Joanna Newsom - Divers (clusterfuck topic tbd)

melody-averse would seem a better descriptor for someone who sing-speaks their lyrics, not someone who elaborately phrases them like she does.

yeah, I thought that was odd, but kind of get it too. her melodies unfold over a longer span and tend to be overly elaborate in a way that I think could come off as non-melodic

this record rules. i can't imagine her being any more in command of her material. i think there are songs on hoom i'll always love more for their lyrical content but this one is more than a match musically.

melodies that aren't memorable, then. i always feel like her songs meander pretty aimlessly in terms of where the next note goes

lex, if it's any help, the shorter songs helped me get the rest of the album.

The last time I was listening to this new one I found myself wondering what it would be like to hear her growl.

Last time I saw her live she had to tune her harp, so set her fancy parlor guitarist off to do some speed metal riffs.

really love this. i know 'same old man' doesn't seem like much of a stand-out track, but i really appreciate the presence of a fairly plain traditional song amidst the intricate footnoted fancies of the rest of the album. it's arrangement is fairly simple and her vocal delivery marks her stylistic debt to karen dalton, almeda riddle, et al. it's much like 'three little babies' a la texas gladden on MEM in that way, but here 'same old man' also reflects themes and images found elsewhere on the album. clever way to anchor what otherwise feels like a metaphysical concept album.

i got the LP and the lyric sheets are gorgeous, one for each song, with the same sort of surreal magical landscapes as featured on the cover. i'm seeing her in december, can't wait. i kinda love her the most right now.

further to DJP's question about joanna's singing accent, i suspect the answer might be 'appalachian' imho

you going to the boston show by any chance?

i am indeed! with the husband and a couple friends. would love to see you there, if you're going as well!

sweet, yeah, i'll be there!

I think melody is one of her strengths. But then I just can't understand people liking her but not getting into YS. Talk about generous, I feel like she was just rolling one beautiful melody onto the next in the most riveting way, emotionally captivating and catchy.

further to DJP's question about joanna's singing accent, i suspect the answer might be 'appalachian' imho

― gwyneth anger (patron sailor), Wednesday, November 11, 2015 2:58 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's a really old WFMU interview where she talks about her accent being a result of coming from a very small country town and some mixture of speech impediments (she mentions a lisp) and corrective speech therapy.

Try Time, As a Symptom Lex. The ascending melody in the "joy" section is hair-raising.

melodies that aren't memorable, then. i always feel like her songs meander pretty aimlessly in terms of where the next note goes

― lex pretend, Wednesday, November 11, 2015 1:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i get this feeling a bit. more than ever on this record it seems like there are some gorgeously composed and arranged melodies which have some pretty interesting lyrics set to them, rather than some tunes and words that were thought of at the same time

though now she's more likely to stretch a syllable over a few notes, and less likely to crowd her lyrics with some extra syllables at risk of destroying her syntax -- which seems more confident, i think, in a couple ways, though less of a high-wire act

http://cdn2.pitchfork.com/news/62522/e9f3593c.jpg

I just put this record on at 45 rpm by mistake. I was kinda taken with it for a while. I guess that's exactly what the haterz hear.

Is this gonna get much love in the aoy poll? I'll vote it high. It's lovely. It's really stayed with me - I've listened to it every week since it's come out.

I vote it high, album knocked me out. Her 2nd best probably. Seems she didn't get any hype help from the usual sources this year though so I'm guessing just her loyal fans vote.

Yeah, second best after Ys I would say.

I loved it.

for some reason i didn't connect to this record at all. idk why

no synth stabs

of course

it's easy to imagine Newsom singing "Wood Beez" tbh

i feel really unmotivated about voting but if i do it will only be to try to place this record

for me the first 5/6 songs are amazing and then it really drops off into less interesting territory... pretty much exactly the first 2 sides on the vinyl version. anyone else find this?

it's definitely her worst album imo but it still might scrape into my 25. the title track is probably the only place where all the keyboards on it really work texturally I think

"Goose Eggs" is the only track where I'm still iffy about the keyboards. It sounds like a product of her goofing around with a bunch of instruments that she doesn't know very well. I like it okay, it has its own character, but the closing instrumental stretch especially is a little rickety. I love the keyboard touches on "Anecdotes" and "You Will Not Take My Heart Alive".

I am not a fan of her singing voice

She was great in Dublin last night - the new songs worked very well and the arrangements seemed a bit looser and less fussy than when I saw her on the HOOM tour. Robin Pecknold was the support and he came out and sang On A Good Day with her towards the end of the gig. Selection of older songs was spot on too - she ended with a great encore of Sawdust and Diamonds.

Yeah she was absolutely wonderful last night. The second half of the show in particular, leading up to the encore of Sawdust & Diamonds was intense.

I somehow missed she was playing Dublin

arrrrrgh

hitting those high notes at the end of this one, wow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uixz1JTdwpQ

Concert tonight! Wheeeeee!

I missed this new song. It's charming - could easily have fitted on Divers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGoqZ4zWSsg

It's no "Whip My Hair", but I'm still digging Willow Smith's jazzy version of "The Book of Right-On"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPS4c31gltD/

Some solo performance dates announced, hopefully more will follow.

apparently played new material tonight at a fleet foxes gig *eyes emoji*

! hope a new album isn't too far away at last

It's about time!

I heard she is doing a flute and harp album with Lizzo.

https://www.reddit.com/r/JoannaNewsom/comments/11zbxw6/marie_at_the_mill/
https://www.reddit.com/r/JoannaNewsom/comments/11zczx5/the_air_again/
https://www.reddit.com/r/JoannaNewsom/comments/11zcu2f/no_wonder/
https://www.reddit.com/r/JoannaNewsom/comments/11zc8qa/bombs_are_whistling/
https://www.reddit.com/r/JoannaNewsom/comments/11zdw7z/little_hand_commentary/

5 new songs!

https://www.reddit.com/r/JoannaNewsom/comments/11zd18x/good_intentions_paving_company_with_robin/

and good intentions paving co. with fleet foxes

well this is an absolute and unexpected delight, it all sounds fantastic, although I hope she plays more harp on the supposed forthcoming album.

all sound like you would expect new joanna newsom songs to sound. "the air again" is a highlight

waiting until i have time to give a close listen before i dive into these new pieces, but just seeing her pop up on the newsfeed has me down the youtube rabbit hole with joanna, and stumbled on this show from the initial ys street band tour that has absolutely immaculate sound. wow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEIH7FUwbfE

I saw her solo a month before that show, at Bennington College. It was a peak live music experience: was only familiar with the Milk-Eyed Mender material to that point, and was totally unprepared for the grandeur of the Ys tracks. As I remember it, the show was in kind of a modest multipurpose room, with a few hundred people sitting on the floor in front of a stage that was a foot or two elevated from us.

Yeah, that is an amazing recording, I've listened to it many times. I don't think she's ever been better than in that period.

hoo boy i sure would like jn to do like... the rest of her music with robin pecknold involvement. that's a collaboration that needs to endure.