New Joanna Newsom Album "Ys" Due Nov 14

http://www.thewire.co.uk/current/images/273cover.jpg

elsewhere on ILM Marcello calls this "bilge"....

I listened to this right through again the other day, It captivates me wonderfully for the first couple of tracks, all of it, the music, the lyricism, the play of the language & her rhythms but soon... fatigue sets in and it's just not as surprising afterwards. Still very nice, but not rapturous, and lacking a true emotional punch for me. I still don't like this as much as the first album really.

And am I the only person who thinks it sounds basically the same all the way through and that's not really a good thing?

Quite honestly I want her to drop the harp for a while (I find myself feeling her overall sound to be quite tart & unpleasant a lot of the time, more so than her vocals even, and I've already said I'm not amazed by the treacly strings here), and travel somewhere OUT of this pastoral prettiness zone next time... maybe new york? somewhere Urban? THAT would seem more "challenging" to me than this, maybe next album. I HOPE she puts what she's learned/extended upon here to more interesting uses in the future (maybe interspersed with shorter "normal" songs?), I just feel like she's playing up to her audience too much here. The formalities of this record look risky but I don't think the final creative product is, at least not quite as much as people are saying. It's lovely, idillyic and escapist sure, but it's also quite a lot of froth.

Nevertheless I'm glad she's made this record. It at least shows the doubters she's didn't just get lucky first time round. It's accomplished, it's dense and open, flows very naturally BUT I'm yet to be convinced it actually has depth and isn't merely a bit too clever for it's own good. Overrated? absolutely! but by no means worthless. I expect the real "backlash" will come sometime after the inevitable Pitchfork 9.9 (if they can bear to give anything a higher rating than The Hold Steady this year).

also not sure why being able to take it at one sitting is a big issue. I suppose this is your listening preference. I tend to listen to a track of this at a time.

xp

I still find this an admirable, ambitious record, but also a flawed and problematic one. I doubt anyone else is going to nail how I feel about this one closer than the Stylus review. Which gives it a good grade, but reads as similarly conflicted w/r/t to my own feelings about Ys, even if they don't quite stretch to "enchantment".

I've only listened to it once so far, but it did sort of remind me of the Phil Ochs song 'Crucifixion' in places. Obviously that's the Van Dyke Parks link in full effect.

xp

and on the "bad thing" remark, yesterday i had someone add the 'e'
and try to insult her by saying she sounds like lisa simpson--yeah, why IS that bad?

ts for misspellings designed to infuriate sub-editors: joanna newsome v missy elliot

(the missy misspelling is far out in front because it has been going on for a DECADE now and shows no sign of slowing down EVEN THOUGH SHE SPELLS HER NAME CORRECTLY ON ALL HER SLEEVES)

i really really want to hear ys but i am not convinced that i'll like it and so am unwilling to spend money on it

No one who's heard it here has spent any money on it, it's not out yet!

Dude, what kind of stick is stuck in your ass? Of COURSE people are qualified to critique her music without spelling her name correctly! What the hell does the spelling of her name have to do with her music? Moreover, my critique offered NO OPINION WHATSOEVER about whether her music was good or bad--I just said she sounded like Miss Kitty. And she does. That is all.

Touchy-ass fanboys. Sheesh.

Oh, I had no idea about that. I've totally been reading it as 'wise' - thought it might have been some sort of concept album about Ernie.

yep

beep. I hit the wrong button.

(>>>>"not a defensive remark")

My apologies, son.

Of COURSE people are qualified to critique her music without spelling her name correctly! What the hell does the spelling of her name have to do with her music?

Wellll
--and this observation is far removed your own neutral remark--
there does seem to be an arguable correlation between the banal critiques of her vocal doses and that spare e.