Joanna Newsom - What We Have Known

Haha, here I was thinking Joanna N. had completed a new album and silly-chops here had a chance to completely de-intellectualise the legend of this incredibly popular kooky harp-molesting lady. Well that's what she is, innit? The arrangements in her music are often totally spellbinding & so delicate & graceful you can't help be touched. Her icky, bizarre voice is quite another thing, it's taken me 5 years to be able to even bear it but then, I never could quite get my head round Kate Bush's more outre moments either. This particular song was the most beloved number on the 'Sprout & the Bean' CD single from 2004. I can really see here why Drag City have taken the unusual step of elevating this older, obscure tune to prize deluxe etched vinyl status. It's a really beautiful song which features Joanna chewing the heads off lilies whilst trying to sing about seahorses and other crazy, lovely things. Her harp playing is delectable throughout, that is one thing you cannae knock the lass for. By 2015 I hope sincerely to have fallen hook, line & sinker for those chewy, trilling, child-like vocal chords and hoover everything up she's ever done. To be fair, I feel like this could be the perfect starter point for me.......I must get involved. Much missed Ex-Normanite Brett once happily declared she was responsible for the best gig he'd ever seen which is incredibly high praise from a switched-on music junkie such as him!