Piercing, regal, smooth, sharp - talented. Joanna Newsom is likely to be unlike anything you have ever heard. A master of the harp, Joanna Newsom’s melodies flow as smooth as silk and epitomizes what it means to have a welcoming sound.

Her vocals however, are anything but smooth and welcoming. The best way to describe listening to Joanna Newsom sing would be to imagine hearing something in between the shriek of a freshly stepped on dog and the red-haired woman who answers phones in Office Space.

The first song I heard of Joanna Newsom’s was “Peach, Plum, Pear” off of the Milk-Eyed Mender album and I immediately searched google for what I imagined would be a nasally 7-year-old girl; I was astonished to find a women in her mid 20’s. There were moments when I cringed thinking I would rupture my ear drums if she sang just one more high note. There were moments when I was utterly confused by the lyrics she was singing;

“and we were galloping manic, to the mouth of the source, we were swallowing panic, in the face of its force.”

When the song was over, all I was left with was a moment in which I couldn’t help but think about Bob Dylan - another artist who was once thought to have terrible vocals and nonsensical lyrics. Not to say that Joanna Newsom sounds like Bob Dylan; they would actually be on complete opposite ends of the musical spectrum - but there was some real brilliance in the contrast of her voice and melody.

Intrigued, I bought two of her CD’s: the aforementioned Milk-Eyed Mender, and Joanna Newsom and The YS Street Band. If you feel even an inkling of curiosity right now, I would highly recommend buying, downloading, or hijacking the Milk-Eyed Mendor album. Songs such as “Sprout and the Bean”, “Cassiopeia” and “Inflammatory Writ” are something to marvel at.

My personal favorite is “En Gallop”. This song is the perfect soundtrack to go with the tranquil feeling you might get laying on your back on a summer night gazing up at the dark clouds softly caressing vast sky scattered with a million little stars… It is an absolutely beautiful song, I cannot stress that enough.

“Colleen“, off of the Joanna Newsom and The YS Street Band EP, might be the best showcase of Joanna Newsom’s talent and ability. I recommend viewing the linked video.

Some of you will listen to her and hate her, others will think of her as a modern and conscientious lullaby. At the heart of the matter though, the essence of Joanna Newsom, is that she is different. She is not Britney Spears (because her voice never would have made Disney), she is not Modest Mouse (because her music doesn’t fit in a genre), and she is not a sound that you would mistake for anyone else.

“I don’t think [my music] is very typical. I’d like to always be trying something new with the harp, trying something that’s divergent from the conventional sound everybody is accustomed to.”
-Joanna Newsom

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