Friday, January 16, 2009

Defending Joanna


In the last "Song O' the Week" feature, from dear fellow fork/knifer Chandler, I couldn't help but notice a slight against the unendingly fabulous Joanna Newsom. I will begin this post by stating that she is the only artist I can think of off the top of my head that sings and plays the harp as the primary focus of her live act. Her performances are essentially unique in today's world of music. Building on top of that, her song structures are extremely layered and complicated. I have yet to listen to a song from her most recent and polished album, Ys (pronounced "ease"), and not discover another element of musical sophistication somewhere in each song. As for her voice, I will admit that it is an acquired taste, but that once the taste has been acquired, you will hardly find anyone will more erudition in his/her musical inventiveness. I'm not alone in this proclamation, her album got a 9.4 from esteemed peers Pitchfork. I'm posting her current magnum opus, "Emily", the leading track from Ys, despite its excessive length, because I feel it is the best showcase for her talents.

Joanna Newsom - Emily
Buy Song: iTunes

-Donovan

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