Joanna Newsom
Ys
[Drag City, 2006]
The success of Joanna Newsom’s 2004 album The Milk-Eyed Mender tore the pixie-voiced harpist from the warm yet fiercely overprotective clutches of “outsider music” into the fickle puritanism of that year’s folk-revisionist indie mainstream. If that sentence seems a wordy introduction, feel free to avoid Newsom’s new release. Ys is a baroque, lyrically-dense album which revels in the self-placating joy of wordsmithing.
Over the course of five long tracks, lushly orchestrated by Van Dyke Parks and mixed by Jim O’Rourke, she examines many of the triumphs and platitudes which come to determine human relationships. On “Monkey & Bear”, for example, the mutually-dependent titular couple escape from a farm only to learn about the harsh realities of life without a food hand-out. They find success as entertainers as one of them manipulates the other; the latter realizes the narcism inherent in this acceptance, and ultimately dissolves the relationship.
It is quite interesting that fans of instrumental music have taken an interest in Newsom’s output. Her lyrical performance is indeed quite acrobatic, and much like Bjork’s is definitely an acquired taste. However, those with a sense of adventure will want to explore this satisfyingly dense album.
MP3: Joanna Newsom - Emily
No comments:
Post a Comment