CD Review: Joanna Newsom’s ‘Have One on Me’
By Casey Gillis on Mar. 03, 2010
By BLAIR AMBERLY
Joanna Newsom is one of the most enigmatic, inimitable and interesting figures in modern music. She is a classically trained harpist who writes epic, fantastical music and sings in a sweetly shrill, off kilter voice. Newsom had continued to gain critical praise with each album and now her third record, the incredibly ambitious “Have One On Me” arrives amidst weeks of Newsom-frenzy in the music (and blog) world.
“Have One On Me” is a triple-disc containing nearly two hours of music divided into three “movements” that can each stand alone individually or work with the larger, longer whole. While this is some of Newsom’s best work to date, the sheer length of this music is sometimes difficult to absorb in its entirety and I therefore appreciate the three-part division of this record.
Newsom’s newest finds some middle ground between her first album, “Milk-Eyed Mender” which was her easier-to-digest, traditional record and “Ys” the grandiose follow-up consisting of 10-minute epic storytale songs. “Have One On Me” is Newsom’s most relaxed and confident album and it is more beautiful than ever.
The songs are still lengthy, magical journeys that open and bend as layers of new instrumentation enter and the richness of texture has reached its highest, most successful point. This is neo-classical composition fed to the indie-rock masses and it manages to intrigue everyone along the way.
Opener, “Easy” has so many gorgeous layers from the piano and string arrangements to the woodwinds and Newsom’s easily recognizable harp and voice. The vocals are rich and lyrically vibrant in both complexity and delicacy. She sings of love, darkness, nature and daddy long legs in typical Newsom fashion – meandering poetic odes.
Newsom’s cadence has always been playful and staggered, using voice as the penultimate instrument. Her voice swirls against the harp’s beauty on “‘81” in one of the lighter and more captivating songs on the album. The drum staggers and brassy horn solo on “No Provenance” add an element of jubilance to an often forlorn Newsom sound.
Due to it’s length, “Have One On Me” will probably get digested in smaller chunks and often played as beautiful background music, which it is certainly good for. The real reward comes from repeated, closer listens which reveal another truly gorgeous masterpiece of lyrical and instrumental intensity from young Joanna Newsom.
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