Oct 11, 2005 23:32
Review:
JOANNA NEWSOM - The Milk-Eyed Mender
True story: I wrote this review last night, came back to it now, and deleted the whole thing. It was a pretty straightforward eulogy, heartily recommending Joanna Newsom's major label debut to anyone with so much as a passing interest in music. Nothing wrong with it. But there, in that last sentence I wrote, is the grounding to all this. There is nothing wrong with 'The Milk-Eyed Mender', and it certainly deserves more than an 'adequate' review. Start to finish, Newsom's heartfelt, naive-sounding but clearly mature LP is a breathtaking taste of modern musical innovation, a combination of styles beyond any expectation, and an unmissable treat for any open-minded listener.
'Open-minded' is going to be the key, initially, and that's where the score dips a mark. If honesty's the policy to adopt, then it's only fair to point out that Newsom's singing voice is, well, not typically very good - at least, not in the traditionally accepted way. She has a tendency to veer off-key, and often comes across as extremely inexperienced vocally, sounding like Bjork with laryngitis. Inhaling helium. It's certainly a distinctive tone.
But there's simply something about it. While Newsom may not have a stereotypically phenomenal voice, it has a cute naivety about it, a tone reinforced by the traditional chord progressions and often basic rhythmic structures. It's high-pitched, squeaky and harsh, but it has a real charm to it, and though it may insight some giggles to begin with, it ends up winning the last laugh itself.
Moreover, at certain points on 'The Milk-Eyed Mender', Newsom sheds the brash tonality of her performance and adopts a softer, more gentle technique. Her capabilities stem far past a single vocal style, flitting between quiet croakiness, to graceful falsetto, to baby-smooth lullabylic soothing. It's crazy, but it's gracious, and its creator knows when to restrain herself.
Not only do the vocal styles on the record shift to and fro, the songs themselves span an awesome array of genres. The majority of the album comprises just harp and vocal - although keyboards come into the equation on a few tracks - but the different sounds achieved with such restricted tools is astounding. Opener 'Bridges and Balloons' has a fairly straightforward folkish vibe to it, whereas 'Sadie' and 'Peach, Pair, Plum' adopt a more assuming stance. 'The Book of Right-On', despite being stripped bare texture-wise, holds a distinctly jazzy groove, and debut single 'Sprout and the Bean' verges on resembling a children's nursery rhyme. Recognisable for its appearance on a recent Orange advert, 'This Side of the Blue' is the most immediate track on 'The Milk-Eyed Mender', but similarly laid back efforts like '"En Gallop"' and 'Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie' also tug at the heartstrings, as well as the harpstrings, a fair amount.
Lyrically, this is one of the most accomplished LPs released in quite some time. Poetic verses line the entire record, talking of 'A thiblesworth of milky moon' and 'The rough, straggly sage, and the smoke.' Although Joanna Newsom takes great care in informing fans and critics that she places a firm distinction between lyricism and poetry, it's her walking of the fine line between them that makes the literature showcased here so whimsical. Blissfully selfless and always inventive, it's a defiant step away from the contemporary norm.
But then, so is the entire album, and that's what makes it so appetising. It's not the most immediate album to appreciate, but that's only because of its refusal to conform to anything other than Newsom's own vivid stylisation. It's such a fresh-sounding recording, such a step away from any other commercial sounds; and yet, simultaneously, it sits in a comfortable bed of familiarity, to the point where although it sounds new, it never sounds wrong.
It's unfortunate to dock a mark based on something that, ultimately, Newsom should be praised for, but hey! This is music criticism, and the basic fact is that not everybody is going to fall for this with the same fargone naivety as myself. It's different, it's unusual, and it's not always easy to listen to - but I'd urge you to try. With 'The Milk-Eyed Mender', Joanna Newsom has created a magical record, an impossibly realised balance between novelty and familiarity, tranquility and raucous noise. Let it confuse you, let it surprise you: and let it, essentially, delight you.
nine