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Joanna Newsom is an american singer-songwriter-harpist and she has made some of my favorite songs in the entire world!

I started listening to her around 2018 and it sort of changed the way that I view the world and everything in it (in a very good way). I think that she is very special.


THE MUSIC

a brief summary of her four official albums, plus other songs worth checking out:

THE MILK-EYED MENDER (2004)
when compared to her other work, it's clear that Joanna is still finding her voice at this point (sometimes literally). these songs are so sweet! they're also a great intro to appalachian-style folk singing (I recommend listening to jean ritchie, peggy seeger, texas gladden, and karen dalton if you enjoy this vocal style). it's also so nice to hear an entire album of voice and harp/piano.		 YS (2006)
listen to me. she was 24 when this album was released. that's ridiculous. like it's so silly. this is five songs spread over ~1 hour. each one is a masterpiece. every song feels like reading an entire novel, there's just so much information and emotion to take in! only skin is such a feat on its own. I am not exaggerating when I say that this album can make you feel every human emotion during its runtime. 		HAVE ONE ON ME (2010)
a two-hour long triple album about every single nuance that can come from a relationship (that's probably simplifying it to some extent). there is a lot to unpack in this one. the three-song-run of in california - jackrabbits - go long is one of the most incredible things I've ever heard. 		DIVERS (2016)
divers was probably the first of Joanna's albums that I fully got into. the lyrical work on this one is awe-inspiring, with each word being so carefully chosen for each moment. the orchestration is lush and expansive (especially when compared to ys, where the orhcestra feels very close and in-your-face). the themes of divers are heavily concerned with time travel, war, and the passage of time. they are beautifully put together. the "final" track makes me cry 90% of the time. it's so good.

SPRING RECITAL (2023)
Joanna played a number of new songs at the Spring Recital in 2023 (a show put on by fleet foxes where Joanna was the surprise opener). these are the first new songs we've heard since Divers, which hopefully means that a fifth album will be coming in the future! the air again was my immediate favorite; from the lyrics to the melodies, it was so exciting to hear new work from an artist who I thought was done releasing music (and to have it be extremely good?)

OTHERS
There are a few other songs scattered around from various other releases. there are some earlier songs from EPs like Walnut Whales and Yarn and Glue, (the fray, flying a kite, erin, yarn and glue). there's What We Have Known, which was released as a single and has two versions. Colleen is a fantastic deepcut that was included on the EP Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band (2008). Make Hay is a 'bonus' track from Divers, with a studio version on youtube.


LIVE PERFORMANCES

I think it's easiest to appreciate the musicianship and craft of her songs when you get to see them live. here are some of my favorite performances :) (click the titles for videos!)