Joanna Newsom's latest masterpiece is not so new anymore. But it's three, and that's always a good thing. I appreciate when creations comes in clearly divided parts. That is the only phenomenon I think is really missing since we left the LP:s with their A/B sides*. Actually a double filled to the edge would be more difficult to grasp. Well well well, I listen to "Have one on me" in my mp3-player, often forget to even notice each title shift as I'm walking in the melting snow. So how would I feel the benefit of having to take a paus while turning side?!? Well, I like to know that the idea is there, being able to reconstruct it's structure my mind.
For the third time since Newsom started I struggle to get a clear picture of her magic songs. That takes alot of time, since they run away like children with her voice, slips between someone's fingers. I mean the originality and beauty shows from the beginning, but making each melody an individual memory craves repeating and repeating and repeating. Within each song floats many melodic elements, but they are more homogeneous than you first may believe. Besides there lives some potential pop pearls or timeless folk songs on this third planet. So far I've discovered "Easy", "Esme" and "Good Intentions Paving Company" to be the most "easy"ones.
When she and her harp first reached my earsphones some years ago (while ultimately walking in the medieval quarters of a modern city) she was just Joanna Newsom. Now I really wonder were she's got her inspirations from. Harp pieces I don't know enough to compare with, however her voice, style and compositions reminds me very very much of Kate Bush.These muses must be orbiting around the same star.
On the other hand Joanna is strangely enough not a british but a californian girl. Put this fact together with her fairytale tendencies in lyrics and appearance. That gives Newsom a natural connection to Joni Mitchell, yes the earliest, lightest Joni. Parallell to their string instruments they both play piano. But I don't hear the jazz that others hear in some tracks here, and will not compare Joanna to Joni's later, more dark-voiced and drum-based music, far from the folkish psychedelica that makes her queen of the same woods where Newsom may be princess.
90's influences could be Björk, or would but could hardly be swedish Stina Nordenstam, with same kind of naively twisted voice, jumping from impression in and out of expressiveness, combined with complex music for being pop, an ingredient practised by many womens during last decade, but seldom as consequentely ambitious as by Newsom.
* I just read that "Harrison's All Things Must Pass" originally was a tripple LP!!! Do you know any more???
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