Reviews
Joanna Newsom
Milk-Eyed Mender
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2005-02-18
I can only think of a handful of bands/artists that I have heard in my life that upon first listen can cause such disgust out of first time listeners as Joanna Newsom on this album. Now I must immediately follow up that sentence by saying personally I really enjoy this album, but two of the three people I know that have heard this album didn't share my viewpoints.
Terri's response was something like "God! What in the hell are you listening to?"
I laughed, "It's Joanna Newsom, I take it you don't like it?"
Terri: Her voice is horrible. I can't stand it.
Or perhaps Brandon's reaction. Brandon: Is that Bjork?
Dan: No It's Joanna Newsom, i'm guessing you don't like her very much?
Brandon: Her voice sounds just like Bjork. *I can't stand female singing Eskimos"
Dan: Dude I think she is American, and I don't think it sounds anything like Bjork.
Brandon and Terri: There are two of us ane one of you and we say TURN IT OFF!!
So as you can tell Joanna Newsom's voice isn't easy to tolerate. It is a somewhat shrill voice, and when she really bellows it can be fairly abbrasive. But personally, I think she has a fantastic voice. But keep in mind I am a big fan of Cake, Ozzy, The Streets, and John Frusciante. So i tend to like artists whose voices normally scare away most listeners.
Joanna Newsom's instrument of choice is a harp, and she plays it delicately and beautifully. The songs if you can get past the voice are childish, and calming. The lyrics are playful, and fun. Listening to "Milk-Eyed Mender" is a calming experience. I found out some shitty news today at work but listening to the album on the subway cheered me up. I can't explain why, its just a magical calming effect that I get out of listening to the album. Maybe because it reminds me so much of being a kid. If you can get past the first thirty seconds of listening and still don't mind her voice, then you are going to love this album. Because anyone who complains about anything else is confused.
The album opens strong with one of the best tracks "Bridges and Balloons". This is as good a song as any to test your tolerance on Joanna voice. The format of the song isn't overly complicated, you have some melodic enchanting harp accompanied by Joanna's adorable bizarre combination of lyrics. This isn't a rock song by any stretch of the imagination. It isn't pop either. You might almost want to consider it in a folk genre if you really had to call it something. "The sight of bridges and ballons makes calm canaries irritiable." Is an example of the type of lyrics you will find on the album. It might not make complete sense, but man it sounds good. The harp on this song is so awesome, the harp on this album is so awesome. You can play a guitar to sound almost like a harp, but after hearing this album a bunch of times I definitely understand the difference. You just can't make the guitar sound as tranquill and pleasant as the harp.
Joanna keeps the success coming following up with "The Sprout and the Bean". When I listen to this album I think I imagine it being played in a coffee house somewhere, with artsy trendy types enjoying it and everyone else at the coffee house just confused. I think that this music would have been more appreciated and less bizarre in medieval times or something. On this song the harp stands out again, but this is the song more than any where I actually would have to say Joanna's vocals are what stands out. I was humming the vocals outloud today all day at work. Which likely made some people think I am insane, or that I was just a really bad hummer (which is totally true). Just before the 4 minute mark and near the end of the song is a really beautiful harp solo that is worth the download.
The album is somewhat top and bottom heavy, and lags a touch in the middle. Proof of this is that the third song I am going to talk about is actually track three. "Book Of Right On" is my favourite song on "Milk-Eyed Mender". "I Killed my dinner with karate, kick him in the face, case the body. Shallow work is the work that I do". Is a lyric from this song that is actually my favourite lyric on the song, but the whole song is filled with gems like that. I'm not kiddin' myself I doubt she will ever produce a hit. But if I had to put a bet on one song on this album to break t hrough and get some airplay I would go with this song. The reason being that the chorus is actually really catchy and easy to sing along with. Considering how minimalistic the album is, it is remarkable it doesn't get repetitive. But to me it honestly doesn't, this is my third time listening to it today.
The album ends with a pretty little song called "Clam, Crab, Cockie, Cowrie". I love the choice to end the album with this song mostly due to the fact that Joanna tones it down a bit vocally, and kinda slows everything down and gives you some nice closure on this track. It is a bit of a tearjerker, I mean if you are that type of person I could see this song grabbing a few tears. On this song the shrillness of Joanna's voice is more or less put on the backburner, except for a few notes that it is their in full force. One of my biggest pet peeves in music is when a band or an artist clowns up choosing the final song. I like to end the album strong, and to end it with a song that really does bring the album to a close. This song does that, and on its own it might not be the fourth best song on the album. But in the context of the album it is a stellar way to end.
I won't harp on any bad songs, absolutely no pun intended. Around tracks 7-10 there is a touch of a drop off in quality but not so much so that I ever consider skipping a song. Look I'll be straight up with all of you, if you would have told me I'd dig a folkish album with a female singer with a shrill and abrupt voice featuring more or less exclusively harp as the main instrument I woulda laughed hysterically. But that is music man. That is why you get your hands on the song and you sit back and listen. Sometimes your dealt a lemon, but other times you get a cherry. Hmmm.... now that I think about it a cherry doesn't really seem to fit Joanna Newsom, a cherry is too perfect. Sometimes you get a peach. Joanna Newsom is a peach and "Milk-Eyed Mender" was one of the better albums of 2004.
Songs that you should download: "Bridges and Balloons", "Sprout and the Bean", "Book Of Right", "Sadie", "This Side of Blue", "Clam, Crab, Cockie, Cowrie".
Score: 8.7
The lag in the middle keeps it from reaching into the 9's, but considering this is her debut album it shows a ridiculous amount of promise. I'll be eagerly anticipating a second release from this great artist. It hopefully can only go up from here.
- Dan