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May 27th, 2004
Joanna Newsom - (Drag City)

The Milk-Eyed Mender
Ilana Kronick

Give this enchanting young Californian a chance and, hopefully, you too will be astonished by the itty-bitty beauty of her magical songs. It is a tiny voice that she boasts - it's squeaky and it's shrill - but the force of its expression can knock you right over, and does, with startling charm on almost every track. An Appalachian Björk, an indie-folk Dolly, an unjaded Catpower - and sometimes a misty blend of them all - Joanna Newsom (also a member of The Golden Shoulders and San Francisco's The Pleased) not only finds every exquisite and piercing chord in the range of folk, but pours her heart into each of 'em in ways so brash and instinctive it hurts. One of the most exciting singer-songwriters to surface in years.


	Write your review of this record !

The Milk-Eyed Mender

Everywhere I turn there's a positive review for the new Joanna Newson so I had to check her out. I have to be honest, I was caught off guard by her voice. My first reaction was, Is this for real? This makes me question if I too can have a singing career? My first positive thought was how the music itself is very atmospheric. I'm all for original voices, but I'm still trying to get past just how weird it is to focus on the lyrics. I think what's hooking people is the overall sound of the record, it has this sad ambience which is over powering.

Josee Lacroix

March 26th, 2005

Yes

In agreement witht he other reviews here. Re: The song "sprout and the bean"" I'd heard it a couple of times in a web radio rotation and it really grew on me. What was I hearing - some sort of child singing novelty record?, I thought .. .nope (after some research to allay my curiosity) Anyway it is an astonishing piece of music. ... one of the most originally

visionary combinations of chord progression and and stream of consciousness since "Strawberry Fields Forever" Ok, a pretentious thing to say, be were doing rock criticism here, right .. ; )

Seriously, highly recommended for anyone with a true ear for an original artist and bored with the same old same old. Pretty and beautiful.

Chaz Lockwood

{1 vote}

June 20th, 2004

Wow!

I'm flabbergasted - the first headoverheels positive review of Joanna Newsom that I've read in the press. And Ms Kronick is completely right - Newsom's yelp is fascinating, alluring and infectious. Her songs are cocky as an Appalachian mountain-woman, sneering down the hillside at the dumb sheep. I get this giddy thrill every time she sings the pening line of "Inflammatory Writ." It's all so peculiar and strident and grinning. Newsom's picked some great arrangements, from harp to guitar to harpsichord, everything a delicate counterpiece to her curdling, child voice. I don't know if she's an artist with legs (see: Scout Niblett), but for the moment the record is a delight, a silly wonder, a categorically different kind of alt.folk record - Devendra Banhart without the spook.

Sean Michaels

May 27th, 2004

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