Ahhh, Joanna

When life is biting at your heals or the wind is in the east it is such a relief to hear the very first words of Joanna Newsom's last full-length album come softly like a rain and then poring over, so that before you realize it you are pleasantly soaked. Released when Joanna was only 26 Ys, pronounced the same as the feeling it gives: ease, has received perfect reviews from many critics in such publications as The Times and The Guardian (click for reviews). So, perhaps I feel somewhat justified with my seemingly never ending infatuation with this artist.

Part of the power of her music is due to her incredibly complex lyrics and abstract subject matter (death, love). She had a child- or nymph-like voice in her first album which has definitely matured by her second, however, retaining an equal other-worldliness. Her voice is powerful, but that power is multiplied through the perturbing lyrics that certainly always tell a story, but it is less certain what about. In the beginning of so many songs, such as Sawdust & Diamonds, Emily, and Only Skin, Joanna's voice is like a Pied Piper's first mesmerizing blows in his horn. Sweetly they sound and inviting, but in the end they have taken you to a far and foreign place.

I love her music because it is both beautiful and challenging to the listener, I believe. The orchestrations and arrangements of her music seem beyond what could be produced by the offspring of the unchallenging nature of this everything-at-your-fingertips modern world.

There - even in trying to write how I feel about her music I have created a paradox by calling it both easy and provoking. Well, I hope you will give her a good listen to before making up your mind. As for me, there will always be a separate place in my museum for Joanna.

Interviews:

Interview: Joanna Newsom, Interview by Brian Howe, Pitchfork Media
NPR All Songs Considered: Joanna Newsom

Scroll down below to listen to Joanna Newsom.