Unlike The Story It Was Written To Be

When I first heard Joanna Newsom I think I was attracted to that slightly Kate Bush feel of her music, but after I listened more I put my Kate Bush comparisons away (although I still occasionally hear a hint of that genius woman in Joanna's music) and fully embraced her shrill 'cat getting strangled and drowned at the same time' vocals and her wonderful harp (and quite often piano) music.

 
That description of her voice sounds bad, but I truly don't mean for it to. Come to think of it, sometimes she sounds like a little girl. That is not a bad thing either and I think such a distinctive voice singing such beautiful songs deserves praise. Plus the fact that she started learning piano and harp from the age of four, and harp was her instrument of choice from that age. All of the words coming from her mouth are so enchanting and poetic, so magical. I wish I could string words together half as beautifully as she does, and she does it so effortlessly. The effects are simply mesmerising. The following lyrics are from Sawdust and Diamonds...

Though my wrists and my waist seemed so easy to break,
Still, my dear, I would have walked you to the very edge of the water,
And they will recognise all the lines of your face,
In the face of the daughter of the daughter of my daughter.

Joanna Newsom is going to be here in Australia next year for Golden Plains Festival and I'm hoping she does a side show and I'm hoping I have enough money to go to the side show. I haven't been into her music for very long but I think it would be pretty great to hear her and see her right in front of me, plucking away marvelously at her harp and singing at the very top of her spectacular voice.

Oh, and her most recent album cover for Have One On Me is pretty fantastic.

Joanna Newsom - Peach, Plum, Pear