was still nearly 8 minutes long. I also got used to her voice after a few lines, so I don’t have a problem with that.

This one is hard for me. The arrangements are stunning but the bjork vocals take me out of it.

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.

I didn't expect to find this here, but I'm quite delighted. An alien in terms of 2006 releases and justly one of the most important.

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.

I've got this on CD (and her earlier album). It's not one I play often, as it's a challenging album and I need to be in the right mood. But when I'm in the right mood it's a great album full of complexity. Amazing musicians behind it too - Steve Albini on production a real suprise given the style of music. Voice is a bit offputting and she does take the music to some very strange places, but magical when it works.

Not too long after this came out I gotta say I was really charmed by Newsom's melodic sense & peculiar style. It's been a little while now & sadly it seems I don't enjoy her voice as much anymore.

Too long. Not on Spotify which is kind of inconvenient. Saw some reviews ab this feeling bjork-y. I agree I guess. Like they don’t sound the exact same obviously but if we are drawing parallels that’s a good parallel to draw. Anyhoo i don’t enjoy bjork and didn’t enjoy this. 4.5/10

Damn people in the YouTube comments are obsessed with this. Definitely very artistic and unique, but I just don’t dig her voice and it kinda put me to sleep at times. 5.5/10

4/10 - She sounds like Bjork but with a better voice. The songs are just weird and the only thing I can relate it to is Bjork. One of the songs ended decently but the weird voice and random instruments at times feel like Bjork. Also one of the youtube comments said she opened for Bjork which is kinda funny to me. The end of the last song was also quite strange and did not end in a way that sounded like an ending. I think I rated vespertine by Bjork too high.

Didnt love the way she did the vocals. Her voice was good and the music was fine but she kept doing weird stuff with her intonation that got annoying

I had been meaning to listen to this, but not on Spotify, so I’d never gotten around to it. This was weird, and I’m not sure if I’d really want to go back to any of the songs, but I also thought it was pretty good. It felt like just the right amount of weird.

Such bizarre vocal delivery, soothing instrumentals, kind of this odd juxtaposition. I need to listen again to make sense of the lyrics, but not sure I actually want to.

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

.5 horrible.

Kind of sounds like modern yodeling 2

No idea why this album made the list. Overlong songs, annoying vocals - I really disliked everything about it with the possible exception of the cover art.

I’ve never heard of Joanna Newsom before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album. I found this album to be really beautiful musically, but it wasn’t really my cup of tea. The arrangements were absolutely beautiful (RIP Steve Albini), and every element of the instrumentals was really well done. There were plenty of emotions conveyed just through the music alone. The songwriting was really beautiful as well, and there was a lot to unpack lyrically. There’s plenty of vivid imagery and allusions to mythological stories to turn over in your mind, and I imagine that this would be a great album to revisit numerous times. However, I really hated the vocals on this album. There’s something about Joanna Newsom’s voice that I just can’t stand. I think it’s because her voice sounds like it’s constantly on the verge of being scratchy, and it just drives me insane. Hearing those vocals over the course of five very long songs was not a fun listening experience. I can understand why this album would be on this list, but it really wasn’t for me.

Mikið asskoli er þetta næs plata. Fíla hana mjög vel.

Kate Bush goes to a renaissance faire? Joanna Newsom is talented, but this really isn't for me.

grates after a while, only so much middle ages warbling a man can take

Couldn't get into it at all

*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.

This was not on Spotify or Bandcamp. 8( (I did find it on YouTube.) Well it's certainly different than NWA (my last album)! It's been years since I've heard good harp playing. I appreciate the originality, unique voice and musicianship, but I'm just not into it.

Silly, mannered voice. And a harp.

No

These tracks sound like an amalgamation of descriptive and wordy sentences, like the kind of stuff you would hear at a slam poetry session. Honestly, the vocals sound eerily similar to that of Björk too. Actually, are we sure this isn't Björk? Jokes aside, I will say that this is a very serene-sounding album with the harps and orchestral sections. Definitely well produced and mixed as well (S/O to the great Steve Albini who very recently passed away). The few songs that are on here wander a bit much for my liking, though.

No escuchado

I was going to give this a 2 - I just can't. What Bjork and Fiona Apple do so well is edit themselves. They are quirky, use their voices as instruments, keep it interesting by better curating what is on their albums. This is just so long. It drags on, forever. For the first 5 minutes, I was intrigued; after 6, I was done, and still had 50ish more minutes to go. 1/5

Not on Spotify

I just couldn’t with this. Did make it all the way through though which is no mean feat given Iit was on YouTube. Reminded me of Björk but I really struggled to tolerate her voice at times. 2 because of the orchestration and musicianship on display

Forget the rack, the Scavenger's Daughter and the manacles if the tower of London had this they would have had way better success torturing people. She can play but her voice makes me want to confess to heresy.

I was like yeah its pretty interesting and by the end I was inside a fairytale of sounds

Love it

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?"

Ugh, more whiney singing. Guess it is not in my wheelhouse. Sorry not sorry for not liking this album. 1 star maybe 2 stars if I am feeling generous tomorrow.

Reminds me of Bjork. 2.5 stars The album consists of five tracks with song durations ranging from 7 to 17 minutes that deal with events and people who had been important in Newsom's life in the year previous to recording. These events include the sudden death of Newsom's best friend, a continuing illness and a tumultuous relationship. The album was named after the city of Ys, which according to myth was built on the coast of Brittany and later swallowed by the ocean. The album's title was the last element to be confirmed and was a result of a dream that Joanna had which featured the letters Y and S and a book recommended by a friend that contained reference to the myth. From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ys_(Joanna_Newsom_album)) under Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-SA 3.0

This was not my cup of moon tea.

oh boy.... this is going be my personal take. if you like this... that's great. Sounds like she improvise everything and the orchestra is frantically trying to score her on the spot. horrible voice, always hated this timbre, cadence and Accents of this type of voice. It sound like someone who can't sing that has learnt how to nail the notes but still can't sing... I guess that is impressive in a way, to be technically skill and still sound horrible. ...Yeah couldn't stand the album. everything sounded the same and every song was waaaaaay too long

It's highly unusual, but I enjoyed it more than I expected. Her voice reminds me a little of Emiliana Torrini, maybe with a hint of Deb Talan. Favorites were "Sawdust and Diamonds" and "Cosmia"

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

She doesn't TALK with a silly baby voice, so why does she sing like that? I've even seen her in concert, where she would talk to us like a normal person and then sing like a silly baby. It pisses me off. That same show also had a band called CocoRosie, with a singer who did exactly the same thing, but worse: adult woman speaking voice but deranged baby singing voice. Nope. Joanna Newsom is obviously a talented musician, the music here is nice, and she's even got Van Dyke Parks and Steve Albini. But the fake voice....

"Mom, I want to listen to Kate Bush" "We have Kate Bush at home" Kate Bush at home:

Kinda beautiful, think I need to revisit

This is what you get when you let rich people think they can make good music

I can see why this one was so controversial. It took a second listen on a good speaker with no distractions to really get into it. It really grew on me tho, and I think it would be a five if her voice matched the project better (she has a bluesy voice). I’m intrigued

Folk 1 Stern Tolle Stimme und mal Folk mittelalterlich verpackt: Stern 2

Not available

Too different for my ears

Not my cup of tea.

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

What in the actual hell? This was...well...I didn't hate it. Did I like it? Yeah...I think I actually kind of liked it. I am a fan of Big Thief and Adrianne Lenker, and it's obvious she was influenced by this album. It is so weird, cool, and poetic. A true work of art among so many calculated over-produced efforts. This is a perfect example of why I enjoy this 1001 albums project. There is no way I ever would have heard this otherwise.

Not my jam. Nothing about it intrigued me and I was counting down the minutes to play something else.

Did not enjoy.

I don't know any other works of Joanna, but this is just too much. The singing often doesn't fit the lyrics, and the rapid changes in pitch are done out of context. Speaking of the lyrics: they are ok, but nowhere near Shakespearean. The orchestration seems to be meant to support the singing and the lyrics but is sometimes distractingly off in both regards. I think it would have served the songs well when they removed the orchestra completely or at least reduced it significantly as the harp itself can carry these songs alone. Then, there is the length of the tracks. Barely having some kind of structure, it is tedious to listen to.

Well done , but too long and Boring... Doesnt think that Belong here .

This album is cool, but it's hard for me to get over her voice. It just doesn't gel with me, and I found this album hard to get through as a result 3/5

Hard to give it certain rating Really unusual medieval style music, enjoyed it

"Ys" by Joanna Newsom is a breathtaking and ambitious album that showcases Newsom's incredible talent as a songwriter and musician. Released in 2006, the album features intricate and sprawling compositions that blend elements of folk, classical, and avant-garde music. One of the standout tracks on the album is the epic "Emily," which clocks in at over 12 minutes and features lush orchestration and Newsom's ethereal vocals. The lyrics are poetic and complex, drawing on themes of nature, mythology, and personal introspection. While "Ys" may not be the most accessible album, its rich and intricate compositions reward repeated listening. Newsom's unique voice and musical vision shine brightly on this remarkable album.

this has less than a 3 on here... didn't know they let the deaf use this website

8/10 For some reason I had chosen to let her pass me by. Wrong decision, this was excellent Very much in the same spirit as Bjork Idiosyncratic, unique, melodic harp-led folk pop Excellent orchestration Lovely voice and delivery. Lyrics slightly impenetrable and poetic so I let them wash over me Best: Monkey & Bear

I felt like a fairy

Un precioso álbum de Folk producido por dos de las mentes más talentosas del panorama noventero estadounidense (Albini/O'Rourke). La instrumentación, mágica más no así etérea, pinta paisajes paganos dignos de filmes de folk-horror como "Midsommar" o "The Wicker Man". Sumamente recomendable y (respondiendo a un comentario de esta misma página), Newsom claramente no busca evocar a Björk y en mi opinión personal, sus interpretaciones son bastante más emocionantes que la gran mayoría de la carrera de la islandesa.

Joanna Newsom answers the question of, "What if Kate Bush stripped her sound down, did only orchestral music, played a harp and sang like Bjork?" There are just so many words on this album and I don't know how she can remember them all. Actually, my research shows she does struggle to remember all the words at times (at least in concert). I don't have a damn clue what she is talking about half the time, but this is very original music and I think it deserves a place in this book. It seems Joanna Newsom fans are very passionate and love her music, making a personal connection to a lot of the lyrics. So even if I wouldn't listen to this everyday I think it's a really cool album.

Yeah I should not have listened to this before bed. The remaining minutes of this album keep me from slumber but yet I am trapped here for what feels like eternity. This album sounds like the song a modern Disney character would sing before they're cut off. Or did I just make up a film trope to cope? Hey that rhymes. As you can see I'm finding it very hard to focus on this music at all. A 16 minute mostly harp + poetry song will do that to a tired creature. This thing isn't dreadful, it sounds fine. If you like this, more power to you. I, however, will not be back. fav songz: - The Shortest One

4/3/24. First time listening to Joanna Newsom, and have to say this was a unique listening experience. I've never listened to harp focused music, but it sounds beautiful, and Joanna's voice is a great accompaniment. Will have to check it out again.

Wow. The most curious fever dream. Different in every metric that comes to mind. I'm not questioning Ys. Poetic. Mystical. Astounding. Whimsical. Unique.

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.

So sad

Long, boring, and grating.

So fuggin weird, I don't know how this got recommended.

This album wasn't on Spotify and it was a bit more annoying than usual because I wanted to use my phone for other things while I listened but had to keep YouTube open instead. However, the album was at least interesting if not my preferred genre. Its vocals and writing gave a cross of Bjork and Sufjan Stevens, respectively, to me and while I liked it, it's not the easiest to listen to for an hour. Fortunately, it had unique enough vocals and instrumentals paired with very poetic lyrics. This is a positive 3 rather than an ambivalent 3 thankfully.

It's a record very focused on the lyrics. The music itself is merely stage-dressing, though it does give the stories of the lyrics a very heavy "fantasy" feel. Do I like it? Eh. I think everything is overlong and I think the stories are... fine. I also really don't feel like I'm the target audience for it. Her Bjork-like voice fluctuates between me not enjoying it and me being fine with it. A very conflicting album. Favorite track: "Sawdust & Diamonds"

This is an early April's fool right ?! Absolute garbage and on the list !

At times this was a bit Björk and a bit Keaton Henson, a bit Renaissance fair and film track material. But every song was waaaaaaay too long and what started out as ‘interesting’ or intriguing lost me halfway through.

Thought during first song: Music to accompany an old silent, black-and-white film. Overall impression was that it was strange and reminded me a bit of Bjork. I didn’t exactly dislike it but I also have no desire to learn more about her or listen again.

I can state, for the record, that I cannot abide schizophrenic rambling folk accompanied by incessant string arrangements. Newsom's childlike delivery with the bonus "Winehouse" affect helped none at all. I didn't enjoy this.

Huh. Yeah, I really liked this. It may even be a 5, but only more listens will tell. Her voice is a cool mix of Lorde and Bjork. Her melodies and lyrics are pretty great. It doesn't surprise me that Van Dyke Parks was involved, as I could hear similarities between this and his Song Cycle (though this is better). But it does surprise me that Steve Albini produced this. I mean, what? I can see why this is provoking such strong reactions in people, but I think it's great.

There is something about this whimsical, fairy, harpy storytelling sound that grates on my nerves. Her affected accent is too contrived for me to actually hear anything but my teeth grinding and shoulders getting tight. This ain't Björk.

A nice surprise as I discovered I did listen to this already for this challenge (on youtube) and just forgot to rate it. Remember reading it had insanely good lyrics, It deserves a second listen as I do remember some of parts, however the music it self was slightly underwhelming.

I was excited for this because I learned to like Only Skin by listening on repeat. But it was so annoying

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

I totally understand Samberg. Had I met Joanna Newsom the same year this was release I would have fallen in love too. Ys is uniquely complex, fragile and beautiful. It’s like nothing else. A rare work of utter brilliance. I don’t think there’s ever a time when I’m not in the mood for this.

I kinda liked this at first, especially her voice. Not usually a style I like. But I thought she did a good job of making melodies out of her very poetic lyrics. However, after about 20 mins of this I wasn't even sure if it was on a different song or not. It just kind of all ran together and became monotonous.

realmente increíble y los putos de spoti no lo tienen

una poronga

Can't be found can't be botherd

Well, this was interesting. Didn't hate it, renaissance faire vibes for sure. Lyrical structure was certainly entertaining, sort of spoken-word runon sentences.

Not my music

Nervig quietschende Frauenstimme mit langen Balladen artigen Songs begleitet durch Harfe, Akkordeon und einem kleinen Streichorchester. Es wirkt wie von einer Bardin vorgetragen. Mich überzeugte das Gesamtwerk nicht.

Today's album is like indie folk maybe? The songs are full of metaphor, string accompaniment (sometimes dipping their toes into jazz a bit), and weird time signatures. It's like dropping acid at a Renaissance Fair. It's like if Joni Mitchell and Bjork had a kid. The lyrics for the song Monkey & Bear are fucked... "Someone had told him the bear'd been sneaking away To the seaside caverns, to bathe And the thought troubled the monkey For he was afraid of spelunking Down in those caves, also afraid what the Village people would say if they saw the bear in that state Lolling and splashing obscenely Well, it seemed irrational, really Washing that face, washing that matted and flea-bit pelt In some sea-spit-shine old kelp dripping with brine But monkey just laughed, and he muttered When she comes back, Ursula will be bursting with pride Till I jump up saying, You've been rolling in muck Saying, You smell of garbage and grime" That's too complicated for me. I don't like music where you need a PhD to understand what they're singing about. This is music for hipsters to listen to and analyze to death while drinking a mocha-choca-chino latte 100%. This was just way too weird for me. Favourite songs: Emily, Sawdust and Diamonds Least favourite songs: Monkey & Bear, Cosmia 2/5

Great compositions and a strong, emotional delivery. The only hurdle for me is her voice. It's not necessarily about not liking the tone but more that it doesn't feel authentic.

Oldschool Runescape soundtrack goes harder. 4/10

Couldn't find this on Spotify so forced me to listen on Youtube. I started reading the comments & got intrigued. Impressive that this was released in 2006 by a 24 YO. Very unique sound & style for the time. Each song blends into one another, so not very dynamic there, but overall a good listen if you want to hear something different.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Good music all around & interesting delivery. Also dude if I was rich I'd totally get a harp & fuck around harps are awesome. Very impressive. And what made the boing sounds in Emily bc I want that too.

I didn't think I knew Joanna, but she's sampled by The Roots, and that's been stuck in my head ever since I realised that yesterday. Overall, I think this is probably one you need to listen to a few times to digest, but I can tell its competent and well put together from the first listen.

Not available on Spotify. After finding it on YouTube I don't think Spotify are too broken hearted. Truly appalling rubbish presented by one of the worst voices ever.

Oddly affecting

Bjork with a harp

it was a bit much :/ I couldn't really get into it

Trash.

I think Joanna Newsom is the artist I'm most supposed to like based off my other tastes, but I just can't do it. The baby voiced renaissance sound just isn't for me. 2/5

I believe you that she's great and this album is amazing. I can even recognize it sometimes. I just can't get there.

Unlike anyone else

Rating: 6/10

I *want* to like this. The orchestration, the uniqueness of it all. It's just that, while her voice is interesting and intriguing at times, it's jarring and annoying to me just as often. I don't hate it but it's not for me.

Not really my thing

It was ok.

Couldn't listen, that voice!

This is an unusual one! It sounds like a 60s folk album, with added orchestration sung by someone with the phrasing of Bjork and the lyrical sensibilities of Nick Cave. There are five longish songs on this album and they require a certain amount of concentration to follow as it’s quite easy to let it wash over you. I’ll be listening again, which should tell you how I feel about it.

This is a pretty interesting album of carefully chiseled modern(-ish) folk with a baroque twist. The omnipresence of the harp is unusual but really nice, the orchestration is nice and not too overwhelming (i.e. it does not sound too cheesy), the voice is special, sometimes a bit on the edge, reminding me of Björk (with who she shares also a baroque/avant-garde liking). This album was recorded by Albini, which is also a seal of good quality!

Lyrical poetry with some pleasing music. Not bad, but I won't listen to it again.

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

Juuri mitä kansi antaa olettaa. Oli pakko kuunnella kahdesti, kun alkoi kiinnostamaan oikeasti. Kate Bush -henkeä ja tietty keskiaikamarkkinoita. Biisien pituus ei haitannut yhtään. Vielä kolmas kuuntelukerta tarvittaisiin, että saisi selvää, mistä näissä biiseissä kerrotaan.

Tekisi mieli antaa tunnustus artistin melodiantajulle. Hankalaa - hän on sen verran seonnut kiuruihin ja muuhun rekvisiittaan.

Not as bad as i was expecting, but not something i'd listen to again by choice

01) Emily - 3,0 02) Monkey & Bear - 2,0 03) Sawdust & Diamonds - 2,0 04) Only Skin - 1,0 (17 minutes?!) 05) Cosmia - 3,0 TOTAL: 2,20 (22/100) Wiki says she's married to Andy Samberg. Interesting. And the music? Not so interesting. She sounds like some Björk/Tori Amos/Kate Bush wannabe, but not in a good way. The lyrics are stupid, the songs are too long (17 minutes!?!) and boring. Maybe she influenced Florence + The Machine for using the harp. Anyway, not for me... Thank you, next!

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

Original but ,,,,

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this album. I had neither heard of the album, nor Joanna Newsom. That is quite the travesty. It doesn’t fit into the categories that I generally write highly, but the artistry, and the beauty are fantastic.

once again i am late to the party and cannot listen so a 3 it is

Aburrido

Folk barroco. Ni fu ni fa.

Awful. My ears hate me for listening to this. Stay away. I did not finish.

This was pretty brutal. Desperate need of a producer/editor. Chopped down to about 3 minutes for each song and with some serious reworking, there's some good ideas here. Hard to figure out how this album made the list though.

One of the most interesting albums I've ever heard.

one of the best rap albums i’ve ever heard

1 stjerne.

Se deja escuchar.

Super interesting, non-trivial, fresh, melodic and devoid of many clichés approach to modern music. Interesting vocals combined with orchestra, harmonic passages and timings of a length that is convenient for the author to reveal his idea, not convenient for the radio or anyone else.

I respect it, but I also hated it.

Folktales and poetry. I enjoyed this way more than I ever expected to. Favorite song is Emily.

The tone of Newsom's voice is unique and wonderful. I really enjoy moments throughout this, but the extreme length of each of the tracks on this make it difficult to return to for me. There will be a sequence I'm really into, then the song transitions to something entirely new and I never return to what I liked. My pop-addled brain struggles to connect with this in a deep way, as much as I enjoy so many of the moments throughout.

I tried....I really tried to give this album a chance. But I just could not. The whiney voice, the widely uninteresting instrumentals....absolutely not for me. I can't imagine a scenario that I would ever want to sit down and listen to this music. Newsom is an undoubtedly talented musician, but these 10+ minute ballads are just not my cup of tea.

This one was impossible to get through. Another album that is the musical equivalent of haphazardly splattering paint on a canvas and selling it for millions. I enjoyed the artistic lyrics and rhyme schemes until I tried to read and comprehend the nonsense lyrics. It's the kind of art that people pat themselves on the back for enjoying. Its halfway between the Skyrim soundtrack and a Shakespeare play with monologues that won't end. She has such an oddly accented, lispy way of singing for somebody with a totally normal American speaking voice. She does seem to be an impressive harp player from the videos I saw, but her popularity peaked 8 years ago and seems to have been understandably short lived.

Absolutely atrocious. Every song sounds like it’s being made up on the fly. Terrible vocals. Just the worst.

I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought. Not being familiar with Newsoms work gave me an open mind to the pleasingly endless journey her poems and strings took me on.

What a racket!

Wow, dug this quite a bit

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.

Je ne savais pas à quoi m'attendre avec cet album et surprenament j'ai vraiment embarqué dans ce style. C'est un peu long et vers la fin ça devenait un tantinet redondant, mais la musique est tellement relaxante et la voix est tellement passionnée. À réécouter. 8/10

Absolutely awful. Why on earth is this an album I have to listen to? Seems like someone is too desperate to seem deep and artsy.

The woman's voice ruins all the pretty music. It probably deserves a 1/5 based on how much I enjoyed it, but the last 1/5 I gave was Limp Biskit, and the passion and sincerity of this should not be anywhere near that stank.

Emily // Sawdust & Diamonds //

Tell me Ys...a beautiful and wild freak folk record that seems like you find something new each time you listen

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.

Not a pleasant listening experience for me. Her tone goes right through me - and it’s not helped by my phones tiny tinny speaker as listening on YouTube. Couldn’t finish this one.

At first I was entirely furious about this album. Her voice felt insufferable, why do certain women folk singers put on this voice. It's really strange. Very very long songs which felt unnecessary, wrap it up. Was annoyed to see someone compared her lyrics to Dylan in the YouTube comments, come on! She was rambling on with little coherence and sometimes complete predictability. But I did decide I appreciated more about it, like the guitar playing and some of the chord sequences. Tried to focus on that over the vocals and it was less awful

I imagine this is a very love or hate album. I love it. I really like her voice find it very captivating and the way she structures her songs is great. Crazy that she's married to Andy Samberg, what a pairing

Wow, I like this one. Hadn't heard of the artist or heard any of her music before. I like her approach to her art. Slightly unusual, different instrumentation, and such a wonderful vocal delivery that's all her own. I know all this is entirely subjective, of course, but to my ear, she doesn't sound like someone who is trying to be different for its own sake. I like it.

Une bonne description de cette album serait celle-ci : des guitares piquées sur des vidéos de relaxation auxquelles on aurait superposé la voix tremblotante qu'aurait Taylor Swift si elle se rendait à un oral de rattrapage du bac.

Le combo longueur + présence exclusive sur Youtube aura eu raison de mes velleités de 4/5.

The moment this album started I thought to myself - everyone is going to absolutely hate this. I will say, it's hard to get into. There's no musical convenience, no hooks, no catchy lyrics. But there's something in this album that is worth listening to. I certainly have never listened to an album like it before, and that alone is worth some merit. It's beautiful, endearing at points, symphonic, and made me think about what I was hearing.

While I think the poetry like lyrics are good for the most part, and the backing tracks are fun instrumentals, this style CANNOT carry a song for the lengths of these tracks. It’s not that good honestly and gets boring.

I admire the ambition of this album. I read and remember the accolades it recieved. It has an aura of greatness. It is distinctive and original. However. I don't like it much and God I've tried.

Song: Emily This was a long one, and very interesting. The entire song felt like a meander through a forest or a field, with a very loose structure. It felt like a poem set to music. Newsom's voice is interesting and sounds old-fashioned—I found it hard to believe that this album is only from 2006. The instrumentals were also really beautiful, the strings and harp blending together really well. Because of its length, I don't think I'm likely to return to it on a casual listen, but I did not dislike this. It felt very much like an art piece, with a lot of little beautiful moments. Still, the whole song never really came together for me, and I honestly don't think I understand it fully. Not bad, just not my style.

Curioso. Recuerda a música celta con la voz de Duffy.

Was not avail in Spotify for some reason. I refuse to do any further digging. So what? I’m lazy.

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.

Her voice is annoying but the music is lovely

3.5 So different. So good

Album of tales and poetry that I couldn't fully grasp, still good

Krasan proljetni album.

Me fait beaucoup penser à Björk dans son interprétation. Le projet a piqué ma curiosité, mais l'écoute ne m'a pas tellement retenue.

Очень скучно