duggup

Joanna Newsom has a naive style of singing and a voice that is sometimes called childlike – and if you listen to the lyrics you will hear a confident singer clearly at odds with them but at the same time the quality of the voice is broken and wild and not in the least childlike. And the songs themselves – are fashioned in waves and swirls, not so much composed as grown.

Initially it was her harp playing that drew me – her staccato playing style perfectly complements her fiercely individual voice. She sings, plays harp and composes, but her songs are contagious. I can’t work out what it is that attracts me to this performer, but her songs charm me. Wikipedia says this of her:

The media have sometimes labeled her as one of the most prominent members of the modern “psych folk” movement, although she does not acknowledge ties to any particular musical scene. Her songwriting incorporates elements of Appalachian music, avant-garde modernism, and African kora rhythms.

The above video is a live version of her song “Emily”.She plays harp, celtic and pedal style, piano and harpsichord with intensity and passion. She will never be number one on the pop charts and I’m glad because she is too good for that. Listen to her song Sawdust and Diamonds and find out why she has worked her way onto my playlist:

Very much recommended.

jools is a graphic designer who used to front a band on vocals and bass. All evidence of which have mercifully been obliterated or otherwise lost.
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