New Joanna Newsom Album "Ys" Due Nov 14

but insincere in what way? like, she doesn't believe what she's singing about? or like, she doesn't think what she's writing is actually very good? and not to be like a total crit douche but: since when is sincerity a mark of quality?

This is the stupid comment yet on this thread.

Nevermind.

Hi Dom.

Yes, sincerity doesn't mean good or bad generally speaking. But in the case of something like this that everyone claims to be so heartfelt and real and wonderful and ground breaking and brave and bold, I just don't see that. It's a hollow shell of great artists spinning a very pretty but forgettable web around someone who knows how to sell herself and her whole wolf pelt hat freak folk wearing persona quite well.

other than the length of the songs and the orchestral arrangement I don't know what's different about this record than her last one or her earlier work. you're obviously unfamiliar with her so coming to her stuff at this point and making this declaration is more a statement on your ignorance than anything else.

you may not like my opinion, but my opinion doesn't make me ignorant you idiot

please...
i love how easily people dismiss other people's counter hive opinions
just b/c I"m not marching to the joanna piper, doesn't mean I believe rape=authenticy

I really don't understand your comments about her sincerity or authenticity. You seem to think that she's just marketing an image (not sure what's wrong with that), but that any of the real musical work is being done by other people. Everything I've seen about the making of Ys indicates that she's heavily involved with the entire creative process to the point of obsession.

I'm not the type of person to get upset about this type of stuff, but I feel like a lot of the comments on here are getting really ugly and sexist. The whole idea that she is just a cute face and depends on "real artists" to hold her hand and do the real work strikes me as absurd and insulting.

I think zippezappy is arguing that people are lavishing newsom with praise because of these qualities. And that she the ambitiousness of the album, or the work that went into it, has influenced critics' opinions of its merits.

I'm not saying this is true, but it's not that rediculous of an idea. I think alot of us got excited when we heard about Albini and VDP's involvment.

For me, it just doesn't excite me as much as her first. I understand that it requires a great deal of attention and time. I guess, I just don't feel like giving this album that much time. I guess her writing and vocals are similar to the first. But the arrangements and strings irritate me at times and take away from the simplistic qualities I liked about ms. newsom. I am not wording this well, but the strings seem to be overbearing at various parts throughout many of the songs, where they could stand to be a little more subtle.

but this thread makes me want to hear it.

i hope it's really fanciful.

I'm also waiting to hear about all these great artists making music that is far superior, but are being ingnored because they aren't pretty....

...And we have a tie

This thread is going downhill fast... but I sympathise with people finding it all a bit hollow and contrived, in a way that frequently actually repels an emotional connection.

Well for me anyway. Whether she's "sincere" or not I don't know, I wish I could finally understand why I just-about like this, and even then with doubts, whereas other people are finding it utterly rapturous & I assume, deeply satisfying.

Maybe it's because so little of her poetry strikes me as coming from the sub-conscious, it makes too much literal/poetic sense when it's understood, it reminds me of rap that I don't like, when there's piles upon piles of lyrical puzzles to untangle but not much blissful surrender. Which is unfair, as there are many moments of surrender here, but as a whole, the sheer concentration -of- it, and the concentration it feels like it needs to be absorbed is wearying. I tried letting this just wash over me too but that came out even less rewarding :(

I still have the horrible feeling this is going to click eventually and I'll have to eat my words... but I still wish the 5 parts didn't all sound so similar overall, without that differentiation, this record feels more like a half-remembered dream with an uncertain beginning and end, and not enough of a "journey" for me.

I definitely see how her music can sound like it was labored over to an excessive degree. When an artist appears to be trying too hard, it becomes a big turn-off. In that sense, I understand a lot of the criticism here.

The part I don't get is the notion that she is pulling a fast one on her audience or playing some kind of confidence trick. That seems to be the implication of a lot of comments on this thread, and I find it kind of mystifying.

Why are so many people convinced that there is a big disconnect (for good or ill) between her persona and her personality?

Is it so hard to believe that she is, in fact, that person?

I mean think about how long she sings about "darling dance with me" over and over and over and over again for a good 3 minutes at the end of "bear and monkey"

Sure, get lost in it. Feel the magic. It's like a sandra bullock romantic comedy, (but sandra REALLY IS THAT CUTE IN REAL LIFE), you either get lost in it or you don't.

Obviously I don't and I guess the other major issue I'm taking here (and I'm more irritated by the fans/critics then the actual album) is that NOBODY else seems to be speaking up here. Is it required that everyone think what she's doing is fucking hands down 10/10 across the board album of the year.

I know now people are going to chime in with a one sentence "I don't love it" but seriously, I just can't believe so many people buy it.

I'm quickly turning into the resident joanna hater and that wasn't my intention. I admire her ambition. I think the record is FINE. It is what it is, but I can't stomach all these giddy male rock critics talking about how for some reason HER lyrics about skipping stones are so great and why random other artists singing equally as ridiculous (IMO ) lyrics , get the full brush over or deemed as "trite" and "cutesy"

why her?

What makes you think that she sees herself this way? I have no way of knowing for sure, but I would guess that she sees herself as a musician. I've never seen her say anything that would indicate otherwise.

I just can't believe so many people buy it

This is what confuses me - why does liking this album = "buying" it? If I enjoy listening to her am I suspending my disbelief? Disbelief of what?

I can't stomach all these giddy male rock critics talking about how for some reason HER lyrics about skipping stones are so great and why random other artists singing equally as ridiculous (IMO ) lyrics , get the full brush over or deemed as "trite" and "cutesy"

I understand disagreeing with the critics, but why be angry at them? Why even care about them?

THE GREEEEEED

(same pitchfork reviewer, (nearly) same score, same 'epic' expansion upon promising first disc, same hype)

I can't see this being better than BB, myself, but I'll need to give it a listen.

This is...as good.

Plus VDP & Steve Albini & Jim O'Rourke.

Like whoa.

Ys is a good album, though

(same pitchfork reviewer, (nearly) same score, same 'epic' expansion upon promising first disc, same hype)

I jumped in w/my "as good as" cause I know teh Jagger digs it lots, and then we miscommunicated shit all to hell.

A couple years ago, they were getting the same hype.

They do projects that seem either ambitious or crazy.

The lyrics are overly verbose or just plain long.

so i was hoping to get this for my 8-year old cousin who is a concert harpist... (no shit)... is there a lot of smog dick or it is bad mixed metaphor?

will she see through it? i was gonna make her a copy of the last record minus the song with the "whores" on it... cause i'm not sure if her folks would dig that...

any chance JN will be on a NOW! kids comp in the near future?
m.

Huh? Joanna Newsom? Sandra fucking Bullock? "CUTE IN REAL LIFE"? Is this some exercise in automatic writing?