Audio CD review:
Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender

Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender

Band: Joanna Newsom Title: The Milk-Eyed Mender Rating: Release Date: 23 March, 2004 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Bridges And Baloons 2: Sprout And The Bean 3: The Book Of Right-On 4: Sadie 5: Inflammatory Writ 6: This Side Of The Blue 7: 'En Gallop' 8: Cassiopeia 9: Peach, Plum, Pear 10: Swansea 11: Three Little Babes 12: Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie

Customer Reviews It either speaks to you or it does not How could she be so audacious as to not to attempt (at least) to create a "pretty" sound? When you make an album don't you do everything to make it "pleasing to the ear?" I realized after a few tracks. On first listen I was amazed by this album. . . she doesn't care about that. These are her songs and she does them her way and that's that. . . take it or leave it. I was, however blown away by the fact that someone would choose not "try to make it pretty. " That's guts. Next the lyrics started to roll over me and through me. Word play, that's what I thought next, and I love word play. Clever snippets of lyrics stayed with me. I found myself going back to the songs for reasons I could not explain other than it pleased me to hear them again. I read some reviews. I liked a "strangled squirrel" comparison I read. That's not totally off the mark (at certain moments. ) I also agreed with comments like "not like anything else you will hear this year. " So far, that is certainly true. On careful listening (headphones, man!) I came to love most of these songs, perhaps it will be all of them eventually. They entertain me and I suspect they are entertaining my soul a bit as well. How much popular music falls into that category? One rule this album breaks is that popular/folk music is supposed to be pleasing to the ear. They rioted when "The Rite of Spring" debuted. Most of us don't really want to be challenged with anything too new or different and this qualifies. I enjoyed reading the negative reviews. Certainly, I can understand those who cannot get beyond "the voice. " You are forgiven and may go in peace. To those whose expectations were fanned by the New York Times, I am sorry. It is very difficult when high expectations are not met, but it does not make the music bad, it just means it is not to your taste. I think those who do not like the music are being unfair when they accuse those of us who do like it of only doing so because it is hip or because we have been told to. That's unkind and untrue, at least for most of us. In Milk-eyed Mender I have found some food for my soul and a set of songs (and a voice!) that on repeated listening have been richly rewarding. Childlike, passionate debut - enliven's one faith in music Although I have listened to arty female singer/songwriters for a number of years, "The Milk-Eyed Mender" is totally unlike anything in the genre or anywhere else. Joanna Newsom's "The Milk-Eyed Mender" was a revelation to me on hearing it. Newsom might retain the childlike passion of so much of the best music in this genre, but the spin she puts on it is unlike anything I had heard. The use of the harp as a folk instrument is of itself something unusual. Only in a few songs on [[ASIN:B0000026IP The Sensual World]] had that instrument been heard in a "pop" context ever since the genre emerged. Despite this, Newsom shows that the harp, with its tight strings, has as much potential as a guitar or piano for singer/songwriter music. The opening track, "Bridges and Balloons", begins as a beautiful hum to which Newsom adds some utterly piercing vocals that anyone who listens carefully will admit to have genuine passion and strange beauty. "Sprout and the Bean" is actually even more intense and really funny at the same time: Newsom sounds so like a child who retains remarkably innocence, and her lyrics celebrate wondrous joy that few singer/songwriters ([[ASIN:B000002KYA The Roches]], [[ASIN:B000002GIO Karen Peris]] or [[ASIN:B000094PWP Joy Of Cooking's debut]] come to mind) ever manage. "The Book of Right-On" is truly beautful and touching, whilst "Sadie" is even better. Newsom's voice seems to pierce even "harder" without her music losing resonance or even beauty over a full six minutes. "Inflammatroy Writ" shows Newsom could still sound funny, eccentric and delightful without her harp - the rhythm almost sounds like you can dance to it. "Cassiopeia" is slower than any other track, but this benefits it because one really hears the true twinkle of Newsom's harp to a similar, danceable rhythm to "Inflammtory Writ". The vocal here is a genuine highlight: the song seems much longer than it is. "Peach, Plum, Pear" uses a harpsichord to accompany Newsom's beautful voice - and she plays it so lightly you can hear the rhythm as if it was someone dancing. "Swansea" is a childlike tale of fear with wonderful passion and depth, so that it sounds almost creepy, whilst "Three Little Babes" is a medieval tale played on piano on which Newsom sounds like a choir might if it were pushed to her own level of intensely. Closer "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" mainatians the stardard to round off one of the finest debuts in music history. Not in a long time before (nor ever since) have I heard an unknown talent produce such an original, intense, deep, passionate and beautiful record as "The Milk-Eyed Mender" is. Newsom was to become much more ambtious on he next album [[ASIN:B000I2K9M4 Ys]] whilst still maintaining her trademarks here, but the childlike beauty of "The Milk-Eyed Mender" is still a must-hear for serious music fans. Eeek! I'm sure I'll get bashed repeatedly by those who love her, and I'm sure Joanna is a fine, lovable person. . but I would liken my enjoyment of this cd to that of watching a double feature of "Showgirls" and "Natural Born Killers". If you can get past her fingernails-on-chalkboard voice, there might be something there, but I couldn't find it. . You can see a complete list of all Joanna Newsom discography, or go back to the Joanna Newsom tabs