The A.V. Club [A-]
Posted: 02 Jun 2010, 11:05http://www.avclub.com/articles/joanna-n ... lton,8084/
Ys
A-
by Noel Murray November 14, 2006
Joanna Newsom's 2004 debut LP The Milk-Eyed Mender was a love-it-or-hate-it affair, beguiling those who could handle its twee, harp-laced fairy-folk, and irritating those who couldn't. Newsom is likely to further alienate her detractors—and maybe some of her fans—with Ys, a 55-minute, five-cut album that abandons The Milk-Eyed Mender's sprightliness for rambling, freeform songs that resemble Joni Mitchell in a stream-of-consciousness mood. On songs like "Only Skin," Newsom delivers lengthy monologues in her distinctive nasal trill, and it's sometimes tough to follow where she's going, even with the nimble Van Dyke Parks-supervised orchestral arrangements. But for those willing to let go a little and drift, Ys can be an amazing journey, especially when Parks' strings and Newsom's harp lock into a seductive dance, or when her voice catches one of the fleeting snatches of melody and rides it until it escapes. On the album's first two songs, "Emily" and "Monkey & Bear," the tempos and vocal cadences change rapidly, in a headlong tumble that will leave some listeners far behind, while pushing others to catch up as fast as they can.
Ys
A-
by Noel Murray November 14, 2006
Joanna Newsom's 2004 debut LP The Milk-Eyed Mender was a love-it-or-hate-it affair, beguiling those who could handle its twee, harp-laced fairy-folk, and irritating those who couldn't. Newsom is likely to further alienate her detractors—and maybe some of her fans—with Ys, a 55-minute, five-cut album that abandons The Milk-Eyed Mender's sprightliness for rambling, freeform songs that resemble Joni Mitchell in a stream-of-consciousness mood. On songs like "Only Skin," Newsom delivers lengthy monologues in her distinctive nasal trill, and it's sometimes tough to follow where she's going, even with the nimble Van Dyke Parks-supervised orchestral arrangements. But for those willing to let go a little and drift, Ys can be an amazing journey, especially when Parks' strings and Newsom's harp lock into a seductive dance, or when her voice catches one of the fleeting snatches of melody and rides it until it escapes. On the album's first two songs, "Emily" and "Monkey & Bear," the tempos and vocal cadences change rapidly, in a headlong tumble that will leave some listeners far behind, while pushing others to catch up as fast as they can.