Happiness is mine!

Front row center for someone TM referred to as Joanna NewsoN.
I hope its not a tribute act.

I would rather listen to cats fighting over a banshee than Joanna Newsom... isn't her schtick a kind of Bjork pastiche? I find it quite unbelievably irritating.

I'd sooner describe it as utterly beautiful and unique. But to each his own.

took me a while to like her but once you do it's worth it

i was at the barbican on friday where she performed with the LSO...

...it was quite simply the most stunning gig i have ever been to...

"I would rather listen to cats fighting over a banshee than Joanna Newsom"

Are they not one and the same?

I decided to get tickets for the gig but Ive read mixed reviews. Some say she puts on a great show, others say the solo part (i.e. just her harping on) is a bit of a thumb-twiddle. I can understand this. I found Ys a bit mixed aswell. Songs like Cosmia and Emily are gorgeously crafted, lyrically bizarre and original songs while tracks like Only Skin and Sawdust & Diamonds are a bit of a bore. I forget which track it is but the song where she basically narrates a conversation is beyond dull and VD Parks' attempts to breath a bit of laugh into it fall flat.

She's a rare talent though, not for everyone clearly but she's one to look out for.

peejay, you are about the first person i've ever heard give a mixed review of joanna newsom in terms of individual songs... and for that (i guess) you should be congratulated... i don't really understand how you can differentiate so clearly however...

all good art divides opinion i suppose

Ten minute plus songs are a tough call, it was brave of her to do it. Especially after the debut album made some small waves for her. You need alot of skill and ingenuity to hold a listeners attention for that long. Different time signatures, key changes, counter melodies etc... I just think she succeeded with some of the songs and didn't with others. Cosmia is the highlight of the album for me. Even without Van DP's arrangements the song stands up. Thats talent!

The album is too ambitious though, mixing the bigger suite songs with smaller more focused ones could probably have improved it a bit.

I'd agree with that Peejay. The Milk eyed mender was completely charming and beautiful but the new one isn't nearly as satisfying. All of this is in my humble opinion of course. Although my own opinion is the only one that matters.

i guess you're entitled to your opinions... i don't feel that way at all however... when i put on Ys, i don't get up for 55 minutes until i turn it off... i really cannot differentiate critically between each of the pieces of music... maybe this is a fault of mine but i like to think it isn't...

...as for the milk eyed mender, it is also wonderful and there are very differing styles on that album... peach, plum, pear is a pure pop song for instance... but a song like sadie (which is great) seems like a precursor for her Ys style of writing...

she had a new song on friday as well, different again... some similar vocal stylings but also a bit of spanish passion thrown into the mix...

anyway, newsom... i love her

when i first heard her i f*uckin hated her!!! But then slowly but surely i got into it - def a grower for me....One of the most extreme cases of starting off really hating something and then ending up really liking it. That critic who says she sounds like Lisa Simpson singing was quite spot on! :-)