With the March 7 deadline for the completion of the beta of our game fast approaching I haven’t had much free time to review any of the new albums I have been listening to. In all honestly most of them haven’t been all that exciting. This is, until now. Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom was released this week.
At its core Ms. Newsom’s newest record is a folk album. Unlike the last album I reviewed, Realism, it has the heart required to make it a truly special affair. Spanning three LPs and over two hours of music there is enough heart to fill an entire discography. If you are new to Joanna Newsom, like I admittedly am she takes some getting used to. Her voice can be off putting at first, but if you persevere you discover just how beautiful and dynamic it really is. My brother described the songs as “Pocahontas music.” Which, while was mean as an insult is somewhat true. Newsom captures the timeless nature that most contemporary folk music strives for almost effortlessly.
The vocals come off as a mix between the more eccentric and experimental sounds of Joni Mitchell and Melanie Safka, while it flows like Panda Bear’s “Person Pitch” or Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks.” Weaving in and out of different sprawling melodies all connected by a unifying theme. This isn’t your parents folk music, this is something much better.